Queen Camilla is wearing her tried-and-true cap-toe Chanel pumps again. Engaging in philanthropic duties, the queen consort attended the Big Lunch at Eden Dock in London on Wednesday, wearing the two-toned shoes with a polka dot dress and trenchcoat. The Eden Project and the Canary Wharf Group have joined forces to transform Middle Dock into Eden Dock, a biodiverse space designed to host community events.
Queen Camilla has a true penchant for these shoes, which showcase a beige and black cap-toe design — a signature aesthetic of the French fashion house. The two-tone design is associated with a slingback silhouette introduced in 1957, but the royal family member opts for an iteration with an enclosed back.
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During her most recent outing in the kitten heels, she wore a collared black-and-white midi dress with a polka dot pattern, showcasing another enduring style, as polka dots are experiencing a revival right now.
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Queen Camilla has demonstrated the versatility of the shoes in various instances — for example, she paired them with a floral dress and a blue dress from Fiona Clare while in Scotland last year.
Tonya Blazio-Licorish looked back at the enduring Chanel footwear style for WWD when the shoe turned 65 in 2022. Coco Chanel created the look alongside Parisian shoemaker Raymond Massaro. Not only did the style make use of the once-scandalous slingback strap, but there was intentionality behind the colors, Blazio-Licorish explained, writing, “Aiming for comfort and function, she lowered the heel, softened the strap, slightly squared the toe and used a bicolor combination to imprint its effortless style. The shoe’s colors were well thought-out: black to shorten the foot and hide scuff marks and wear, and beige used as a neutralizer to lengthen the leg.”
Massaro passed away in 2019 at the age of 90. As mentioned in a WWD obituary for the shoemaker, he discussed his memoir “Secrets de Bottier” on the French radio channel RTL the year prior to his death, offering background on the famous Chanel shoe.
“And above all, open in the back — don’t forget women’s feet can have a tendency to swell…so we left the back open to let the foot breathe,” he said.
Massaro also gave context on the color scheme: “At the time, shoes were pink, like the dresses were pink, like the bags were pink; Chanel arrived on the scene, revolutionized everything and said ‘shoes in beige and black, beige and blue, beige and brown, beige and gold’ — four pairs into the suitcase and off on a world tour.”
The cap-toe look has been showcased by many other brands, from Saint Laurent to Vivaia. Celebrities like Kerry Washington and Amal Clooney (wearing a style from Gianvito Rossi) have showcased the cap-toe aesthetic recently.