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Fashion Lingo: what does «brat girl summer» mean?
by Laura Scholz
Fashion lingo: what are Mary Janes and who are they named after?
24.4.2023
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
The fashion world is brimming with terms – the meaning of which are sometimes far from obvious. Mary Janes, for example. What on earth are Mary Janes? And who’s this ominous lady these iconic shoes are named after?
You may be familiar with the scene from Sex and the City. The one where Carrie Bradshaw is hyperventilating over what she’s just found in Vogue’s accessory closet. After all, she found a pair of THEM: Manolo Blahnik Mary Janes.
But maybe this is all gobbledegook to you. Perhaps you’ve never seen Sex and the City and/or simply don’t have a clue what Mary Janes are. Keep the faith, I’m about to reveal all.
So that’s what Mary Janes are
In a nutshell, they’re low-cut, closed shoes or pumps with a characteristic strap across the instep. The original Mary Janes were black and – especially the ones with no heel – reminiscent of old-fashioned dolls or children’s shoes. And that’s no coincidence.
Why Mary Janes are called Mary Janes
Today, the shoe’s loved by Carrie Bradshaw and many others. It was originally designed for children, simply called a bar shoe and worn by girls as well as boys in the 19th century. In 1904, the Brown Shoe Company of Missouri came up with a marketing idea with serious consequences – in the most positive sense of the term.
They drew inspiration from the cartoon series Buster Brown by cartoonist and author Richard Felton Outcault (1863–1923), in which both the main character and his girlfriend go on adventures wearing the strappy shoes.
Take a guess what the name of Buster’s girlfriend was...
Source: Richard Felton Outcault, Source: Pinterest
Allegedly, Outcault was paid 200 US dollars for the licensing rights to his characters. After that, his Mary Jane became the face and namesake of a women’s and girls’ shoe that still causes gasps of excitement in a series that came out 100 years later. It’s still considered an absolute classic that no longer has much in common with the little girl in the cartoon.
In the «Fashion lingo» series, I try to shed light on the dark that is language in the fashion industry. If you occasionally end up lost in translation, I’m sure I can help – drop me a line in the comments.
Header image: Spotlight
Laura Scholz
Senior Editor
Laura.Scholz@digitecgalaxus.chAlways in the mood for good hits, great trips and clinking drinks.
Fashion
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