 |
Pappagallo Flower Ballet Flats |
When I was a teenager, one of my prized possessions was my collection of Pappagallo flower ballet flats in a rainbow of colors that I would coordinate daily with my outfit. Boy did I love those shoes. They were all lined with a mattress ticking stripe that was a trademark of these shoes.
They were extremely popular in the sixties and seventies. Made of Italian kidskin, they were very comfortable and very stylish and available in brilliant pastel colors like green, yellow, blue and pink. They looked great paired with Villager, Lady Bug, and John Meyer of Norwich clothes.
If any of you know Lake Forest, Illinois, I bought them at Lake Forest Sports Shop on Market Square. The store just celebrated its 100th birthday. The name was changed to The Lake Forest Shop after a man came in looking for a bowling ball.
The Pappagallo flat had the most perfect cut and looked great on your foot. They were incredibly flattering.
 |
Pappagallo |
 |
Pappagallo |
 |
Pappagallo |
 |
Pappagallo |
Did any of you wear these?
I saw these Tory Burch ballet flats and they reminded me of them. These are darling and look very comfortable.
This color above and green below have pansies with pistils on the right foot and crystals on the left. And the pansies are different colors - these are so unique! These shoes would look great with anything from jeans to dresses.
I think I'm going to splurge and get myself the coral ones.
I loved Pappagalo but also reminded me of my favorite Joan and Davids.
ReplyDeleteI loved Joan and David too!
DeleteI too loved Joan and David.
DeleteBeth,
ReplyDeleteI was a total Pappagallo fan! I had them in multiple gorgeous colors. They were everything you say they were, versatile, stylish, comfortable, and looked great with all those monogrammed Bermuda bags. I wish they would return.
I’ll be interested to know how the Tory flats are, should you decide to purchase. I love the look of her signature flats but they aren’t comfortable on my feet. These new ones are certainly a splurge. I hope they’re worth it.”
You just described my old wardrobe to a tee. I miss Pappagallo and all the matching skirt and sweater sets.
ReplyDeleteI do too.
DeleteThis takes me back to high school days in Houston!! We had a Pappagallo Shop on Kirby Drive and they sold multiple styles, my favorites were the flower ballet flat and what we called, Goo-Goo's. There was even a soft-leather saddle oxford. ADORABLE!
DeleteI even had my saddle shoes monogrammed. LOL.
DeleteThe Pappagallo flats were so popular in Wilmington, Delaware!
DeleteThe Pappagallo store was on 9th
Street along with the Villager store!
Those were the days when girls wore skirts and dresses to school.
E. B.
I do remember these shoes! My mom used to wear them. I love the look of flats like this, but unfortunately they don't give me enough support.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize you were so young.
Delete(I'm not that young - I just had a very stylish and fashionable mother!)
DeleteA blast from the past. I loved my Pappagsllo’s. They were expensive for my parents’ means but I felt like a million dollars wearing them! Unfortunately, I find the elastic backs on the Tory Burch version to be extremely uncomfortable and, generally, her shoes are too wide for my feet as opposed to those of Italian designers. I wish someone would resuscitate the Pappagallo brand. Those shoes are stylish and timeless.
ReplyDeleteI miss Pappagallo's, too, and all of the fashions that were popular during that time. I agree, Tory's are too wide for me and if I size down for a more narrow fit, the elastic back is a killer!
DeleteThat's a shame - I love the TB ballet flats.
DeleteI loved Pappagallos. Pappagallo opened up a store in our neighborhood mall and it was wonderful. Miss their shoes.
ReplyDeleteSomeone should bring them back - they would be popular.
DeleteIf I recall correctlly, the Pappagallo flats had a magical ability to make your feet look smaller and more delicate.
ReplyDeleteCompletely true - but then I wear a size 6 1/2.
DeleteYes, indeed! I remember getting my first pair in eighth grade and being so proud of them! I had many different pairs during high school. We had a Pappagallo store on Clayton Road in St. Louis (Ladue).
ReplyDeleteI loved my Pappagallo’s and bought several from that store on Clayton Road. I was so sorry when it no longer was there.
DeleteIt's wild that the store I bought all mine from is still there.
DeleteI loved Pappagallo flats. Just looked at the video on the TB website. Regretfully, the TB flats are not cut like the old Pappagallos.
ReplyDeleteNothing is, but I find the TB ballet flats super comfortable and love them.
DeleteMy total wardrobe as well,also loved stopping at Betty's of Winnetka,monogrammed sweaters and cute wool skirts. I had every color and in fact had a white pair as my wedding shoe. They were comfortable,now I wear a Rothy pointed,they too are comfortable. And cute. But I'd love for them to return.
ReplyDeleteI have a closetful of Rothy's and love them. I too shopped at Betty's of Winnetka.
DeleteWhen cleaning out my mother's closet I found a pair of black patent leather pointed Pappagallo flats and snagged them. They are a classic and so comfortable.
ReplyDeleteI love black patent leather!
DeleteI treasured all of my Pappagallo shoes! I had the flowers in navy, hot pink and our beloved Kelly! I wish they would make them again!
ReplyDeletePS I just found my add-a-bead necklace that I’m going to start wearing again!
I have my add-a-bead necklace as well. It seems so delicate.
DeleteThe add-a-bead is another classic.
DeleteI remember the Pappagallo shoes and loved them!!! I don't think the Tory Burch shoes are quite as nice--but close!
ReplyDeleteThey are a modern version to me.
DeleteYou also described my wardrobe. I had multiple colors and styles and wore them everyday. I covered all my shoeboxes in a beautiful contact paper and labeled all the boxes. They looked so great in my closet at college. Along the way, the styles switched to low cut jeans, but I still wore the papagallos and beautiful preppy skirts for special occasions. I did have the skirts shortened in college, way shorter than high school!
ReplyDeleteI still don't wear jeans. In my prep school, we had to wear skirts or dresses every day and it never wore off.
DeleteLoved Pappagallo and wore anything Pappagallo all thru college and after. So sad when the shop in Atlanta closed. I wish they were still around cause the Tory Burch flats just don’t have any support.
ReplyDeleteI love the TB flats and they work for me. Not everyone can wear them.
DeleteWhat a wonderful walk down memory lane! All the brands you mentioned were staples of my high school wardrobe. Pappagallo still exists as a brand of clothing, but it's definitely not the same as we remember and I don't believe they make shoes at all anymore. Loved those flats!
ReplyDeleteThey probably just sold the name which is common.
DeleteI still have my white Bermuda bag! I remember all those brands.
ReplyDeleteI would change out my monogrammed Bermuda bags to match my outfit.
DeleteWhen I was a kid I was obsessed with Pappagallo and Villager. I loved pointy toe Pappagallo tennis shoes (canvas trimmed in leather), pointy toe flats, especially the navy trimmed in Kelley green with a Kelley green bow (similar to a Belgian loafer) Word with a skirt and a villager cardigan with grosgrain ribbon trim. Preppy 60’s, Long bangs, Motown and the Beatles!!
ReplyDeleteSuch classics!
DeleteLoved them!! Also has capezio flats in red with tear drop cut outs! Another classic brand.
ReplyDeleteI loved Capezio!
DeleteWhat a great time that was - such cute, colorful clothes! When I was a student at Georgia in Athens in the 60s, we wore Pappagallos, Villager, Lady Bug, Weejuns - and carried John Romain bags! Heeney's is still in downtown Athens, though sadly the styles have changed! Such a wonderful walk down memory lane!
ReplyDeleteThe styles were quite fabulous in the sixties - my favorites.
DeleteThis is a walk down memory lane for me….Pappagallo, Capezio, Villager, Motown and Beatles!!
ReplyDeleteMohair sweaters, John Romain purses, Lady Bug, Weejuns….
DeleteWhen I was in high school, my mom and I would go up to Palm Beach in the dead of summer to a store on Worth Avenue. Not a soul was still in PB shopping on Worth in the summer and so they would put their Villager and Lady Bug clothes on major, major sale.
I think I wore my white ones when I graduated from high school. Long live the memory of Pappagallo!!!
DeleteSo many fun memories!
DeleteAl Spok We also sold at Marshall Field & Co. I Love Love Lake Forest !
ReplyDeleteI so miss Marshall Field's. My favorite store!
DeleteI cannot believe the conversation this has opened up about those glorious Pappagallo shoes. I had them is many colors and because of their tender leather, I can tell you that I would take them off if I got caught in a rain storm so they would not be ruined. I love the look of the Tory Burch, but those shoes are just not made for my skinny narrow feet.
ReplyDeleteThey were actually pretty durable shoes - mine lasted for years.
DeleteThe 60's and early 70's had the BEST clothes!!! I love watching Endeavor because of the womens' clothes. I swear I owned some of those very same coats and dresses! Thanks for reminding me1
ReplyDeleteI especially love the sixties - very much my style.
DeleteI lived in Highland Park around the same time. The whole North Shore was a hotbed of Papagallo, Villager and so on. The most beautiful dress I've ever owned was a hot pink wool challis dress with paisley design made by a company I vaguely remember as The New Victorian?. My father was a career military officer and Highland Park was the only time we lived off base. It was a beautiful place. My bike got stolen and was found on one of the estates of one of the Armours in Lake Forest. Do you remember they had their own Armour green? She insisted on returning it to me personally at the police station. She had her chauffeur load it into my car.
ReplyDeleteMy dad was career Army - retired as a Colonel out of Ft. Sheridan. Both my parents were buried there. I remember the Armour estates well. I have lots of stories.
DeleteThanks for this precious memory! I only had one pair but they were such a prized possession! I wish they were still around :(!
ReplyDeleteI do too. Someone should bring them back.
DeleteI knew those Tory Burch flats reminded me of something! As a teenager, I worked at the Indianapolis Pappagallo store after school snd on weekends (the ladies who ran the store called us “teenies”).
ReplyDeleteWe had to go to Buffalo to buy Papagallos.
ReplyDeleteWas reading a profile of Ina Garten in the New Yorker magazine that mentioned the moment her husband, Jeffrey, first saw her. “She was sixteen, wearing blue Pappagallo flats bought with her own money and a blue ribbon in her hair.”
ReplyDeleteI’m a fan of Ina, but much (MUCH) younger than she is. Thanks for writing this post, wouldn’t have been able to make sense of the reference otherwise! 🙏🏽