Repetto come in many variations of style and in numerous shades of colour
One can never go wrong with ballet flats. They have an ability to be worn with day-wear or evening-wear, dresses and skirts, pants and shorts, they can be casual or formal, dressed-up and dressed-down.
It is believed that the ballet flat style has been in existence since at least the 16th Century, when it seems men had similar shoes named pompes. Ballet flats were popular with both men and women during the medieval times, but during the 17th and 18th Centuries, the fashion of the ballet flats were overshadowed by the high-heeled shoes; brought into vogue by the two inch heels of Catherine de' Medici's wedding shoes. However, for a time, heels also left the high-fashion scene when Marie Antoinette walked to the guillotine in high-heeled shoes. The appearance of both ballet flats and high-heels were somewhat quiet during the 19th Century; it wasn't until the 1950's that actresses like Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot popularised the ballet-flat style again.
Perhaps the most famous brand of ballet flats is the French brand Repetto. Rose Repetto founded the company in 1947 after her son Roland Petit, a dancer and choreographer, mentioned the difficulty he had in finding the perfect ballet shoes. Repetto developed their line in 1956, at the request of Brigitte Bardot, to also include la ballerine cendrillon; ballet-slipper styled shoes for street-wear.
The simplicity and the elegance of the ballet flat enhances and suits every figure and every height. Out of any shoe style, it is the ballet flat which I could never do without.
Rose Repetto
Rose Repetto with her son Roland Petit
Brigitte Bardot
Audrey Hepburn
