Martha Washington’s Wedding Shoes

These are the fashionable shoes worn by Martha Dandridge Custis on January 6, 1759, the day she married Colonel George Washington. Featuring metallic lace and sequins, the English-made silk shoes were described as being "purple … with silver trimmings." It was also reported that she wore a "petticoat of white silk interwoven with silk," and a gown of "deep yellow brocade with rich lace in the neck and sleeves." The combination of expensive imported materials and vibrant colors lent a regal air to the bride, who was a wealthy young widow in tune with the latest fashions from England.