Below is the exact replica of the ruby slippers known as "the traveling shoes" that were stolen from the Judy Garland museum in 2005.

They are size 5.5, and the sequins are rich burgundy which were also used on stolen ruby slippers, known to be darker in color than other pairs of ruby slippers. This replica ruby slippers is made from vintage 1930's pumps from the days of The Wizard of Oz.

The jewels and sequins were hand-sewn, and the jewels on the bows have been aged to match its appearance today.



Judy Garland's size 5.5 replica ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures3/judy-garlands-size-5-and-a-half-replica-ruby-slippers1.jpg








Inside the right shoe is the label, reading Innes Shoe Co. Los Angeles, Hollywood, Pasadena. Written in block letters is meant to be the name "JUDY GARLAND" as they appear on the original ruby slippers but I haven't put it in yet.



The bow and label of Judy Garland's size 5.5
replica ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures3/judy-garlands-size-5-and-a-half-replica-ruby-slippers2.jpg









Judy Garland's size 5B replica ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures3/judy-garlands-size-5b-replica-ruby-slippers.jpg

Judy Garland's stunning replica ruby slippers unite. She would wear a pair exactly like these in The Wizard of Oz, so let me explain a little about their purpose.

The wine-colored pair is the size 5.5 "traveling shoes", and it was used for static and close-up shots in The Wizard of Oz. This pair of ruby slippers was displayed around America before it was stolen after burglars targeted a museum.

The red-colored pair is the size 5B "witches shoes", and it was used for extra-close-up or insert shots. For instance when Judy Garland as Dorothy taps her heels together three times in the movie's climactic scene, according to Kent Warner who was the founder of the ruby slippers.

 


Judy Garland as Dorothy's replica ruby slippers unite

http://www.laopride.com/pictures3/judy-garland-as-dorothys-replica-ruby-slippers-unite.jpg

These are the sequins used to make our ruby slippers, red and dark burgundy color. According to Rhys Thomas, the author of "The Ruby Slippers of Oz", different ruby slippers come in different shades of ruby red, from bright to dark burgundy.

We mostly like red metallic sequins because of the way they shine on the ruby slippers. The sequin itself is tiny, just 5mm and quite strong in that it is very hard to bend. 

Exactly like the original ruby slippers, every sequin is hand sewn so it's a very tedious and time-consuming job. It's not something that you can finish in one day, or one week. Around 4,600 sequins needs to be sewn and it takes a lot of concentration and commitment in order to make a genuine pair of ruby slippers like they produced for The Wizard of Oz in 1938.




Bag of red and dark burgundy sequins

http://www.laopride.com/pictures3/bag-of-red-and-dark-burgundy-sequins.jpg






Red sequin

http://www.laopride.com/pictures3/red-sequin.jpg

Our replica ruby slippers wouldn't look right without a company label.

Each pair of the original ruby slippers had a company label inside the right shoe reading "Innes Shoe Co., Los Angeles, Hollywood, Pasadena."

This was either a cloth sewn on, or a stamp in gold or silver. Below are some rare labels that we have on hand, and is identical to the labels used on the original ruby slippers. To get our ruby slippers stamped, this is done in New York.




Innes Shoe co. label used on the original ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures3/innes-shoe-co-label-used-on-the-original-ruby-slippers.jpg

The ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy have magical powers in The Wizard of Oz, and that's what these replica ruby slippers possess.       

These are high quality pieces of Hollywood memorabilia that I would rate as one of the best hand-sewn replica ruby slippers in the world because the right materials are used, and they look just as beautiful as what Judy Garland as Dorothy wore on the Yellow Brick Road.




The magical ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures3/the-magical-ruby-slippers.jpg

This vintage gemstone is sewn in the centre on the bows of our ruby slippers. The length, width and height, and rectangular face is identical to the ones on the original ruby slippers.



Vintage centre gemstone on the ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures3/vintage-centre-gemstone-on-the-ruby-slippers.jpg

When people come to see our ruby slippers, they tend to observe the bow so it's really important that we get it right otherwise it wouldn't be an exact replica.

So today, I'm going to demonstrate how I make the bow for the ruby slippers. I've already spent a good 3 hours hand-sewing some of the jewels on a red fabric overlay, and listening to some Judy Garland songs to keep me entertained while I'm at it. The bow below is still half finished and needs a few more hours to complete, and remember I also need to make a second bow and it goes to show what the seamstresses and tailors at MGM had to endure in 1938.

Basically, I sew the jewels onto an overlay, and then sew the completed overlay onto a a thin red leather, no glue is used on any part of the bow. This is a world-class bow reproduction that uses the same technique as MGM.



Making the bow for the ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures3/making-the-bow-for-the-ruby-slippers.jpg

Where is the safe box put? in Vientiene?

The safe box is in a private location.

I finished sewing one bow, and the jewels match the total number on the original ruby slippers. I need to work on the second bow before attaching both overlays to a leather that I cut into a shape of a bow.



Close up of the bow identical to the original ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures3/close-up-of-the-bow-identical-to-the-original-ruby-slippers.jpg


Rhinestones count = 46.  Correct http://www.laopride.com/yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/bull-greencheck.gif
Bugle beads count = 42.  Correct http://www.laopride.com/yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/bull-greencheck.gif
Centre jewels count = 3. Correct http://www.laopride.com/yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/bull-greencheck.gif

And here is one of the finished bows that I made. One of the closest bows in the world that Judy Garland as Dorothy wore in The Wizard of Oz (1939). This bow will later be sewed directly onto my next pair of ruby slippers.

In summary, I sewed the jewels onto a fabric overlay, then I sewed the fabric overlay onto the leather and making sure that the leather is visible around the edges.

Aternatively, I could have aged the jewels but that would get rid of the shine. I could have also thinned the leather to make it look more authentic. Rumor has it that the leather on the original ruby slippers were thinned down to make them flexible but that's a matter of debate.



The finished bow for my ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures3/the-finished-bow-for-my-ruby-slippers.jpg

The sequins have to start from the bottom and then layered them ascendingly? I would imagine that this would be the same procedure as putting shingles on a roof.

Not necessarily.

Some ruby slipper makers start from the bottom and work their way to top of the shoe, while others start from the top to the bottom and slightly tucking the new line of sequins under the preceding line so there is a bit of overlap.

Either way works, and the end result is to make sure that the pattern of the sequins are placed slightly over the top of each other like scales on a fish or shingles on a roof.

Ruby slippers are beautiful and it's a lovely piece of the past.

I would start from the bottom if I have to build the slippers.  What type of specialized thread did you use to stitch the bow and sequins to the slippers?   

Any thread is suitable. I use polyester, but what's more important is to use the color of the thread that matches the color of the sequins because I don't want the thread to be extremely visible on the ruby slippers.

For instance if my sequins are red, then I would use red thread to sew them onto the shoe.

What about human hair? Human hair is fairly strong.

I haven't thought of that but hair may be difficult to work with than a regular thread which is soft.

Also, they didn't use hair to make the original ruby slippers and I like to keep my replicas the same.

I've cut out some shapes of the bows from leather which will be used on Judy Garland's ruby slippers. The measurements and shape is identical to the bows on the original ruby slippers located at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

The wine colored material is a silk chiffon fabric which will be used to sew my vintage 1930's jewels onto, then to finish it off I sew the fabric over the leather bows.
   



Leather cut into the shape of a bow

http://www.laopride.com/pictures3/leather-cut-into-the-shape-of-a-bow-for-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers.jpg

The replica will be auctioned? ;D

I don't make them for sale, nothing is for sale.

One bow alone would cost $1,000 if I were to put them up for sale. That's how good the bows really are.

Bidding starts at $100,000 ;D

Holy!!!!!



Beef Cake wrote on 31^st Aug, 2013 at 12:52am:

Bidding starts at $100,000 ;D

Holy what?  Because this take about 1 year to make a pair of the slippers. ;D.  I will not accept cheap labour products. ;D  I prefer high quality.  :laugh2 :laugh2 :laugh2 :laugh2

One year time? 8 hours a day? 5 days a week? Man, if so, starting bid be 1,000,000 $.



Beef Cake wrote on 3^rd Sep, 2013 at 10:04am:

Holy what?  Because this take about 1 year to make a pair of the slippers. ;D.  I will not accept cheap labour products. ;D  I prefer high quality.  :laugh2 :laugh2 :laugh2 :laugh2

Seriously, how long does it take to put a pair together? ::)

It takes a year, or over a year, to make a pair of ruby slippers. I'm talking about a quality pair of ruby slippers the same way they were made for The Wizard of Oz, and not some rubbish replicas that you can find eBay for $50.

If I were to treat them like a full time job, and work on them for 8 hours every day, it could be done in 3 months.

Wow! Jiminy Crickets!
http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/9661434865_2fd647034e.jpg
It seems to be a Mega-structure ever seen. I see you are going to build a new pair of ruby slippers from zore. I means you are not only sewing the red sequins on those shoes. You build the bow, company label and other part?, so what about the core? the slippers?

I make the bows myself from scratch out of leather and sew on the sequins on the shoes, but the embroidered fabric "Innes Shoe Co." company label is ordered from the United States or I can get the soles stamped in gold with the company label. Either way is acceptable because the original ruby slippers had labels in both format.

The silk base shoes is not built by me. They are custom made for me from a nice gentleman in America because he knows what he is doing. He knows the exact shape of the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy. I paint the shoes though.




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The base shoes with different heels for comparison. One shoe has the front part of the heels straight, and the other shoe is a bit roundish. One shoe is covered with red fabric, and the other shoe is burgundy in color.
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http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/base-shoes-for-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers.jpg
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Half finished bow on Judy Garland's ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/half-finished-bow-on-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers.jpg

Stunning and starting to take shape


The sparkling centre jewels have been sewn into the bow.

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/centre-jewels-on-the-bow-of-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers.jpg

All the jewels have been attached to the silk fabric. Notice that this bow on the Witch's Shoes (size 5B ruby slippers) is straight, whereas Dorothy's Shoes (size 6B ruby slippers) has a bit of curve on the wings of the bow, as displayed on the first page of this thread.

The number of bugle beads on the Witch's Shoes is different to Dorothy's Shoes because they were basically placed on the bow using "put them where they fit" approach by MGM. 

Now all I need to do is attach this piece to leather, and I have a quality replica of a bow, a gem of a bow made by a Lao girl.




Close-up of the bow on Judy Garland's ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/close-up-of-the-bow-on-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers1.jpg


http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/close-up-of-the-bow-on-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers2.jpg

The finished ruby slipper bow, check it out in comparison with the bows that Judy Garland as Dorothy wore in The Wizard of Oz. It looks pretty much identical.

I take great pride in making sure the jewels are perfectly aligned, particularly the rhinestones that makes the pattern of the bow. I always allow some extra edge beyond the rhinestones so that there is a bit of silk fabric, this is exactly the way the bows on the original ruby slippers were made too.

I didn't want to dye the leather red and leave it as it is, simply because I want it to be visible on the sides and not camouflaged with the fabric. The face of the bow is more important because this is where people look and I'm very satisfied with the result.



http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/ruby-slipper-bow.jpg

These are some quality hand-sewn ruby slipper bows that would impress MGM costume designer Gilbert Adrian. The first thing that you will probably notice is that the color of each bow looks different. You're right.

The original ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz were created in slightly different colors, so with that in mind, we need to adjust the color of our bows accordingly so that it matches the color of our ruby slippers.



Hand-sewn ruby slipper bows

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/hand-sewn-ruby-slipper-bows.jpg

I didn't know it was in different colour in the movie. I think we can spot it out in 'The Wizard of Oz in 3D'.
By the way anybody is watching the movie in this week?
Anyway I cannot watch it in my living town, but I hope it will come to my local cinema soon.

If anybody watched it on IMAX Screen, I hope you will share the fun ;)

I read Rhys Thomas's book about the ruby slippers, and they were created in different colors so that they would display as red in the movie.

Color in those days required a lot of lighting on the studio sets in order for them to appear as the desired color on film, and they had to make sure the ruby slippers used in close-ups and distant shots still gave the red effect.

Judy Garland's checkered gingham dress was another example of this. The blouse and checks in the gingham was subtle pink so that it turned out white in the movie. 1930's Technicolor system was a great invention. The movie is so old, yet so clear and colorful.

I spent all day sewing and I also started on another bow. I still have a long way to go before this one is done, but it's looking nice so far.

See how neat and straight the rhinestone montees are stitched to the silk fabric? Presentation is very important when making bows because it is the main focal point of the ruby slippers. 



Sewing rhinestone montees on the ruby slipper bow

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/sewing-rhinestone-montees-on-the-ruby-slipper-bow.jpg

The rhinestones we use is identical to the rhinestones on the bows on the original ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

The face has a hexagonal shape, and the four silver colored claw or prong is rounded just like they appear on the original bows. The prong on the original bows has turned black due to it's old age. You can see the edges of the fabric fraying on the original bows which is normal after 75 years. You can also see the thread still holding the jewels firmly in place.




Extreme close-up shot of the bow on the original ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/extreme-close-up-shot-of-the-bow-on-the-original-ruby-slippers.jpg

Ruby slipper bow being constructed

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/ruby-slipper-bow-being-constructed-1.jpg





http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/ruby-slipper-bow-being-constructed-2.jpg





http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/ruby-slipper-bow-being-constructed-3.jpg

Three sets of ruby slipper bows, all painstakingly hand-sewn and
paying attention to detail using the same technique as MGM.

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/three-sets-of-ruby-slipper-bows.jpg

It looks marvelous so far
Therefore, You are making three pair of ruby slipper?
And I see those pair of bows are not in same pattern design. The pair in top I cannot see. The pair in middle is designed vertical pattern. And the pair in bottom is horizontal pattern.

By the way, Is there a pair of ruby slipper in the glass cage bottom?

And... Too many idea...
Why don't you try other colour? I would make one pair in diamond version for my future wife's wedding dress. I don't know the Lao's cultural, so it may be in other form of colour. Is it a good idea?
http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/9814956826_e872017e75.jpg

That's a beautiful picture of Judy Garland.

The bows may look slightly different but they are all created in the same pattern, that's how the originals were made.

There is no limit on the number of pair of ruby slippers that I will be making, it's my passion and my dream. I am still young and I plan to continue making them for many decades to come.

As for colour, I prefer to keep it red or close to it. I don't think that I will ever make slippers in diamond, gold or any other colour. I specialize in exact replicas only.

This is the original bow on the size 5B ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy. If you look closely, you'll notice that the pattern and probably the number of the bugle beads on the left and right side of the bow is different. 

The bows were made very haphazardly just for the movie, and MGM didn't think that anyone would ever be looking at them up close, so the bugle beads were sewn into place without any real pattern in mind. As long as they shine and sparkle when filmed then it met their particular needs.



Original bow on the size 5B ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/original-bow-on-the-size-5b-ruby-slippers.jpg

The bows look wonderful. You see, the picture "original-bow-on-the-size-5b-ruby-slippers" shows the structure is a little bit different between yours bows. I'm not going to make any offend mean. let's see the difference from the cross-section A and yours. I don't know the current structure have changed by the time, poorly maintained or it is the original design, but I see the different.
http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/9914407243_cdef9e68f9_o.jpg
The drawing is not very well. I don't have a professional drawing software in my computer. It is drew by Paint...
Anyway, you have done the fine work so far. Hope to see your completed work soon.

The rhinestones do not angle on the foil back stones, but sit close to each other. The original bows today are very old and they look different to when they were first made by MGM.

You're looking at a bow that is over 75 years old so some of the jewels may be slightly out of place, or even missing on some bows. When I make the bows, I try to replicate what they used to look like when they were worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy in 1939, and not how they appear today.




Correct pattern and placement of the jewels
on the bow of Judy Garland's ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/pattern-and-placement-of-the-jewels-on-the-bow-of-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers.jpg

Dorothy's size is 5B.  Is this European or US size? ::)

It's an American movie, and her shoes were made in America, so I think they used U.S. shoe size.

The size five ruby slippers was the smallest of the shoes made for her.

They also made a size five and a half, and size six, because her feet was still growing or swollen during production.

Below are some packets of custom-made bugle beads that we use on the bows of the ruby slippers.

Each bow contains about 42 bugle beads. We have around 25,000 bugle beads which is enough to make a whopping 600 bows.



Bugle Beads

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/bugle-beads-for-ruby-slippers.jpg

This large photo measuring about 50cm in length is stuck on my wall, which I use as a general guide when making ruby slipper bows, and it also serves as a reminder of a beautiful piece of movie prop.

The ruby slippers that I make has a lot of meaning. It's magical, it's iconic, and it represents Judy Garland.



Photo of ruby slipper bow

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/photo-of-ruby-slipper-bow.jpg

I am making another set of bows. This one is nearly finished with the jewels sewn onto a silk fabric like the originals were. All I need to do is trim it up then put it on a piece of leather and it will look really beautiful.



Replica bow on Judy Garland's ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/replica-bow-on-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers.jpg

And there's your million dollar bow made by a Lao girl. Sorry for being a bit upbeat but I'm very impressed with this bow, it's absolutely stunning.

I dyed the leather red so that it matches the color of the silk fabric overlay on top. The fabric isn't wrapped around the leather bow otherwise it would making it look more bulky. The bows on the original ruby slippers also had visible leather around the edges.

Now back to work on my matching bow.




Replica bow on Judy Garland's ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/replica-bow-on-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers-1.jpg




http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/replica-bow-on-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers-2.jpg

Oh my Lord Dorothy! :laugh3
A bow is a million already.  That is highly prized product. :laugh3 :laughing_my_ass_off :laughing_out_loud

The million dollar price tag is a bit of exaggeration on my behalf, but it wouldn't be cheap if I were to sell it.

One of the best bows out there and I'm very happy with how it turned out. The other ruby slipper bow is nearly finished.

A set of handmade bows is finished. This is my best work to date and you can see the similarities between the replica and original bows. In a word, stunning.



Original pair of ruby slipper bows

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/original-pair-of-ruby-slipper-bows.jpg






Replica pair of ruby slipper bows

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/replica-pair-of-ruby-slipper-bows.jpg

And here are the bows attached to a pair of ruby slippers. I couldn't be more happier with the result.



Bow on Judy Garland's ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/bow-on-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers-1.jpg



http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/bow-on-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers-2.jpg

Stunning, beautiful, gorgeous, call it what you will, but this pair of bows is right on the money.



Bow on Judy Garland's ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/bow-on-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers-3.jpg

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/10353492313_fc9c324a02_z.jpg
:applause :applause :applause :applause :applause :applause

You made it? Miss Administrator. I totally can't believe what I see.
Unbelievable, loot at that quality. It's so sexy. :worship2

Congratulation!!

My ever-growing collection of ruby slipper bows. The color of each pair of bows is different but all the bows were made using the same technique as MGM.



Collection of ruby slipper bows

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/collection-of-ruby-slipper-bows.jpg

The following photos are the overlay for the heel part of the shoes that I did.

My purpose is to test the placement, spacing, shape and overall detail of the sequins, and this particular overlay won't be used on any ruby slippers. You will notice that it looks a bit different on the left and right side. The sequins on the left side of your screen resembles the pattern of the heels on the original ruby slippers.

There are two ways to add the sequins to the base shoes. Most people sew the sequins onto a fabric overlay in a round embroidery hoop and then attach the overlay to the shoe by either sewing or gluing. While some people prefer to sew the sequins directly to the fabric overlay which has already been fitted for the shoes.




Sequin overlay for the heels of Judy Garland's ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/sequin-overlay-for-the-heels-of-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers1.jpg




http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/sequin-overlay-for-the-heels-of-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers2.jpg

Speaking of a round embroidery hoop, I've started on another heel.

Still lots of sewing to do.



Heel overlay in an embroidery hoop

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/heel-overlay-in-an-embroidery-hoop1.jpg





http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/heel-overlay-in-an-embroidery-hoop2.jpg





http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/heel-overlay-in-an-embroidery-hoop3.jpg

It took me many hours to sew the sequins on this fabric overlay for one of the heels.

I like to sew the sequins directly to the overlay that is already on the shoes, so sewing them on the overlay separately is something new to me but this actually looks pretty good and may be used on another pair of shoes.



Completed heel overlay for Judy Garland's ruby slippers

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/completed-heel-overlay-for-judy-garlands-ruby-slippers.jpg

I dyed a set of leather shape bow in readiness for another quality ruby slipper bows that I am making.



Set of ruby slipper bows dyed red

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/set-of-ruby-slipper-bows-dyed-red-1.jpg




http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/set-of-ruby-slipper-bows-dyed-red-2.jpg

This is a darker bow, similar to the color of wine that was used on some of Judy Garland's original ruby slippers.

The jewels looks shiny and it actually turned out pretty good. You're looking at another world class ruby slipper bow reproduction right here.




Ruby slipper bow reproduction

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/ruby-slipper-bow-reproduction-1.jpg



http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/ruby-slipper-bow-reproduction-2.jpg

Impressive. Good work administrator.

Every set of bows I make have their own uniqueness but they are made exactly the same way, the same size, and the same materials that was worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

Everything is carefully hand-sewn for days with beautiful silk and then placed on leather, I don't deal with cheap plastic or cardboard looking bows that takes 30 minutes to do.

When it comes to making ruby slippers, I'm one of the few who can re-create beautiful hand-sewn replicas.

Hi! Admin, what do you think of the following words taken from Animal Spirits. I put them here because I think it is from another angle to depict OZ.

The sense of unfairness, of rapacity, of selfishness, and of ......The feelings of the time were reflected in the 1900 children's novel The Wizard of OZ by L.Frank Baum. The yellow brick road and Dorothy's magical silver slippers (replaced for the 1939 movie with ruby slippers since these showed up more dramatically on color film) were metaphors for the  intense conflict over the gold standard and the proposed free coinage of silver. The little people..... represented the poor working class. The wicked witch stood for the selfish business interests. The wizard himself was the great deceiver, the US president.

I will download the OZ to watch carefully, very carefully.  ;D

The Wizard of Oz may represent the economic hardship in Baum's days.

Maybe that inspired him to build his plot.

This is the original size 5B ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Known as "the Witch's shoes" or "the beauty pair", I call it "the sexy pair", this original ruby slippers from back in 1939 is the real deal with an estimated value of $3 million.

It was found by the late costume designer Kent Warner at MGM before the spring of 1970 and kept in his personal possession for more than a decade.

They are distinguished from other pairs of ruby slippers by their size in that they are smaller than others, and the lack of orange felt on the soles of each shoe, suggesting this is the pair that was worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy in close-up shots.

The heels are also thinner and a bit longer than the other pairs of ruby slippers, and the toe is more pointy. This is the sort of ruby slippers that I like to re-create. Beautiful hand-sewn size 5B replica ruby slippers take some skill, so stay tuned to see my next pair around the middle of 2014.




Original size 5B ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy

http://www.laopride.com/pictures4/original-size-5b-ruby-slippers-worn-by-judy-garland-as-dorothy.jpg

I'm almost finished with the second darker bow. All I need to do is sew the silk overlay to the leather and I've got two beautiful ruby slipper bows.

I love red bows so you won't often see me make dark or wine-colored bows, however I like the look of this pair.

Photos of the finished product will be posted soon.




Ruby slipper bow reproduction

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A finished pair of dark ruby slipper bows.

It really was no miracle, what happened was just this!





Ruby slipper bow reproduction

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My collection of ruby slipper bows. These are top quality hand-sewn bows inspired by the original bows worn by Miss Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz (1939).




Collection of ruby slipper bows

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You can see the similarities between the replica bows and the bows on the actual ruby slippers.



The original ruby slippers

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These are red rose montees, rhinestones, crystals, or however you want to call them and they are pretty rare. We have quite a lot of these, literally thousands in the same size as the originals, but they can be extremely hard to find for many people.

Below is a close-up photo, but in reality they are very tiny with holes that only a thin needle can go through. They have vintage antique style claws that is rounded like the originals. Little things like this matters for us, we've seen many people make the mistake of using rose montees with modern day sharp claws on their ruby slipper bows which doesn't look as nice.

The claw settings on the original ruby slippers have turned black after all these years, but they were once silver, gunmetal and gold color on different ruby slippers. We tend to like silver claw settings because they appear white in The Wizard of Oz film which represents diamond.




Rose montees exactly to those on the original ruby slippers

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Close-up of the bow on the original ruby slippers

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This pair of replica ruby slippers were recently sold for a ridiculous $35,000 US. They were made by Western Costume Company in 1989 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the film's release. The company also made some of the original ruby slippers for The Wizard of Oz in 1939, although no records of the original slippers exist to either validate or disprove their claim.

I don't think they look good, and they are not worth that price but the buyer thinks so. There are issues with the bows, obviously it looks too big, it has less than 46 rhinestones, and the claws are pointy/sharp. The shape of the shoes, particularly the toes doesn't look like the original ruby slippers.

Either Western Costume Company employed people with a lack of knowledge, or they were provided with the wrong materials through no fault of their own. At the end of the day, for a company that is believed to be involved in making the original ruby slippers, this is not an impressive pair of replica ruby slippers to say the least.




Replica ruby slippers from Western Costume Company

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Replica ruby slippers from Western Costume Company

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Replica ruby slippers from Western Costume Company

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Replica ruby slippers from Western Costume Company

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Replica ruby slippers and original ruby slippers

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Original ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy

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Original ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy

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This rectangular stone is a bit different to the photo on Reply #5.

Only two people in the world (the other person is professional ruby slipper maker in Randy Struthers) have access to this rare rectangular stone.

This is an exact hand cut copy of the rectangular stones on the original ruby slippers. The rectangular face cut, and the V shape cuts on the sides of the stone are as accurate as they come.

We don't share or sell these stones to anyone else, so the best and most accurate ruby slippers are crafted by us and America's Randy Struthers.




Exact copy of the rectangular stones
on Judy Garland's ruby slippers

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