A Brief History of Lucite – From the 50s to the Latest Prada Lucite Shoes

Did you know that before lucite was associated with strippers, it was actually considered to be a very high class and a very expensive type of plastic? The transparent thermoplastic was developed in the 40s and was used in World War II as building material for submarine periscopes, windshields, and gunner turrets for bombers and fighter planes to name a few uses. (Wikipedia)

The war inspired a lot of fashion trends during that time (look up 40s military fashion and Christian Dior in the 40s) and it wasn’t long before the fashion industry picked up on lucite. Designers were soon churning out purses, jewelery, shoes, and other accessories made out of lucite and it became all the rage among women in the 1950s.

1950s actress and leading sex symbol Jayne Mansfield wearing lucite heels

The most expensive lucite purses in those days were made by Wilardy of New York and were even showcased in major department stores throughout the US (Henrietta Timmon’s “Lucite Purses – A Brief History and Buying Guide”):

1955 advertisement for a Wilardy Rhinestone Clutch, as used by English-American actress and director Ida Lupino in the 1954 film “Private Hell 36″

After the heyday of lucite in those years, it all kind of went downhill. There was a brief period in the 70s when the popularity of lucite spiked up again in the form of disco shoes, but it slowly became associated with strippers and became known as “hooker wear” from then on.

There is however a small group of people who know the true value of lucite and perpetuate the glamorous legacy that it started in the 50s. It looks like Miucca Prada is one of those people in the know, as she included elegant clear and smoky black-tinged lucite heels for her latest Spring 2010 Ready-To-Wear collection:

Lucite heels in the Prada Spring 2010 RTW fashion show

Lately, select shoe designers have also been coming out with really tasteful lucite shoes. See if any of these 3 lucite shoes are to your liking:

Stuart Weitzman Mam, $315.00

Onex Venus, $64.00

Two Lips Mel, $25.88

What do you think of the Prada lucite heels or lucite shoes in general? Will they catch on and restore their former glory or are they just a novelty to you?

Read more about Prada lucite heels in this blog post entitled “Lucite Heels from Prada: Chic or Cheap?” over at YourNextShoes.com.