While some may say that fashion is cyclical, the advanced outfitter knows that the best looks are the ones that never went out of style in the first place! By bolstering your closet with an impressive collection of retro dresses from ModCloth, you give yourself the gift of looks that bypass all current trends and hype thanks to their unwavering timelessness. Vintage dresses have always been a favorite of ours, and we believe that if they haven't already, our assortment of throwback styles will find a place in your heart soon enough!
Pick an era, any era! Vintage dresses have always been a ModCloth styling staple - in fact, it was a love of throwback fashion that gave us a presence on the internet in the first place. While moving forward in the fashion world is important, we take our retro roots around here pretty seriously, as evidenced by our incredible selection of unique vintage dresses. Should you find yourself a fan of 1930s dresses, a devotee of mod shift frocks from the '60s, or an enthusiast of edgy 1980s style, you're guaranteed to discover a nostalgic look that caters to your timeless tastes!
That’s where reproduction boutiques come in. Many shops have popped up within the last decade to reproduce items from the post-war time period, some even using original patterns and fabrics. If you’re looking to try out a pillbox hat like Midge Maisel, interested in a classic red lipstick, or thinking of going full pinup, there are lots of options at myriad price points, not to mention styles and sizes for many bodies.
You can’t be anything but eye candy in vintage inspired pin up dresses with A-line, pencil or circle skirts that dance with your every step. A wide cinch belt helps define your waist and add a contrasting color to your pinup fashion. The strapless, spaghetti or halter neck pin up dresses are the most popular 50s pinup clothing for summer. Pin up dresses with sleeves are harder to find however with a little crop or cardigan sweater sleeveless dresses are wearable all year long.
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Another great pencil dress by Chic Star! It's made from poly/elastane stretch but the fabric is lovely and soft and smooth against the skin. The design is simple but smart and the black collar and sleeve trim reminds me of a 50's diner uniform. I love the print which is something a little bit different and the colour is great! Definitely a great dress to wear to work or for an evening out. My measurements are bust 90cms (12DD bra), waist 69cms and hips 93cms and the size 8 is a perfect fit. If you have any questions, please get in touch!
These ten items are the pinup basics that will build a fabulous foundation for your new wardrobe. I’ve tried to find affordable options for each item. Money can be tight when you’re buying yourself a whole new wardrobe! And when you’re a fledgling pinup, you may not want to blow £100 on a dress. Well, you’ll probably want to but may not be able to justify it! Now, enough of this chatting, it’s smudging my lipstick. Let’s go shopping! Here’s what you’ll need…
If there’s one modern thing to love, it’s all the vintage style inspirations you can find on social media. Whenever you’re in doubt about what to wear or whether your ensemble is 50’s fashion icon worthy, just click online and view our vintage style outfit ideas. Looking for more inspiration? Scroll your way over to these modern day retro fashion icons and see what type of vintage fashion they’re rocking.
Dressing in vintage style clothing for a themed event or personal fashion is our passion. We turned a hobby into this website to make it easy to find vintage inspired clothing for women and men online spanning 1900-1960s. Our fashion history blog helps you create the look from decades past using vintage, vintage inspired and thrifty clothing, Need help? Ask us anytime.
For running errands around town, most women had a pair of baby dolls. These shoes had very round toes resembling shoes that were popular for baby dolls of that decade. Most had an ornament or cute decoration on the top of them. They were much more comfortable to wear than a pair of tall heals when a woman planned to spend many hours on her feet. Yet, they were definitely not the military style boots that were popular in the 1940s. Add a pair of comfortable baby doll shoes to your collection by getting this one from Blue Velvet Vintage (@vintagebluevelvet).
Using spray and a bristle brush, comb the underneath of the hair upwards in sections and pin it tightly up into the base of the top section. Grab small sections on top of the head, teasing the base and creating barrel curls by wrapping the hair around your fingers. Secure each curl with bobby pins. Refine the style by dressing each curl out so they work in harmony with each other. It is important to make sure the style is symmetrical unless you purposely want a feature piece framing one side of the face. Once you are happy, fix the style with strong hold hairspray.
1950s pin-up queens also made micro bangs a popular girl-next-door style. But this look can still be worn today for a mod and trendy edge. While these bangs are nothing short of chic, it’s important to keep in mind that baby bangs require constant care (via trims) and styling. However, accessories can definitely dress up your bangs easily, so be sure to add in a bright colored bandana to show off your eccentric style.
You might think of the classic wiggle dress a la Mad Men when it comes to the pin-up look. But these styles can serve you well beyond the confines of your office. Pair that dress with pumps and wear it to a wedding or date night. Or, why not dress it down with adorable flats or Mary Janes and a jean jacket? Wear a button-up blouse with high-waisted jeans for a cute, casual look, or slip on a form-fitting wiggle skirt instead for a drop-dead sexy outfit. You’ll have a blast discovering a wide variety of ways to style these retro-chic designs from Unique Vintage.
Next, brush hair smooth in the back area. Backcomb the interior for extra volume and keep the surface smooth. Create soft curls with a medium barrel iron. Curl hair from the mid-length through to ends in a horizontal fashion. Set curls using pin curl clips until all hair is curled. Allow hair to cool, then release curls and allow to fall softly. Backcomb gently for a soft, voluminous finish.
Swing coats were popular when a lady went out because their fullness helped cover the bulkiness of many dresses. These coats featured fitted shoulders and flared out at the bust line. Most had large buttons all the way down the front. Many had a large belt helping to keep the coat securely closed. Jacques Fath first introduced this coat in the late 1940s, but it grew in popularity during the 1950s as it was easy to hide the baby bump which no self-respecting woman would show. Dior added one to his collection in 1951. You may hope that it rains everyday with this beautiful retro swing coat from Miss Poppy Wear(@misspoppywear).
WOW! This dress is just stunning...we've been looking at this style for a while now and it's exceeded our expectations. The flowing chiffon fabric is gathered between the underbust seam and waist and turns into a full circle shirt over a soft and smooth lining which has a built in bra with removable soft cups. Genius! The shirring in the back panel provides a nice firm fit and I'd recommend a long Hell Bunny petticoat underneath to complete the look.
While women still wore their big Victorian pieces in the first part of the 1950s, soon jewelry trends became smaller and more refined. Every girl wore a brooch on her shoulder with many wearing more than one at the same time. In the first part of the 1950s, gold- colored jewelry was found many places especially in big bold bracelets. In the later half of the decade, however, copper and plastic started to reign. Modernization allowed pieces to be made in mass quantities bringing down prices considerably. Many women brought jewelry in sets. Add these fashion pieces from Sweet and Spark to your jewelry box.
Though Marilyn Monroe and Bettie Page are often cited as the classic pin-up, there were many women of color who were also considered to be impactful. In the 1920s two of the most notable Black burlesque dancers were Josephine Baker and Lottie Graves. Despite the little history on Black burlesque dancers, Baker and Graves are a good starting point for evaluating women of color in pin-up. Dorothy Dandridge and Eartha Kitt also added to the pin-up style of their time, using their looks, fame, and personal success. African-American pin-up finally had a platform when the magazine, Jet, was created in 1951. Jet supported pin-up as they had a full page feature called, "Beauty of the Week", where African-American women posed in a swimsuits and such. This was intended to showcase the beauty these women possessed as they lived in a world where their skin color was under constant scrutiny. It was not until 1965 that Jennifer Jackson became the first African American to be published in Playboy as Playmate of the Month. And it was not until 1990 that Playboy's Playmate of the Year was an African-American woman, Renee Tenison. Historically, women of color in pin-up are still not as common as their white counterparts. However, the recent revival of pin-up style has propelled many women of color today to create and dabble with the classic pin-up look to create their own standards of beauty. In Jim Linderman's self-published book, Secret History of the Black Pin Up,[37] he describes the lives and experiences of African-American pin-up models.
Pin up bangs is the special bangs type. The contemporary stylists try to cut messy bangs that can look good without any styling. However, back in the day bangs were very difficult to style the way we can see them when we look at pin up style pics. The perfect pin up bangs demand longer hair, so if your hair’s grown – do not cut it immediately, try another style and feel its mood!
Begin with the fringe area. Create a horizontal parting from the crown area down to the ears. Gather hair from the fringe and sides to create a ponytail at the crown. Backcomb the underside interior of the hair. Gather ends and roll under to create your fringe roll. Use a hair donut, padding or gentle backcombing for extra support. Pin under as needed with bobby pins. Smooth the exterior of the fringe with a fine tooth comb and light hairspray.
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Pin up hairstyles can work for those with very short hair too. It’s just a matter of how you style it. She has used the length of her hair to the maximum advantage by sweeping the bangs to the side and backcombing the crown section. You can copy this cute hairstyle if you wear a pixie. Add in a polka dot bow and you’ll get proper short pin up hair.
Many brides chose wedding dresses made with a sweetheart neckline after watching Elizabeth Taylor in Father of the Bride. Ballerina-length dresses were a popular choice for both the bride and her party. Brides who chose to go with a longer dress usually loved lacy tiers and flouncy frills. Grace Kelly’s marriage in 1956 set the tone for many brides throughout the last half of the decade. Kate Middleton went retro when she wore an almost exact copy of Grace Kelly’s wedding gown. Look spectacular on your wedding day by wearing this dress from David’s Bridal (@davidsbridal).
Next, brush hair smooth in the back area. Backcomb the interior for extra volume and keep the surface smooth. Create soft curls with a medium barrel iron. Curl hair from the mid-length through to ends in a horizontal fashion. Set curls using pin curl clips until all hair is curled. Allow hair to cool, then release curls and allow to fall softly. Backcomb gently for a soft, voluminous finish.
