While nylon was first invented in 1935, the use of this fabric finally made its way to swimsuits in the 1950s. Most were made with sweetheart necklines. Many featured bold patterns with florals being especially popular. Women who did not feel like they were full enough, had many choices in swimwear with padded cups. Those who did not have quite the perfect beach body found choices with ruching either down the sides or in the front. Most swimsuits had a little skirt in the front or all the way around. The hottest stars were often seen in strapless suits before the decade was over. Dress the part at the next 50s pool party with this little black number from Top Vintage.
Read my article Sammy Davis, for complete details, but no fashion designer had more influence on the 1950s fashion than Christian Dior. His influence can be seen in the A-line dress that he introduced in the spring of 1955. Until that point, women had worn fashions with tightly nipped-in waist and broad shoulders. The A-line was seen as radical because of its narrow shoulders, elongated waistline and trumpet-like flared hemline. Take a look at this vintage A-line dress from Rose Wholesale (@rosewholesale_official) to create this look for yourself.
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.
When it comes to getting a vintage inspired dress and channeling your inner Grease Lightning character, the bigger the poof the better. There’s something so fun and flirty about a high waist thrills skirt, and the spring and summer season are the perfect time for both of those things. The best part? Our High Waist Thrills Skirt even comes with pockets just like the real retro deal. So, our thrills skirt is definitely a must have you’ll want to be twirling in this year.
If you have long hair, the vintage updos can come in handy for you! We can only imagine how tired you are styling your locks every single day. You are, probably, tried almost from most modern hairstyles. This is a high time to try retro! Below you will find some of the best vintage updos that we have found and sincerely advise to try – victory rolls!
Do you or did you used to work in an office environment? Then you're bound to own a pencil skirt. The classic pencil skirt is a key piece to bring to a pinup shoot as it's very usable and can be worn with shirts and cardigans or even just with your favorite bra. It is reminiscent of 1950s wiggle dresses that made the wearer walk with a little wiggle in their step.
Fashions were quickly changing in the 1950s. Hemlines were coming up, and necklines were dropping. More women than ever before were turning in their dresses for pants. Many young men adorned their bedroom walls with 1950 pinup fashion posters of Hollywood stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Natalie Wood and Marilyn Monroe. Women sought to look like them by copying the 1950s pinup fashion. Many clothing items created in the 1950s are great to wear to work, school and parties today.
Vintage 1940s and 1950s pin up girl costumes are sexy, flattering and vintage chic! The vintage pin up outfit took center stage in the 1940s as men went off to war. Tighter dresses, shorter skirts, revealing tops were all part of the fanciful look of the pin up girl. The 40s pin up girl fashion inspired a wave of form-fitting women’s dresses in the 1950s as well as fluffy swing dresses. Pin up girl costumes come in classic retro colors navy blue, red, black, green or white. Blue and white pinup sailor dresses and military green dresses echo the wartime while polka dots, rockabilly plaid and florals flashback to the fifties.
Do you ever find yourself craving an ensemble that transports you to a different time and place entirely? Should that be the case, you've found yourself in the perfect place! Around here, retro dresses are our specialty, because they're not just a fun fashion choice - they're essentially a time machine, too! Once you explore the bold floral prints and playful fringe of our 1970s dresses, be sure to swing by our offerings of post-war-inspired shirt dresses and elegant cocktail frocks. With so many styles to discover and try, it's almost impossible to pick a favorite - but hey, at least now you know where to go when the mood for nostalgic style strikes!
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.
True vintage clothing was produced in the era you are trying to portray, whereas retro clothing looks like it’s from that era but was made more recently. Retro is a copy of the real thing produced in mass market, whereas vintage is the real thing. If your clothing was made before the eighties, check for the “Made in the USA” seal or whatever country you are situated in. On the tag there should be a union name and ID number. A tag that says “Made in China” is a sign that the article of clothing is not vintage.
Started in 1999 by Laura Byrnes, Pinup Girl Clothing is best known for its high quality, vintage inspired, made in the USA fashions. Composed of its house brands Pinup Couture, Deadly Dames, Dixiefried Clothing, and Laura Byrnes California it covers styles from the sweet demure to the vampy vixen and beyond. Embracing body positivity, Pinup Girl Clothing designs dresses in sizes ranging from XS to 4XL. Once you try one of their pieces, you'll know why so many other have fallen in love!
Dresses are the main staple of pin up clothing. Wether they are tube dresses, swing dresses, polka dotted, florals, stripes, halter dresses, the possibilities are endless. You could literally spend all summer in pin up dresses and never grow tired of them. If you don’t like wearing cute dresses, fear not! There are plenty of choices on the dark side, too, and they fit perfectly suited for pinup style. Think about the sailor inspired style: navy blue with white and red details? Yes, please! Seafoam Dream Green Dress
Pin up hairstyles are very close to the classics – they transform their owner into a reserved and cold person. However, pin up is famous for its brightness that refreshes the look and makes it playful, but just a bit. This is perfect for the ladies who cannot refuse from the spark in the eyes and flirty smiles, which, by the way, were a dangerous weapon of seducing men in the hands of ladies in the 40s. Victory curls were ones of the most famous and coolest hairstyles back than – they are easy to style and look just great at any event. Try the tricks of that time’s women and get a classy pin up hairstyle!
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.
