Pinup fashion models of the 1950s wore many stilettos with a 4 inch heel. In the beginning, the heels on these shoes ended in a metal cap. Many establishments found that they cut into hardwood floors, so they were banned from many office settings. The first stilettos were introduced in 1954 with a very rounded toe. The square-toe version came out three years later. They came in a variety of colors so that a woman could easily coordinate her wardrobe. Almost all options had high arches with a V-shaped cut into the shoe’s sides. Most women going to a formal affair chose a pair of red ones. Compliment your night out on the town with these red stilettos from Pinup Girl Clothing(@pinupgirlclothing).
These types of retro swimsuit bottoms leave much more to the imagination than those itsy bitsy thong bikinis that seem to be “the thing” in this modern-day world, making them mysterious and sexy. And as the saying goes, less is not always more and our high waist retro bottoms are the perfect example of just that. Cinched at the waist before extending slightly above, these retro bikini bottoms will give you a perfect silhouette and all the comfort and coverage you desire.
Modern pin up girls provide plenty of inspiration for how to wear 1940s and 1950s pin up dresses in a fresh way: Mix and match swing dresses with colorful fluffy petticoats and a hair flower. A wiggle pin up dress ads a sexier variety that can also be office appropriate with a matching jacket. Don’t forget seamed stockings and a comfortable but oh-so-sexy pair of wedge heels or casual ballet flats. Think beyond the pin up dress with high waisted pants and shorts or swing skirts and tops. Use the 40s and 50s menus at the top for more pin up clothing.
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.
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!
Retrolicious is a vintage inspired brand of fun and funky dresses for the modern enthusiast. You can find our love for color and fit on all of our retro designs including: vintage inspired swing dresses, sexy little black dresses, 60's inspired mod tops, twirl-worthy skirts, fun jumpsuits, kids' dresses, 1950's style boleros, and even accessories like reusable tote bags. We like to compliment our bright and colorful pieces with vintage inspired staples like our Boat Neck tops, Isabel tops, and Charlotte skirts. Whether you're looking for retro style workwear, geeky inspired clothing like our Science and Space collections, or a classic pinup outfit; Retrolicious has it all!
Atomic Cherry is the online fashion home of vintage inspired clothing and all things retro. If you’re a fan of timeless elegance and sophistication with an unconventional twist, then you won’t be disappointed with our range. You can browse through a large collection of dresses from the bygone era of the 1940’s and 1950’s featuring, swing dresses, classic wiggle dresses, vintage inspired dresses and cotton sundresses. Our pin up clothing comes in a range of fabrics and prints from satins, retro patterns, gingham, and polka dot prints. So if you’re inspired by pin up girls such as Betty Page and Jean Harlow– then you’ve come to the right place.
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.
First and foremost, you’re going to want to start from the top, literally, your hair is up first. There are several different hairstyles that you can choose from but, some of the most popular can be a little bit daunting at first when putting together the perfect look to go with your pinup dress. If you want to go the easy route, be bold and cut in some Betty Page style bangs and flat-iron your beautiful locks for an edgy but simple look. But, if you’re more daring, maybe you want to try your hand at some victory rolls. First, you’ll curl your hair, dab some gel onto the roots of your hair and loop your hair using your fingers into rolled curls. You can twirl whichever direction you want to, but it’s most common to curl the rolls inward for a symmetrical look. Pin them in place from front and back, spray with some hair spray or liquid gel. You can now take out the pins or leave them in for some added strength.
• A fluffy skirt: This is one of the primary details for visually widening the hips, which is quite important for this style (Learn: How to Wear a Fluffy Skirt). Still, if you already have wide hips then you’d better opt for pencil skirts with high-waisted accents and different tight-fitting shapes, which will accentuate the pluses of your body nicely.
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!
The Poodle Do is the style in this photo. It was recreated by stylist Magic Michael Davids and made famous in the 1940s and 1950s on celebrities such as Lucille Ball and Betty Grable. Those were the decades of ultimate feminine style where ladies would go to the hair salon and get their hair set in curls and dressed out using skilled techniques that have nearly been lost today. The invention of the straightening iron may have contributed to this.
To hit the jackpot of vintage style, locate that crumpled up underskirt that you were forced to wear once underneath a hideous bridesmaid dress when you were a teenager, but couldn't bear to part with for sentimental reasons. Maybe you were a dancer or have some dancer/actor friends who are bound to have an underskirt in every color of the rainbow from their various performances. If you manage to get ahold of one, it really does make a swing dress sing.
Collectif Clothing: Collectif focuses on 1950s glamour with four distinct brands. Playful tropical prints, gingham dresses, and kitschy circle skirts make up Collectif Mainline. If you want a more subdued look but still prefer colors and patterns, like this fan-favorite pencil dress, you’d enjoy the Vintage line. Lulu Hun is the shoe collection, comprised of very rockabilly flats, sandals, and heels. And Bright and Beautiful is the latest line, with ’70s-inspired caftans, mini dresses, and accessories. All styles are designed in-house.
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).
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.
Cherry Tree Lane Dress Shop: Disney finally realized, after seeing Disney Bounders and Dapper Day participants spending huge wads of money on clothes, that it should respond in turn with a boutique geared toward vintage reproductions. Cherry Tree Lane has a mix of both very whimsical dresses that most would only wear to the park or a cosplay, and some more subdued options with graphics based on Disney rides. Though the shops at Disneyland and Disney World have the full selection, you can buy a select few from Disney’s own online store.
My friend and I are in a vintage girl band called Diamond Darlings. When we first started out, we wanted to conduct a photo shoot in order to use the pictures for our publicity materials, such as our business cards and our website. Luckily my uncle is a professional photographer so we enlisted his help to take vintage style photos of us on our local beach and harbor. Although I wouldn't technically call it a pinup photo shoot, we definitely had elements of pinup girl glamour within our snaps. We even managed to use items that were already in our wardrobes so we didn't have to spend a ton of money on costumes and props.
A simple pin-up hairstyle has always been neat and sexy, from pin curls, victory rolls, bangs and more. All you need is a large barrel curling iron, a good ol’ hairspray, some bobby pins… and more and more hairspray to hold your curls together. You can also use Pin-up hair accessories like headbands, bandanas, flower pins and hats as accents and to show emphasis on your neat and intact hairstyle.
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.
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.
Longer lengths should also be encouraged to wear soft romantic waves, especially since this was one hairstyle ‘40s pin-up girls made super famous. To get this super sexy look, start by applying the Dove Style +Care Volume Amplifier Mousse onto your clean, parted hair to give your hair some added volume. Next, take a 1-inch curling wand, and start to create loose romantic curls all around the head. Gently brush out your curls with a paddle brush. Secure your look with a strong-hold hairspray to avoid any frizzies or flyaways.
A polka dot dress is always a must have for vintage inspired outfits, regardless of the season. After all, it’s a classic! However, the modern-day fashion trends for spring and summer have also fallen in love with the polka dot look which is great news for ladies with a retro wardrobe. After all, you’ve been perfecting the polka dot look all this time. So, now is the perfect time to show the world how to wear polka dot dresses like a fashion icon from the 50’s in this vintage red hot pencil dress.
For some sugary sweet 1950s diner vibes, pick out a vintage inspired dress. If you don't have one in your own collection, ask around; this '50s style of swing dress has made a massive comeback in recent years, so someone you know is bound to have one. Maybe your mom, aunt, or granny might have one in their attic and you'll get extra style points for wearing an original.
Shop our stunning collection of pinup dresses for women online. Rebels Market always brings you the best deals on all things pinup and retro inspired, sparing no costs to bring you the best high-quality pin up style dresses that we could find. You can emulate the ultra-sexy pin ups in the 50’s like the notable Betty Page by pairing our 50’s pin up dresses with any of our many accessories found at discount prices. We also have a large selection of gorgeous pin up style shoes to complement your pin up outfit.
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.
