Pin up hairstyles have never really gone out of style. Though the pin up era most recognizably took place in the ’40s and ’50s, the style dates all the way back to the 1890s, a time known for its gaiety, and includes the signature styles of the 1920s and the 1950s as well. The point is, there’s a look for every length, style, cut, and color of hair. If you want to update your look by giving it a retro twist, tempt yourself with some hair envy.
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!
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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.
Many of the most popular prom dresses today are based on styles of the 1950s. Again, Christian Dior created one of the fashions that every girl had to have when he included the bubble dress in his 1954 and 1956 collections. French designer Pierre Cardin also included it in his collection. These dresses are made with hems that fold back on themselves to form a bubble. Women could find various style tops, but bustier ones are most common. Making them even more radical for their time, most had hemlines ending mid-thigh to just above the knee. Look spectacular at your next party by checking out this offering from Lyst (@lyst).
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.
Using a little light back-combing along the way if you need to, and spraying some hairspray along the way will help, guide the hair so that it starts to curl around, using your fingers to help guide the strands in place. When in position, hold with bobby pins, and if you have blonde hair, use blonde pins to ensure they’re not too visible. Black pins look very obvious sometimes and can spoil the look. Spray with hairspray, pin the remainder of the hair up, and add a scarf for a real pinup touch.
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.
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.
Finger waves reached the peak of popularity in 1950s. The women of that time fell in love with tight and thin shiny locks and wistful glances. It was easy to meet a lady in a long black dress; the lady who had dark makeup on her pale face and a mouthpiece in her hand. Such a look was very inspiring for the poets and artists of that time. We can only imagine, how pretty was that mystical darkness that enveloped those beautiful women! However, it is pretty easy to reproduce their looks. Even if you take only their hairstyle, you will be already involved into that 50s fashion! You can take the photos below as a little reference.
New to pin-up clothing altogether? Your wardrobe is in for a treat! Pin-up style dresses are super flattering and fun to wear. Start with the classic fit and flare style, which effortlessly defines your waistline and twirls beautifully at the hem. Looking for something with a little more va-va-voom? We'd suggest a wiggle dress without a second thought! This style hugs your curves and accentuates your silhouette. Similarly, the sheath dress is a fitted style that creates a gorgeous, streamlined look. Pair with a statement accessory and ruby lip for maximum impact. Our selection of pin-up clothing includes elegant underpinnings, too! These contouring shorts and high-waist panties will help create the perfect foundation for you look. Vintage-inspired vivacity doesn't get any better than this!
Pin-up fashion is synonymous to and a combination of Burlesque, Rockabilly and Old Hollywood Glamour in terms of clothes, hair, makeup, shoes and accessories. It's all about being classy yet elegant, flirty without going overboard. It's more on minimalism and simplicity with just a little skin exposure. With a little cleavage men are teased. This style celebrates women, from their curves to their flawless faces. Don't worry if you think you aren't skinny enough to pull off the perfect pin up girl look. The pin-up culture embraces your natural hips and curves.
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.
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.
There are some things every lady needs in her wardrobe when the sun starts to shine, and here at Betty Von Chic, we have the scoop. From pinup fashion outfits to vintage inspired looks, the warmer seasons are the perfect time to channel your inner vintage fashion diva. Here are the retro fashion must haves you need to strut your stuff in for spring and summer 2019.
There is truly no right or wrong look for anyone, let’s just get that out there first. If you like it, wear it. Plain and simple. That being said, clothing styles are tailored to certain body shapes so there are some that are naturally a better fit than others. We have taken a look at the various cuts and styles of the vintage eras and come up with a fool-proof way to reach your perfect pin-up persona.
Gently flatten the back of the roll and curls under to close off the back of the victory roll (since this is the more traditional look that we’re going for), making sure to bobby pin well! Shape the front of the roll as needed, make sure to bobby pin the roll from the inside out, and spray well with hairspray. Repeat step #3 and #4 with the other side, and your rolls are done!
