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!
Begin with the fringe area. Create a horizontal parting from the crown and brush hair forward. Backcomb the surface of the hair. Gather ends straight up, smooth the underside so you have a smooth surface as you roll hair from the ends down toward the head to create your fringe roll. Use a hair donut, padding or gentle backcombing for extra support. Pin as needed with bobby pins. Smooth the exterior of the fringe with a fine tooth comb and light hairspray.
The products I like to use are by White Sands. They have an amazing heat setting pump spray (which we apply to each section before curling with the irons) and aerosol finishing spray (used to set the finished style in place”. Their products are incredible as they can hold curl in even the most fine slippery hair. White Sands products are not sticky, they do not flake, and they can easily be brushed out and restyled with ease. Their price point is on the higher end of the scale, however we all know the rule about cheap vs expensive when it comes to cosmetic products.
Rago: Before you even buy a vintage dress with a tucked-in waist, you’ll want to check out Rago Shapewear for waist cinchers, high-waisted panties, girdles, and suspenders. The brand’s best product, though, is its longline bra, which creates the kind of cinched waist that helps retro dresses fall more naturally. They come in a huge variety of sizes (up to 7X in some styles) and many different styles.
I think this is a great look for a beginner or someone with an advanced skill set. The best advice I can give when it comes to creating rolls is, when you think you’ve teased it enough, tease it a little more. I find that most people are afraid to tease their hair. With vintage styling, I find teasing key. I recommend using a texturizing power like Puff.Me at the roots then teasing with a “C”-shaped motion. Lightly brush out the surface and use a pomade or wax to smooth flyaways.
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.
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.
For the makeup, I put a warm eyeshadow color like a brown in my crease with cream colored shadow on the lid to make my eyes pop without stealing the show. I used a brown liquid liner for my cat eye. Black looks harsh on me, so I prefer the softness of a dark brown. A structured brow is important for pin up looks, so I used the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow pomade. Blush is important for pin up looks to make you look lively. I also softened the look by going with a nude/pink lip rather than the typical bright red.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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!
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!
