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.
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.
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.
Welcome to the home of Retro Glam, the sister company to our brick and mortar store Rowena! After serving the local Edmonton community on Whyte Ave since 1998, in 2012 we took to serving the world with the start of our website! We pride ourselves on being inclusive and having outfitted guys, gals, and visitors to our fair city (and around the world!) with our eclectic mix of rock’ clothing, footwear, and accessories. Embracing the many sides of the modern pinup we carry clothes that show case the old school glamour of bygone eras specializing in pinup clothing, 40s, 50s, vintage reproduction dresses, etc all the way to punk and goth inspired goods! Whether you are looking for the perfect dress to have all eyes on you, skirts and pants, tops, or fabulous swimwear to soak up the sun in - we have something for everyone! You are sure to find us there there supporting the local scene, Be it car shows, concerts, or tattoo conventions (either working, or just having fun!).
Summertime is the perfect moment to go retro and step up your pin up game. Get that wardrobe full of polka dots, swing dresses and peep toe shoes. We’re sure you’re going to have more fun that way. Wjether you’re a pin up all year round or you just like the style but don’t usually wear it, refreshing your wardrobe is always a good idea. When summertime comes we’re always super excited about getting new pretty dresses and colorful accessories. Sometime having a little style change is also a fun thing to do. If you’re more of the goth type during winter time, or if your cold weather uniform is sneakers and a hoodie, it’s time to shake things up a little bit.
It was only sliiiightly large at the top. In some photos I think you can tell, but my date said not really. I’m normally a size 12 and a 38D or DD depending on the cut. I got an XL when a L would have been good, but it wasn’t noticeable. I thought it would be one of those impossibly small Asian made dresses. This dress was great! Inexpensive, but it doesn’t look cheap. I wore it for a cocktail/dinner party, and no one would have thought my look cost less than 100 bucks. I received soooo many compliments. I would definitely recommend this, and buy a petticoat to give it that something extra.
Beginning in the early nineteenth century, pin-up modeling had "theatrical origins",[3] burlesque performers and actresses sometimes used photographic advertisement as business cards to advertise shows.[4] These adverts and business cards could often be found backstage in almost every theater's green room, pinned-up or stuck into "frames of the looking-glasses, in the joints of the gas-burners, and sometimes lying on-top of the sacred cast-case itself." Understanding the power of photographic advertisements to promote their shows, burlesque women self-constructed their identity to make themselves visible. Being recognized not only within the theater itself but also outside challenged the conventions of women's place and women's potential in the public sphere.[5] "To understand both the complicated identity and the subversive nature of the 19th-century actress, one must also understand that the era's views on women's potential were inextricably tied to their sexuality, which in turn was tied to their level of visibility in the public sphere: regardless of race, class or background, it was generally assumed that the more public the woman, the more 'public,' or available, her sexuality, according to historian Maria Elena Buszek. Being sexually fantasized, famous actresses in early-20th-century film were both drawn and photographed and put on posters to be sold for personal entertainment.[6] Among the celebrities who were considered sex symbols, one of the most popular early pin-up girls was Betty Grable, whose poster was ubiquitous in the lockers of G.I.s during World War II.
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.
Retro style stands out among other hair styles thanks to its magic of elegance. Probably, it is due to the combination of strict and perfect arranging of every hair and soft lines of the curls. We have found some of the best examples of elegant hairstyles that were highly popular in 50s. If you are keen on that time’s fashion – pay attention to those below!
The best part? The different types of vintage hair accessories are endless. Everything from hair clips with rhinestones and precious gems, to hair bandanas with geometric shapes, delicate floral designs, butterflies and more were all hits of this era. So, incorporate some retro hair accessories into your next fancy hairstyle or even your every day look to get that 50's glamour appeal you're after.
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.
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 term pin-up may refer to drawings, paintings, and other illustrations as well as photographs (see the list of pin-up artists). The term was first attested to in English in 1941;[2] however, the practice is documented back at least to the 1890s. Pin-up images could be cut out of magazines or newspapers, or on a postcard or lithograph. Such pictures often appear on walls, desks, or calendars. Posters of pin-ups were mass-produced, and became popular from the mid-20th century.
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.
The Pretty Dress Company: As the name suggests, this is the place to find the dress of your dreams. The cuts are extremely ’40s-, ’50s-, and ’60s-leaning, with tucked-in waists and longer hems and pencil skirts. They aren’t cheap, but the quality is amazing. If you’ve been eyeing a gorgeous vintage blogger on Insta, this is where they got that dress.
Summertime is the perfect moment to go retro and step up your pin up game. Get that wardrobe full of polka dots, swing dresses and peep toe shoes. We’re sure you’re going to have more fun that way. Wjether you’re a pin up all year round or you just like the style but don’t usually wear it, refreshing your wardrobe is always a good idea. When summertime comes we’re always super excited about getting new pretty dresses and colorful accessories. Sometime having a little style change is also a fun thing to do. If you’re more of the goth type during winter time, or if your cold weather uniform is sneakers and a hoodie, it’s time to shake things up a little bit.
The clients you would most likely come across for this style are vintage enthusiasts, pin up pageant girls and burlesque artists, as well as people going to costume parties. There are also always drag queens and the secret “I Love Lucy”-obsessed people from that era who are holding onto nostalgia. Either way, this style is great fun to create and will come in handy when you least expect it, or when you want to embrace your inner silver screen goddess.
