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).
I always turn to false eyelashes for our performances and I also wore them during our photo shoot. Wearing false eyelashes always gives me a huge surge of confidence and I feel almost as if they are my armor; they thicken my lashes and open my eyes to give a truly glamorous vibe reminiscent of legendary Hollywood starlets. Just pair with vintage inspired makeup and you'll soon be channelling Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, or your favorite pinup.
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.
Pinup Girl Clothing: Leaning a little more mainstream and rockabilly, Pinup Girl has an enormous fanbase that spans a variety of subcultures and demographics, from hardcore pinup enthusiasts to true vintage hounds to Disney fanatics. The shop always features some kind of sale and carries collections inspired by everyone from Audrey Hepburn to Dita Von Teese that go up to a size 4X.
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.
Victory rolls may be a hallmark pin-up style, but they still give updos and longer lengths a quirky rockabilly vibe. To create this look, start by brushing your hair with a paddle brush. If you have detangling spray on hand, you’ll want to apply your product before styling to make sure your hair is free of any knots. Once your product has been applied, start by parting your hair off to the side. Next, grab the piece of hair you plan to roll, and gently backcomb the section to get some extra volume.
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!
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).
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.
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.
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.
