For those looking for something with an art deco flair or the perfect flapper girl look, our 1920s style reproduction flapper dresses are just the thing! From their hand beaded detail, to their authentically 1920s slip styles, you’ll be ready to Charleston the night away at the next Great Gatsby-style soiree you’re invited to! Whether you’re going to a 1920s party or you’re having a 1920s themed wedding and you want 1920s dresses for your flapper-style bridesmaids, you won’t find anything more beautiful, intricate, and authentic to than our 1920s flapper dresses.
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.
Lipstick "turned into a symbol of resilient femininity in the face of danger"[25] and was seen as a way to boost morale during the war. The shape of the lip was also iconic of the 1940s. The lips were painted on to look plumper, a broad outline of the lip was added for roundness. This fuller look is known as the "Hunter's Bow", invented by Max Factor.[26] The pin curl is a staple of the pin-up style, "women utilized pin curls for their main hair curling technique".[27] Originating in the 1920s from the "water-waving technique", the hair style of the 1940s consisted of a fuller, gentle curl. The drying technique consists of curling a damp piece of hair, from the end to the root and pin in place. Once the curl is dry, it is brushed through to create the desired soft curl, with a voluminous silhouette.[27] Victory rolls are also a distinctive hairstyle of the pin-up. The Victory roll is curled inward and swept off the face and pinned into place on the top of the head. Soft curls, achieved through the pin curl technique, finish off the look of pin-up.[28] As a makeup style, the classic pin-up underwent a revival in modern fashion. The red lip and winged eyeliner made a re-emergence in 2010, with singer, Katy Perry being the most accessible example of modern pin-up makeup. There is a lack of representation in the media of women of color as pin-up models, even though they were influential to the construction of the style and were just as glamorous.[29] As a makeup style, it is simple and sleek makeup, that is noticeable and glamorous.
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.

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.
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.
Do you or did you used to work in an office environment? Then you're bound to own a pencil skirt. The classic pencil skirt is a key piece to bring to a pinup shoot as it's very usable and can be worn with shirts and cardigans or even just with your favorite bra. It is reminiscent of 1950s wiggle dresses that made the wearer walk with a little wiggle in their step.
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 get pin curls: dab gel onto the root of a small section of damp hair, then twirl that section of hair around your finger until you get to your scalp. (You can twirl in whatever direction you’d like the curls to flow.) Slide your finger out of the curl and pin the curl to your head. Repeat for your entire head of hair, allow hair to dry, then remove pins, and voila![1]


Who doesn’t love a cute colorful flower in vintage styled hair? Match a tropical flower with your victory rolls, match your flower pins with your dresses or better with your shoes and create some really cool outfits. The list of accessories you can rock is endless: sunglasses, hair bows, cute hand bags, bandanas, old school jewelry. Rose Hair Clip There are many more types of clothes you can wear to channel your inner pin up girl: you should totally give playsuits a try. They are fun, suitable for summer and not only for going to the beach. You can get really creative with rompers: nautical, leopard, floral, striped. Pair your romper with a matching bandana, chunky pearls and big earrings. Wear peep toe shoes and a cute bowler bag with it and you’re ready to go! Another pin up summer staple is capri pant: wear your capri pants on a windy summer night and they will make the perfect ally for your summer pin up look! Do you rock the pin up look in the summer? Did you like our suggestions? Let us know in the comments below! Photo credits: Pinterest.com
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.
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 majority of pin up hairstyles were quite difficult to make. The girls of that time repeated their hair routines hundreds of times to memorize each step and their sequences. Today you do not need to reinvent the wheel and can just follow the tutorials! There are plenty of them on the Internet, and girls from all over the world use them successfully, and look wonderful on any event that they decided to visit, wearing a pinning up hairstyle. Pin up is one of the most interesting and unique styles to be used for events like weddings, parties with friends, dates, etc. Even an ordinary day will get a fresh coat of paint, if you will take on a bright red scarf with polka dot, so be brave and paint your life with pin up!
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.

Rockabilly and pin-up are two separate styles. They are often mistaken for each other, as these two are distinguished with bright makeup, colorful clothes, and mysterious smiles. However, rockabilly was formed later, under the influence of rock-n-roll, as this music genre demanded a new way to self-expression. Thus, rockabilly can be called a son of pin up, which inherited the bright colors and free behavior from its mother, but added a bit of sass, tattoos, and insane dancing into its style. If you recognize yourself in this description – rockabilly was definitely created for you!


Read my article Sammy Davis, for complete details, but no fashion designer had more influence on the 1950s fashion than Christian Dior. His influence can be seen in the A-line dress that he introduced in the spring of 1955. Until that point, women had worn fashions with tightly nipped-in waist and broad shoulders. The A-line was seen as radical because of its narrow shoulders, elongated waistline and trumpet-like flared hemline. Take a look at this vintage A-line dress from Rose Wholesale (@rosewholesale_official) to create this look for yourself.
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