^{To hit the jackpot of vintage style, locate that crumpled up underskirt that you were forced to wear once underneath a hideous bridesmaid dress when you were a teenager, but couldn't bear to part with for sentimental reasons. Maybe you were a dancer or have some dancer/actor friends who are bound to have an underskirt in every color of the rainbow from their various performances. If you manage to get ahold of one, it really does make a swing dress sing.}
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.
Fashion and style trends are a recurring process. The retro pin-up girl look is making its comeback from the 40's to today! Having been popularized by Burlesque models in the early 40’ to 80’s. Those pin-up models pictures were mass produced and attracted a wider audience with the need to spread its appeal as pop culture. These informal posters were found anywhere from walls, poles, posts, and even those cigarette packs from Lucky Strike.
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.
That’s where reproduction boutiques come in. Many shops have popped up within the last decade to reproduce items from the post-war time period, some even using original patterns and fabrics. If you’re looking to try out a pillbox hat like Midge Maisel, interested in a classic red lipstick, or thinking of going full pinup, there are lots of options at myriad price points, not to mention styles and sizes for many bodies.