People plan and prepare for their holidays, mentally packing their suitcases and planning what to take along. You can boost your holiday vibes with some lovely vintage dresses 1950s pieces.
These vintage-inspired holiday dresses will add a chic and stylish touch to your wardrobe. The fashion industry of the bygone era made some beautiful fashion statements which will help you spice up your vacation with a vintage feel. Here are a few tips for women to help them incorporate the vintage look into their holiday wardrobe.
1. The 1940s and 1950s saw a diverse fashion era. People tried various dressing styles with unique patterns, prints, and hues. Women wore dresses with unique cuts and colours. You can flaunt these age-old floral, polka dots, check dresses by teaming them with trainers or elegant shoes.
2. High waist retro shorts paired with sailor tops were a hit in the bygone epoch. Women could carry these shorts with side buttons with much ease and comfort. The solid shades or the checked variety of the shorts looked very smart when teamed with striped half sleeved sailor tops.
3. Holidays and beaches go side by side. You can spice up your holiday at a beach by packing a vintage-style swimsuit. Vintage swimsuits are comfortable and stylish. These swimsuits were designed to preserve modesty and came with a skirt effect, full cups, high waist, etc.
These swimsuits were available in polka dots and floral prints, as was the prevalent trend at that time. Solid coloured swimsuits were in trend too. These swimsuits look nice and trendy even today.
Elegant wiggle dresses can be paired with heels for the evening. Even sequined dresses or jackets are an excellent choice for holiday parties.
Even today, this is a combination which looks nice and is a good outfit for the holidays. This retro look brings in true vintage essence to one’s holiday wardrobe.
Accessories dominated the vintage fashion industry extensively. Bling up your holidays wearing few such accessories like headscarves and earrings. Headscarves were an alternative for skull caps.
These scarves are square silk pieces which could be tied around the head. Printed scarves or plain ones with floral appliques look quite trendy.
Apart from adding to your look, these also protect your hair. Classic vintage earrings, such as hoops, along with the silk scarves will make for some lovely accessories on your holiday.
Vintage dresses are in fashion now, and people are making quite a style statement with bold colours, prints, fabrics, etc. Many stores around town have lovely collections of dresses of the 1940s and the 1950s. But you need to research and dig deeper to find such places, which stock actual vintage wear. Some occasional local fun fairs also bring in a good collection of 50s inspired dresses.
A remarkable fun event named Twinwood festival is one of such kind. This festival is all about celebrating the past with zest and zeal. Many reliable traders exhibit a wide collection of vintage dresses from the 1920’s to the 1960’s. Participating in this event is all about dressing in authentic vintage dresses, which lives up to the ambience of the festival. You can also find amazing retro accessories to pair them up with the dresses.
The Vintage Festival is another such festival that has a good collection of vintage fashion. Right from music and dance, food and drinks, art and design, to dress and beauty, the event is loaded with fun and entertainment. You can buy retro dresses of your choice from boutiques and local vendors. Whichever era is your favourite, the organizing team has hand-picked the best classics for you to choose from, at the event.
The historic Dockyard Chatham is yet another family event for cherishing the bygone years. Fun events, games, music, dance, food, drinks, fashion, all are a part of this unique, vibrant fair. An array of traders participates in this event to help you find the most suitable dress for you. This event has much to offer, even for men.
The UK hosts many such events that leave no opportunity to salute the past and welcome it once again through fashion trends.
Another popular place where your favourite dresses can be purchased is the e-markets.
E-markets or online shopping is the easiest and the fastest way to fulfill your desire for vintage fashion. Many vendors provide this service online. You can purchase the dress of your choice at just a single click, and the variety available is quite impressive.
When we speak about vintage clothing, we generally consider the era of the 19th century, after World War II had started. The fashion before that was deeply affected by the European designers, especially that of France. The Americans of that time would refer to the works of these designers for their wealthy clientele. In the 1930’s, fashion was only restricted to Hollywood, and though it was quite glamorous with best 50s style clothing .
The scenario took a significant leap in the 1940’s when the WW2 had begun. The war brought about with it a drastic change in women’s fashion of that time. Men’s fashion was at a halt, until after the war, as most men were serving in uniforms for their countries.
With the advent of WW2, resources started to become scarce, the different materials with which clothes were made, were taken into use for aiding in warfare. Fabric had to be saved, and therefore, clothes became costlier and shorter in length.
The fashion was characterized by more casual and close-fitting garments which reflected the scenario where wives maintained not only their household but also the jobs held by their men. Also, home sewing and coupling old pieces of clothing with new ones was a statement at that time. The simple, clean and uncluttered look of the fashion of those times exuded a sense of independence, and feminism got its importance then.
After the ending of WW2, the fashion world yet again witnessed a complete revolution in the 1950’s. The return of men from the war made for a happy time back and thus fashion too evolved after that. In that particular time, women got more power and social rights than that of the pre-world war era, and many of them started to take the lead and participate more in social as well as evolving political activities.
The fabric used was luxurious and voluminous, the short skirts were replaced by larger ones, the colours chosen were also livelier, attracting the men, and at the same time a lovely change to the environment.
This glorious evolution made a major difference in the dressing sense of women, making the fashion of the 1950’s a complete contrast to that of the 1940’s.
Tea dresses made their advent in the 1870s. These were semi-formal, long, flowing gowns for ladies which they could wear during afternoon tea sessions. Tea dresses are sleek and stylish dresses with a hemline that falls below the knee and above the ankle. 50 style dress are sophisticated and elegant.
They are generally made from subtle-coloured, soft fabric to impart a relaxed, informal look. These dresses can also be worn as a semi-formal house dress too. In today’s era, these dresses are available in a number of fabrics, styles, and prints. You can even wear these formally for parties, proms, and dinners with the right accessories.
Party dresses hugely differed from the tea gowns. Party dresses were always made of heavier fabrics like Party dresses should only be worn at festive events or big parties.
Such dresses suit the cheerful occasion. Party dresses come in various bold cuts and shades and are not meant to be worn for a leisurely outing or informal gathering.
Party dresses can be chosen depending on the kind of event to be attended. One has the freedom to explore and choose from a beautiful and fabulous range of styles that the era has to offer. In the modern era, party dresses are available in a number of styles and fabrics, even taking inspiration from vintage dresses.
Evening dresses were a hit in the 60s when they were worn with much elegance and grace. Evening dresses or gowns are a formal attire which are worn to attend formal dinner parties and other formal ceremonies. Beautifully crafted laces dominate these evening gowns, which come in chic hues of classic black and pastels. Some women opt for a sleek glittery waistband to accessorise the gowns while others settle for jackets in shades of nude, bronze, black etc.
As tea-time and small parties are not considered formal enough for evening dresses. Therefore, this evening formal dress code does not comply with all events. It is important to adorn the right outfit for the right event so that it matches the ambience and and you don’t feel out of place.
Vintage fashion has a number of fifties dresses fashion options for everyone, for all seasons. Winter wear is another gorgeous aspect of vintage clothing. From coats to jackets, There are some pieces of vintage winterwear that you must have in your wardrobe if you can lay your hands on them; Styles which have lasted through the years, and will keep you warm for many more.
The fluffy faux fur scarf is a stylish accessory that goes best when teamed with solid colour dresses. These scarves were a ‘must have’ for ladies during the vintage era.
These scarves are available in unique colours and patterns that you can match with many dresses. Faux fur comes in long as well as well trimmed short furs. The sense of warmth it gives when wrapped around is immense. These scarves provided an aristocratic look along with the fulfilling the purpose of keeping you warm.
For winters a well-knitted pair of gloves is a mandatory accessory. Fur-lined or well-knitted gloves provided comfort and warmth to the hands during winters. Both neutral and bold hues were worn matched with outfits. Men preferred leather gloves while women wore knitted ones with grace.
Jumpers used in a retro era were hand knitted with beautiful patterns whereas some personalized it with knitting their name’s initials. Retro jumpers were mainly body-hugging and short in length. Wear them and get your vintage look spot on!
Vintage fabric dresses were available in a variety of options like wool, flannel, tweed, serge, etc. Paired with knitted gloves, and a faux fur scarf, this is a look which can be carried off today as well.
Swing trousers teamed with long sleeved sailor tops were very much fancied in the 1960s and 70’s. It is evident that this combination was worn by both men and women. Swing trousers were of a solid colour, and its bottom was a little wide. Sailor tops had vertical stripes or came with a huge flat square collar with a contrasting coloured scarf tied underneath.
These evergreen vintage winter garments prove to be a unique style statement which will never fail your wardrobe, and keep you looking stylish.
Vintage clothes are garments belonging to another era. Fashion keeps going through a revivalist age, often getting inspired by the fashion of another era. Many people are seen opting for a vintage look. Women enjoy the vintage trend more than the men do. But, that is probably because they like exploring and experimenting with their style statements from time to time.
In today’s era, women are not scared to experiment and try new looks, and even old ones. What is it about vintage clothing that it keeps making a revival, and why are so many people fascinated by it? Let’s explore the thinking behind wanting to wear 1940 dresses & clothing wear.
Women always want to be unique when it comes to dressing up. No woman wants to wear what someone else is wearing. They want to be statement makers and not just followers.
This makes them open to change and willing to try on something new and different. With the current vintage style, ladies are now trying to carry off bold style statements with elegance and grace and remain noticeable in the crowd. Wearing something vintage ensures you are wearing something unique, which no one else will be wearing.
The quality of vintage clothing cannot be matched by the clothes manufactured today. These clothes speak volumes in term of quality with generous hems, French seams, hand-crafted buttons being the norm. Owning a vintage piece is a means of experiencing true luxury. Wearing vintage clothing is the new status symbol and you can also have them tailored to fit you perfectly since they have so much extra fabric in the seams.
Women are cladding themselves in vintage patterns like polka dots, evergreen floral prints, stripes, checks, etc. to relive the past epoch of glamour and sophistication and femininity. With delicate lace borders, hand crafted buttons, these lovely vintage garments have a lot of grace and beauty attached to them.
When you attend fun-filled event organized around the theme of the yesteryears such as vintage festivals, renaissance fairs, etc., it is fun to be part of the entire event in themed clothes. People enjoy wearing vintage clothes to such events to enjoy the spirit of the festivities.
A vintage dress could probably be an heirloom passed down through generations of the family. It has so much history attached to it, and probably so many interesting stories too.
A vintage garment has an entire life to it. It is like a piece of jewelry passed down through generations, which is why nobody wants to part with it. Such a piece of clothing is probably worn for special occasions, such as a wedding.
Weddings are beautiful ceremonies which when teamed with the vintage style creates special, memorable moments for the bride and the groom as well as their families. Vintage styled weddings never go out of fashion- the 50s clothing, décor, etc. are all reminders of a bygone era.
Even if the wedding is not a vintage themed wedding, it is a good idea for bridesmaids to get vintage-inspired dresses.
The wedding day is the bride’s day, and all the attention should be focussed on her. Vintage dresses on bridesmaid look classy and elegant and yet don’t steal attention away from the bride. Choosing vintage dresses in bright colours, unique cuts, and shimmery fabrics for bridesmaid dresses, highlights the bride elegantly draped in white. Sleek flowing satin gowns with light hues give the wedding a heavenly appearance. Vintage laced dresses are also seen as an option for bridesmaids’ dresses
Bridesmaids with different body shapes can flaunt their figures if given the right cut of vintage-inspired dresses. A knee-length or a long, beaded dress works well to provide the ultimate vintage look. These types of dresses help create prized silhouettes for unique body types, and also make the bridesmaids look pretty and elegant.
Floral prints impart a timeless, vintage looks to any occasion. Floral prints aid in infusing colour to any occasion. You can even choose to mix and match different floral prints with similar hues for your bridesmaids’ dresses, for there to be uniformity and yet, a uniqueness to each dress.
Like the cuts, style, colour codes and pattern, accessories are also an essential part of the vintage look. Vintage shoes, pearl neckpieces, laced gloves, earrings, etc. add that extra style and glam to the vintage look. You can even make bold and remarkable fashion statements with the use of glittery feathers, and even tiaras.
Today, people are opting more and more for this trendy and classy vintage look for their weddings.
If the bride wants to stand out, she can opt for bright-coloured vintage dresses for the bridesmaids, and her white gown will stand out in sharp contrast to them. Most people love vintage clothes since they speak of class and elegance, and if you choose vintage dresses for your bridesmaids, they are sure to love them too.
Vintage fashion took a leap in the 1940s and 1950s introducing interesting patterns and fabric for both men and women. Readymade 1940 floral dresses clothes came into vogue and, these were quite affordable.
The era of 1940 was impacted hugely by the war. It eventually influenced the fashion trends during that period. Clothes were generally longer, and most dresses had artificial puffy shoulders which gave them a masculine effect. The fabric was more dominated by solid shades of colour without any prints. Minimal styling details like different necklines were added to the dresses. People followed an a-no pattern or plain fashion trend as the war took a toll on the then prevailing fashion industry.
Towards the late 40s, the war came to an end which brought in a significant upliftment to the 40s fashion world. People began to streamline their lifestyle by forgetting the ill effects of the war by welcoming changes to the prevalent clothing. Women embraced fabrics that had little floral patterns, for their dresses.
These floral fabrics were available in beautiful colours. Contrasting coloured borders were added to these dresses made out of floral fabrics. Floral patterns that dominated the late 40s included medium-sized block flowers, tropical leaves, running floral creepers, etc.
It welcomed more colourful and vibrant fabric patterns which included polka dots of various sizes, plaid, and gingham checks for both men and women. These patterns were very much in fashion, and even children’s dresses were made in these prints.
A variety of fabric came with these large and small perky dots. Some fabrics also had patterns that had mixed polka dots of different sizes. During the 50s it was a must to have one such polka-dot dress, and it was considered a prized possession.
Plaid comes in mostly woollen fabrics with bigger checks. Gingham checks are comparatively fine checks that are mainly woven on cotton fabric, in a combination of white and a bold colour. These checks were so much in the fashion that both men as well as women made dresses and shirts out of it.
Both 1940s and1950s can be considered trendy eras as both epochs have seen a unique and chic fashion that people talk of, even today, and every once in a while, we see the resurgence and revival of these styles and prints.
Very often, you fall in love with an outfit, only to try it on and realise, it doesn’t suit you. Something which looks so lovely on the mannequin may make you look awful. This is because of your body shape. Every person is a different body shape. Therefore 40s style dresses which looks good on someone else, may not necessarily look good on you..
Most people are ignorant about their body shape. Here are some guiding tips which will aid you in learning about your unique body shape and the dresses that will best suit your style.
As the name suggests, people with this body type have a heavier butt and thighs compared to the upper portion of the body. With this body shape, you can accentuate the upper part of your body. You need to wear outfits which will remove focus from the lower part of your body and draw it to your shoulders and bust.
• Wear ruffled tops or V-necks that will accentuate your shoulders and bust line.
• Choose slim, fitted tops, button-down shirts, or cardigans.
• Add volume to your bust line or enhance it by wearing the correct bra (a padded one helps).
• For bottom wear, you can opt for A-line skirts, straight-leg pants or trousers, with wide hemlines.
• Do not miss your heels; Pointy-toed shoes help complement and complete your look. They add visual appeal and help elongate your legs.
Person’s with this body type have a well-proportioned body with a prominent waistline. You should accentuate the waist and avoid heavy, boxy styles and opt for light fabrics.
• Go for V neck tops and dresses.
• Look for tops and dresses that accentuate your waist. Avoid designs that add bulk to your bust, else you will look disproportionate.
• Wrap blouses and dresses are perfect for people with this body type since they pull in fabric at the waist.
• Avoid stiff fabrics and look for material like silks and knit blends that drape over you.
Apple shape defines a body that has a heavy upper body. The bust line and shoulders are heavier and most of the weight is in the midriff section, and the waistline is not well-defined.
Styles best suited to the Apple shape:
• Choose elongated patterns and prints to camouflage your heavy upper body.
• Darker colour hued tops with flared bottoms work wonders.
• Wear dresses and shirts that flow out from under your bust, expanding at the waist.
• Give your heavy bust line a minimal look with the right bra.
• Avoid wearing broad belts or anything that accentuates the waist area.
People with this body shape do not have a well-defined waist or a lot of curves. Rectangle shape lets your shoulder line and the bottom harmonize. Most clothes suit people with this body type.
Dress best suits the Rectangle shape:
• Your neckline can be highlighted with sweetheart cut, off-shoulder, sleeveless tops and dresses
• Layered tops combined with A-line skirts and straight cut trousers goes well.
• Choose clothes that accentuate the waistline. Broad belts are a good accessory to have.
• Halter-neck tops and dresses are a good idea to accentuate the bust.
With these tips in mind choose, figure out your body shape and pick outfits which make you look stylish and trendy.
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