How to Dress in a Retro 50s Style

You might want a retro 50s style if your wardrobe is feeling a little blah. This look is great if you have to work in an office but you don't want to wear the same thing that everyone else is wearing. Plus, these pieces can inexpensively be collected over time for a wardrobe that suits your personality.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Wear dresses. In the 50s many women still wore dresses every day. While this might not be practical for your life, try wearing a skirt on a day when you would usually go for jeans to change things up.

2. Buy clothes that fit well. Clothes were still very modest in the 50s with skirts that fell below the knee & high necklines. Instead, clothes were about form & shape instead of showing skin. One of the more popular styles was even called the wiggle dress. This is a fantastic look if you aren't comfortable showing a lot but still want to feel fashionable & sexy. Take your favorite suit to a tailor or buy a new pencil skirt that hugs your curves.

3. Go for unique clothes. Many of the great vintage dresses are hand sewn or were made at home. Pick pieces with unique hand sewn elements. You can pick up a vintage pattern for a few cents at a garage sale & try your hand at sewing.

4. Look for quality fabrics. Many 50s clothes are made out of luxurious cashmere, wool, silk & lace.

5. Pay attention to what you wear under 50s style retro clothing. It's all about the undergarments. In the 50s women wore pantyhose with skirts, high heels, & various shaping undergarments. Try a pair of spanx for an hour glass figure & add a pair of heels to complete your outfit.

6. Don't be afraid to dress up. The 50s was full of fun party dresses made of silk & chiffon. Pick up one of these at a tag sale instead of wearing your standard black dress to your next event.

7. Think fur. In the 50s there was a lot of fur trim & fur coats. If you don't want the maintenance of fur or are opposed to wearing it, try faux fur for a glamorous starlet look.

Tips & Warnings

• You can dress this look up or down depending on your hair or makeup. Try incorporating just one or two retro elements at once so you don't feel like you are wearing a costume.

[toph]

on 2/16/2009 So cool! I think the '50s styles are great. Five/Five.

[justmesuzanne]

on 2/8/2009 This is a great and fun look! I too, noticed the comment about pantyhose. I remember when they became available in the mid sixties. I was too young to wear them, but my mother gave them a brief try. They were not very stretchy, and women were quite distressed that, if you got a run in one leg, you had to throw the whole thing out. It took a while for them to catch on! :D

[JuliaW]

on 1/11/2009 Great ideas, I love this look!

[deepthinkin]

on 1/7/2009 I love to dress retro for special occasions - like for one of my son's wedding, I did 50's right down to the gloves and pill box hat with eye veil! It was great fun. One note though- pantyhose weren't invented till 1959 and then not widely available till 1965. Women in the 50's would wear stockings with garter belts (even better!) Thanks for the article!

[Pamelateda]

on 1/7/2009 Sounds like fun!