Make me a… 1950’s Sexy Housewife

The fourth in my series helping modern girls to wear the fashions of their ancestors, this week I address the wonderful vintage fashion of the sexy 1950’s (apologies as this article is long overdue). These will contain clothes (both vintage, vintage inspired and direct repro), makeup and more, to help you achieve that distinctly vintage fashion style!

View :

• Part 1: Understanding Vintage Fashion
• Part 2: Understanding Vintage Fashion

This week I tackle the hourglass shape, sexy halter-necks and uncompromising love of polka dots that characterises the bright cheerful 1950’s.

 Rebelling, perhaps, against the classic and refined styles of the war-torn 1940’s, the 1950’s were a period of fun, frivolity and glamour. The American housewife style is the most popular and recurring theme, and this is the funky look that I am going to concentrate on. Best of all, this style works for a suprising number of body shapes, is immensely flattering, and is still quite modern.

1950's Fashion Vintage Dress

  To begin, the dresses. For anyone who has even the vaguest inkling about 1950’s fashion, the wide skirted petticoat dresses are perhaps the most enduring mental image. As are the halternecks, bright colourful prints and combination of pretty little apron with feminine dress. In fact, 1950’s dresses couldn’t get more feminine if they tried, as women rediscovered their curves and celebrated their bodies. If you want to go authentic a full skirt, sweetheart neckline and full petticoat are essential for the look, with something like this blue vintage dress. alternatively, modern incarnations are rife, and the Vivien of Holloway’s ones are some of the most spectacular on the market. Any shape can wear this, just adjust the size of the petticoats to balance out your hits (thin if you have big hips, full if you have none!) and get a shape that suits your bust.

Funky Modern Petticoat Perfect for 1950's Fashion

 It is worth shelling out on an underskirt if you can, but bear in mind that these never get cheap. Vintage ones are likely to have damage in the lace, but you can get modern equivalents. To update the look, choose a bright colour and have it peeking boldly out underneath. You can even go a bit Gothic with a contrasting black petticoat.

Patent 1950's Inspired MaryJanes - Modern!

To really make the 1950’s look work for you, think hard about the shoes. If you are a true vintage enthusiast you can opt for some vintage pairs, although this will only work if you have incy teeny-weeny feet! The look generally leant towards thicker heels, kitten heels, and satin or leather heels that you could dance in. The modern equivalent are those sky-high MaryJanes, that I think look stunning with the vintage styling. Try some originals like this, or opt for something a bit different an unusual like this MaryJanes from Barratts.

Fifties Style Makeup

 

For hair and makeup, you might have to plan in advance. Rollers, hair pins, copious amounts of chemical hairspray – soft floaty curls were what it was all about. Whilst it was always about short curls and short hair, modern girls have the luxury of choosing whether to have it long ot short, tied up or straight down. Pair this with dark arched eyebrows and a peachy perfect complexion and you will be well on your way to channeling that 50’s vibe!The rules are a lot more flexible with 1950’s fashion than they are with other eras, perhaps because it is so flexible. Anyone can wear it, and there are a million and one different ways in which people feel the style should be worn. All that really matters is that you feel good and what people think can follow-up last.