Retro Style Buying Guide, Stores, and Prices

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Contents

1 Roaring Twenties
2 Old Hollywood
3 Big Band Era
4 Nifty Fifties
5 Swinging Sixties
6 Do the Hustle
7 Made in the 80's
8 Related Guides

Retro Style

Looking for ways to reinvent your style? Why not look to the style icons of our past, all providing unique inspiration and engaging us through the decades? Retro style can mean wearing extra showy accessories like lace gloves or iron-on transfers , or going all out and dressing up like a flapper for Halloween . Whatever your preference is, there are more than enough ideas out there to suit any style and keep you looking glamorous. What's your favorite fashion decade? Take a look at your choices below!

Roaring Twenties

They don't call 'em roaring for nothing. The 1920's era inspired a unique sense of individuality in women and let them express themselves through their clothing, making fashion and style accessible to all people of society, no matter what their station. New styles allowed for shorter hemlines, detailing that outlined a woman's actual figure, and a unique sense of style. For the men, this era saw fitted suits that were tailored to a man's shape as well as brighter colors in shirts and ties that were worn at the time. This is a signature decade that still inspires lots of fashion today, as it is the birthplace of many popular trends.

Flapper Dresses

These were straight shifts designed for women with a skinny silhouette, and they had a shorter hemline. Lots of fringe and ruffles helped make the dress a fun piece to wear.

Sacque Suits

These suits are still worn by many men today, and had a slim fit that was often accented by vibrant colors.

Art Deco Fashions

Art deco is still incredibly popular, and many fabrics and dresses were featured with these designs in the 1920's.

Cloche Hats

These hats have a wide brim and are still widely used today. They give women a particularly sophisticated style as well as a mysterious look.

Bowler Hats

Worn by men, this was a round, hard-topped hat that could be seen on just about any citizen during this era. Also called a derby hat , this took the place of a top hat .

Old Hollywood

The 1930's saw a less brash reaction to style and more functional wear, as well as beautiful pieces for women, influenced by popular actresses in Hollywood the likes of Fay Wray and Mae West . Cuts like the halter neck were introduced for evening gowns and fabrics like satin and silk, which slid easily over the female figure and made her shine, were often emphasized. The use of skirts as well as simpler daytime clothes accommodated for the changing lives of women. As for men, style became more affordable as a response to the Wall Street Crash of 1929 . Shoulder pads, extra buttons and a longer hem were all a part of the suits worn during this era.

Metallic Lame Gowns

Bright and beautiful was the name of the game, and these gowns were often accented further with sequins or beads.

Gangster Suits

Many gangsters of the time period made sure to dress in a sophisticated manner. These suits used stripes and bolder colors in addition to wider cuts.

Full Skirts

These showed off the natural waist size of women, and were a bit longer in the back and shorter in the front.

Double Breasted Suits

These became popular for men at this time, featuring broader lapels and neutral colors.

Backless Evening Gowns

This gown often featured sleeves and a high neck in the front, while exposing the back. Frequently they were worn with matching jackets.

Big Band Era

Much of the fashion during the 1940's was influenced by the country's participation in WWII . Rationing was the name of the game, so innovations like nylons were put on hold to be used for the military. Broad shoulders, turbans (think Rosie the Riveter ) and wedge sole shoes were a big part of the style, as well as military uniforms , which were everywhere whether folks were on or off duty. Style for women was low-key since they were taking over many of the responsibilities in the workplace in addition to the home. Although most of the men were at war, when they weren't in uniform they were donned in simple, no frills suits; but towards the end of the war, clothes started to have a little more style and life due to the evolution of swing music .

Turbans

These were helpful for women at the time who needed to put their hair up in a kerchief and not worry about it getting in their way.

Ties

Men's ties adopted a fun style towards the end of this era that were full of patterns and colors. Many were hand-painted designs that helped to express personality.

Siren Suits

Siren suits were a jumpsuit created for women who needed to move quickly and could just put it on over their clothes. These suits aided the women who called residents to air raid shelters at night.

Zoot Suits

This was not a suit that reflected the rationing of fabric during war time, and received some criticism because of that. Baggy trousers, a narrow ankle and oversized jacket helped to support the man's frame while swing dancing.

Wedge Shoes

Wedge shoes at this time were made of cork, which was thick enough for the sole of a shoe and did not use leather, which was needed for the war effort. Cork was long lasting and enabled women to comfortably walk long distances.

Nifty Fifties

Now that wartime was over, there was a lot of emphasis on being happy and carefree. Women's style in the 1950's emphasized an hourglass silhouette with softer shoulders, longer length skirts and even nylons , which were now back on the women's clothing market. Post war style for men included a military style haircut, jeans, slimmer suit cuts and khakis . A new class of society also emerged during this time known as "teenagers." Whereas this was not previously a market that had been targeted, teens were looking to bring out their "rock'n'roll " rebellious side and dress in the way that they wanted, which included saddle shoes , using grease in ones hair, and cuffed pants for men and women.

Peter Pan Collars

These were often worn on women's shirts as part of a more relaxed style. They were also very feminine and featured a curved collar.

Leather Jackets

This was what the "cool guys" wore in the teen era, and often had the collar up to attract the ladies.

Bolero Jackets

This short jacket style with feminine sleeves was a great accessory that was widely used by women in this era.

Jeans

Worn by both men and women, these were often rolled up at the leg to form capris .

Poodle Skirts

These skirts were wide on the bottom and helped to outline the hourglass shape that women were trying to emphasize.

Swinging Sixties

Fashion became more daring and bold in the 1960's and was also influenced by British mod culture . This was the introduction of the mini skirt, and stiletto heels for women, along with bright colors, frills and even plaid for the men. The latter half of the 60's was an introduction to the hippie movement which meant a more relaxed style and a mindset focused on freedom. Tie dyed shirts , loose fitting clothing, and bell-bottom jeans comprised the style for both sexes.

Mini Skirts

Where the revolution in women's clothing began! The mini skirt was introduced by Mary Quant who took an already short skirt style and cut the length even further.

Bell-Bottoms

Worn by both men and women, the relaxed style that flared out at the bottom (hence the bell) was worn mostly by the hippies.

Pinafores

These dresses had a round neck and fit loosely around the body. They were often accessorized with tights and a belt .

Turtlenecks

These were a very popular style for men who often wore them with blazers and sweaters layered over the shirt. Black turtlenecks were very popular for the Beatniks of this era.

Maxi Coats

These were long coats worn by women that draped over their figure and helped to insulate the exposed hemlines and bare legs of this time period.

Do the Hustle

The 1970's saw lots of variation in style, ranging from the looser clothing of the hippie era to the shiny fashion of disco dancing .Platform shoes , open shirts for the men, and hot pants for the women were often worn when going out to clubs. Maxi dresses , matching clothing sets and trouser sets were popular for women who let their whims determine the outfits they decided to wear. The men tended to copy John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever with three piece suits (vest included), wide collar shirts, and neckties .

Catsuits

This was a one piece suit for women that often featured a halter neck and resembled a jumper. It was by no means casual, however, and designed for style.

Fitted Blazers

This was worn by both men and women and was made in a variety of fabrics featuring wide lapels.The blazers often flared out at the bottom and could be paired with most outfits.

Hot Pants

These resembled shorts in length and were tight fitting and often worn with tall boots to complete the style.

Lame Suits

Believe it or not, this was actually worn by the men, paired with long, layered hair, copying the style of Elvis .

Tube Tops

Women's liberation was in full swing, so it was not uncommon for them to wear these tiny tops or tank tops with their outfits.

Made in the 80's

The 1980's did everything big: big hair, big shoulders, big clothes, and certainly big fashion statements. At this time there was an underground punk movement that featured spiky hair, brightly colored leggings and black eyeliner in conjunction with shoulder pads ,spiked heels and pinstripes for the men. Madonna helped to popularize lace gloves and headbands while her sexuality and other icons of the decade brought about the use of lingerie , particularly the teddy and camisole .There were also a lot of custom made designs such as tie-dye, iron-on appliques and sewn on patches that helped to express one's individuality at this time.

Dancewear

80's era movies such as Flashdance helped to make workout wear popular, which included ripped sweatshirts , that bared one shoulder, and leg warmers .

Hawaiian Shirts

Made popular by Magnum P.I ., a variety of men's Hawaiian shirts--topped with sports coats --became the trend.

Jean Jackets

These represented an under-stated cool for women and helped them make a statement , especially with iron-on appliques .

Suit Jackets

Worn over brightly colored t-shirts, this style trend took a cue from Miami Vice .

Shift Dresses

These featured a flattering cut as well as broad shoulders, complete in multiple bold shades.

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