Whether you love the full retro look, or like to mix a little vintage with contemporary fashion; the one thing you need is a capsule wardrobe of stylish pieces that will see you through many seasons.
Choosing those core pieces will ensure that your wardrobe is filled with numerous combinations that work perfectly every time whether it’s for workwear, casual attire or special occasions.
Here at My Vintage, we have pulled together the 5 essential pieces that every girl needs in her staple collection. Invest in these and you will find it oh so easy to create a myriad of outfits with the simple addition of accessories and statement items.
Number 1: The Little Black Dress
OK, you don’t need us to tell you that every wardrobe needs an LBD. This is an absolute no brainer and can take you from business meeting to dinner date in the blink of an eye. One you have your chosen black dress, you can add a blazer or cardigan, combine with simply pearls or statement jewels; and even your choice of footwear can take you from demure Audrey Hepburn to sexy Marilyn Monroe from one day to the next.
Number 2: The Wide Leg Trousers This may not be something you’ve considered, as there can be a common misconception that they only suit a certain body type. The truth is, a good pair of wide legged trousers look great on anyone, it’s just a case of choosing and styling them carefully. The first thing is to make sure they are high waisted, this is so much more flattering for every figure. As for styling, petite girls should always ensure that the top half is very fitted. It’s is also better if the waistband of the trousers is shown, so cropped tops or tops tucked in is best. If you do want to have a looser or longer top, this is best suited to taller frames to avoid imbalance.
Number 3: The Fitted Cardigan
It’s easy to overlook a fitted retro cardigan, (such an unsexy word!) but this is such a great piece for your wardrobe. There are so many colours and styles to choose from; but our advice is to go for something in those key colours of black, red or blue to start with. The most important aspect of this is that the cardigan sits above your hips. Any longer than this and your silhouette will be affected and you will lose definition. A good fitted cardigan will look great with most outfits, from dresses to trousers and swing skirts to pencil.
Number 4 – The Net Petticoat
A vintage style wardrobe just isn’t complete without a gorgeous fluffy petticoat. This is that final piece in the puzzle that brings your 1950s inspired look together and adds the cherry on top. There can be a misconception that the extra fullness widens your outline at the hips, but this is infact the contrary. When you wear a swing dress or skirt, a petticoat adds volume that then accentuates you waist. This actually makes you look even slimmer and more hourglass! This effect can be exaggerated even further by using a stretchy waist belt. Our top tip for your first petticoat purchase is to go for a white or a black. These will be more wearable with more colour combinations as your wardrobe grows!
Number 5 – The Tea Dress No matter your size or shape, a vintage style tea dress is a fantastic choice. The beauty of the tea dress is that it sits pretty much in the middle between a pencil dress and a swing dress. Whilst both these styles are flattering on most figures, there tends to be one that suits you more than the other. Tea dresses offer a neat top and a gently flared skirt, meaning they offer the best of both worlds. The other beauty of a tea dress is versatility. You can easily wear on to work, at the weekend, to a party, a picnic, the list goes on. You can go for a print or a plain colour and there are so many different necklines and pretty details to choose from too. We love them!
We hope you enjoyed our round up of your must have pieces. And as always, if you have any comments or questions, we love to hear from you! Don’t forget you can visit us at our vintage shop in Lancashire or shop 24/7 online at www.myvintage.uk for even more fabulous unique vintage clothing or vintage style clothing and accessories.
Until next time, MV x