We are delighted to introduce our expert guest blogger, the lovely Annette from Vintage Hart.  Vintage Hart is filled with fashion delights and to top it off...it's in a pub!!!  So if you're struggling to put together your outfit for the Jubilee Extraordinarium then heed Annette's wise words then head on down to Vintage Hart for pastel prints and a pint.

A GUIDE TO 1950S FASHION FOR THE PERYLS 

JUBILEE EXTRAORDINARIUM 2012

                      Get your tickets today! – Just go to www.theperyls.com

For many vintage-lovers out there, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee means one glorious thing - the perfect opportunity to dress up.

For these princesses already living the vintage life it’s a doddle: a quick peek into their fabulous wardrobe of gorgeous items and hey presto, the desired look is achieved to perfection. But what if your boudoir isn’t bursting at the seams with frou frou party frocks and fur stoles, yet you still want to join in?

All over the country at festivals, street celebrations and parties, women are turning their backs on their skinny jeans and instead dipping their toes into another world filled with style, elegance and, yes, pointy bras. Because, ladies, that’s what you’re gonna need …

Fifties dressing is really so much to do with the underpinnings. It was a decade all about the hourglass silhouette, about accentuating your womanly shape whatever you were doing. Even going to the store to buy groceries was an opportunity to show off your post-war, post-austerity femininity. Daywear comprised neatly-fitted bodices nipped in to accentuate your (slim) waist, and skirts were full and gathered using acres of fabric. If you didn’t have the desired shape naturally, your underwear created it for you. So get those girdles out girls to give your outfit the best start! M&S do some impressive ‘magic’ underwear, including waist-cinchers, or try the formidable ‘Doreen’ bra by Triumph for a bit of bullet-bra oomph! Hitch those shoulder straps nice & tight.

We all tend to think of the 1950s as nothing but prom dresses with huge flouncy petticoats but the pencil skirt was just as prevalent at the time. Wiggle dresses in satin (look out for jewel colours or Oriental prints) performed the same role, emphasising even more the desired womanly form. The cocktail dress, often accessorised with a stunning brooch, was an absolute must for a wife as there were many social events engineered to boost her husband’s career (wide slash necks or shawl collars were popular). Elegant long gloves were worn for evenings out, adding an instant air of glamour.

There’s plenty of original 1950s clothing still around in vintage shops and markets, at auction houses and online, though of course it’s gradually disappearing. To find an original Horrockses cotton print dress is a joy indeed, but there are other (sneaky) ways to get a 1950s look. Look away now if you’re a vintage purist easily upset by such subterfuge …

For a 1950s housewife look, a crisp, cotton, fitted white sleeveless blouse - preferably with darts to accentuate the bust - which has a neat flat collar can work (don’t be afraid to wear it quite tight). Pair this with a cotton full-skirt in ice-cream colours or pretty prints and add a thin belt. The skirt should sit on the waist and definitely fall well below the knee (shorter ones just don’t do the job). A sticky-out petticoat isn’t vital if the skirt is gathered enough, but will add some fun and will probably make you feel like a 50s princess too.

White, short gloves would have been de rigueur when outside the home, and add some pearls to complete the look. A blouse can also be worn with high-waisted long or mid-length shorts or above-the-ankle tapered trousers (preferably with side fastening). The 1980s enjoyed reinventing some 1950s styles, and you can often find lovely shirtwaister dresses – buttons all the way down the front - with full skirts in pastel colours or candy stripes. Again, try to look out for longer skirt lengths, as the shorter ones don’t have the same appeal (definitely not above the knee). Many of the vintage-style day dresses on the high street are much too short to look right for this era.

One more tip: if you’re celebrating the Jubilee with your teenage daughter, don’t forget to dress similarly. Being 17 and wearing the same style as your mother was commonplace, and even (yikes) something to aspire to! Finally, stilettos will work with most dresses, and for bags search out long, plain clutches from second hand shops - these will work with evening dresses - and rigid handbags in white or cream if you’re going for a daywear look. As long as you can fit in your lipstick and a compact you’ll be just fine. Rule Britannia!

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