12 Vintage Looks From The Past That Women Still Love

 

Fashion is a constantly evolving world but some looks that become popular don’t get outdated or pushed to the side when the next season brings in new trends.  These vintage looks are looks that we fall so in love with that we can’t bear to part with them so they keep reappearing across magazine covers and in our closets for years to come. They may be reinvented and made of new materials but don’t be fooled, we are taking our inspiration from the women who used them before us.

Vintage Look #1  The Red Lip & Nail Combo

In the 1940s, the red lip and nail combo was a very popular look.  This is a look I always notice when I watch movies that are set in the 1940s.  Any movie that is set around the second World War will feature women wearing this look. The look of the red lip and nail combo is something that is still popular today and we see women wearing to very formal occasions, especially. Think of the ladies you see walking the red carpet and you will notice this look appear often.

Vintage Look #2 The Dramatic Eye

Also Popular in the 1940s was the look of a dramatic eye.  This look focuses completely on the intense black of eyeliner and mascara.  Women would wear a neutral shadow such as a caramel or beige and then they would add the black eyeliner and mascara.  Liquid eyeliner was the best way to created the intense drama this look required. This look was often paired with the red lip and nail combo. When a woman wears her makeup this way, the eyes and lips are what really stand out, which is probably why the look has endured the test of time.

Vintage Look #3 Feminine Detail

Feminine detail was very popular in the 1940s.  Anytime you see high-heeled shoes with bows or a pretty polka dot top, you can be sure that the inspiration for that very piece was from the feminine detailed clothing that was so popular in the 1940s.  The polka dot trend came into play in the late 1940s and spilled into the early 1950s as well.  Often you will see the bow detail displayed on shoes, tops or purses. Feminine detail is the 1940s vintage look that has stayed with us the longest and with the most popularity.

Vintage Look #4 Sheath Dresses

As dresses became increasingly shorter, the sheath dress was born.  A sheath dress is a very simple dress with a very basic cut that is mean to accentuate a woman’s figure in the best possible light. It is very fitted at the top but usually has somewhat of an A-line cut through the skirt or on occasion, the cut of a pencil skirt.

Vintage Look #5 The Pencil Skirt

Yes, we can trace our beloved pencil skirt straight back to the 1950s when women’s fashion styles became more slimming and clung more snugly to a woman’s curves.  This style has ebbed and flowed throughout the years but remains a staple in a woman’s closet. Today, we find that the pencil skirt can be bought in basic black, grey and other neutrals in addition to denim. This is the sort of skirt that is most often paired with a jacket in a women’s suit.

Vintage Look #6 The Ponytail

Ponytails seem to have been around forever and have been worn in some form for that long.  But the well-defined high pony gained it’s popularity in the 1950s and has become the 1950s look we have treasured the most and refused to part with. We wear this look casually at home and can also glam it up for special occasions. We have discovered many little tricks along the way to add something extra to it but the ponytail has defied the test of time.

Vintage Look #7 Big, Volumous Hair

The look of big, volumous hair started in the 1960s.  We think we invented this look but we are actually just carrying this tradition on from the 1960s, when women wore their hair this way a big majority of the time. While we use lots of volumizers and heating tools today to achieve this look, in the 60s they achieved it by using extra-large curlers and a technique called teasing.

Vintage Look #8 Glamorous Sunglasses

Think Jackie O.  Remember how glamorous she looked in those sunglasses?  Glamorous sunglasses can hide all sorts of flaws; a blemish, dark undereye circles and our true emotions which may have been why Jackie favored them so much. She was a true trendsetter and we have her to thank for this vintage look that has stuck around as well as the next one. This type of sunglasses is also great at using as a headband to hold back our hair in the summer.

Vintage Look # 9 A String of Pearls

Every woman has a string of pearls that she can pull out to go with her little black dress or with a sweater or whatever she is wearing that needs an extra touch.  And if she doesn’t have a string of pearls, she most likely knows that she needs them.  The beauty of this vintage look is that it is timeless which is why it has stayed with us.  Pearls are also an accessory that go with many different things. They can be worn in different lengths and still achieve the same effect; a look of elegance.

Vintage Look #10 The Mini Skirt & Minidress

Ah, the mini skirt.  This look was given to us from the 1960s.  No, we didn’t come up with this and it isn’t new.  Chances are that most of our mothers wore them despite their insistence that their daughters not do so.  While the best fashion advice says that you should retire your minis when you turn 30, the truth is the mini skirt can do a lot for a great pair of legs. They make the perfect frame. But love it or hate it, we can thank the 60s for this look that has stayed with us.

Vintage Look #11 The Bob.

Most of us have tried this style out at one time or another in our lives.  The bob is a hair cut that we got from the 1960s… and it came from the 1920s before that.  It turns out that ladies have been experimenting with their hair for practically forever and this is one vintage look that has stayed for the long haul. The Bob is a hair cut that is above the shoulder and most often has the hair ending around the length of your chin, with the option of curling it out or under.

Vintage Look #12 Scarves

Scarves were a beloved fashion accessory before our decade, it turns out.  They were an especially beloved item to wear in the 1960s.  Women wore them around their neck as well as a hair accessory.  So, there you have it.  Twelve vintage looks that women still love to this day.  It is amazing how something old can become new again.  We get a lot of inspiration from the women who came before us.  The next time you find yourself falling in love with a new style or accessory, stop and think for a moment.  Could it be a vintage look that is staying with us?