One of my main problems with ‘vintage’ clothes, or even the repro pieces you can buy, is that they’re often a little OTT for daywear (not to mention expensive). I don’t feel comfortable going to the supermarket in a full floral 50’s skirt or velvet wiggle dress. Along with the fact that if you see a lovely vintage piece on a blog like this, well, that’s too bad, there’s not another one out there the same.
But it doesn’t matter, there’s plenty of high-street and online shops selling clothing that nod to past looks. And I have a ‘talent’ for mentally cataloguing all the clothes I see, so to finally put this ‘gift’ to some use!
So, today I’m looking at high-waisted jeans. These are not only pretty flattering, but they’re reminiscent of 1950s day-time style and those typical of the era tended to be dark denim, in a straight but tapered leg and were often rolled up into cuffs. They usually did up at the side, but front-button was also around and you’d perhaps find a belt cinching that waist in a bit further. Here’s some examples worn by these lovely ladies…
And the good news is that there are plenty of reasonably-priced jeans out there that imitate this look. Personally, I prefer a high-street style that isn’t a straight repro because that way there’s just enough ‘modern’ to not feel like I’m in fancy-dress. Here’s some of my favourites!
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| Miss Selfridge, Indigo High Waisted Jeans, £40 |
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| Dorothy Perkins Indigo highwaisted skinny jeans, £21 (down from £30) |
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| Collectif, Rebel Kate Denim Trousers, £35 |
More classic repro
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| 20th Century Foxy, Swing Jeans, £49 |
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| Freddies of Pinewood, Classic Indigo, £48 |
And this (again bad quality) photo shows me wearing the aforementioned Miss Selfridge jeans – which I hope at least demonstrates that with the right styling can help pull together a 50’s day look (I’m wearing with an old Dorothy Perkins black and white striped shirt and Office Macaroon leopard print pumps and, of course, bright red lipstick).