acquiring a vintage 40s wardrobe - what pieces do I need?

[jessicarabbit]

ok, after buying my very first pencil skirt last weekend (embarrassing, I know) I'm inspired to start putting together a vintage inspired wardrobe.

I don't really want to have an entire wardrobe full of vintage pieces as this is way out of my budget and is very time consuming to acquire, not to mention the cost of the upkeep.

I'm looking to purchase more vintage reproduction pieces that aren't too fiddly to care for.

what do you girls consider the 'essentials' in a vintage 40s wardrobe?
my list so far includes:

scarves
cute short sleeved shirts/blouses
mary janes
kitten heels
belted full skirt dresses
brooches
pearls
cardigans

any suggestions appreciated!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

hats
corsets
wraps, stolls, furs (fake or not, your choice)

bk

 

[Sunny]

ok, after buying my very first pencil skirt last weekend (embarrassing, I know) I'm inspired to start putting together a vintage inspired wardrobe.

I don't really want to have an entire wardrobe full of vintage pieces as this is way out of my budget and is very time consuming to acquire, not to mention the cost of the upkeep.

I'm looking to purchase more vintage reproduction pieces that aren't too fiddly to care for.

what do you girls consider the 'essentials' in a vintage 40s wardrobe?
my list so far includes:

scarves
cute short sleeved shirts/blouses
mary janes
kitten heels
belted full skirt dresses
brooches
pearls

any suggestions appreciated!

What do you do and where will you mainly be wearing your wardrobe? Working in an office (usually) takes a different wardrobe than going to college full-time.

I wouldn't go with Mary Janes. True flat Mary Janes are children's shoes. Women's heeled shoes with ankle straps are more a 1920s and early 1930s style - you'd be old-fashioned to wear them! Go for the kitten heels and especially thicker spike heels - not quite Cuban, and definitely not stiletto.

Early-mid 1940s is different from mid-late 1940s. Sounds like you're doing a mid-late 1940s. Go for skirts longer than the knee, slim or full but not super-full since that's 1950s. Some very stylish late 1940s styles involve a lot of draping, especially at the hips. Pearls and brooches sound more 1950s and 1960s to me, but I'm not a jewelry expert.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Do some searches on the Lounge too--there is tons and tons of info on this board!

 

[dhermann1]

New Look

Learn about the "New Look" of the late 40's. It was a sea change in fashion.
If you're into pencil skirts and such, then you probably want post 1947 New Look clothes. That's when skirts plunged, and that signature red lipstick came in. Before that, in the war era, skirts were much shorter, and hair styles much different. "Dress up" clothes for women were much fussier.
No reason why you can't overlap, or mix and match, but learn about the fashion trends and be knowledgible about them.
And post pics! And not just to the Powder Room!

 

[jessicarabbit]

thanks to everyone for all your help. after doing some more research I'm pretty sure that a fusion of mid-late 40s and New Look is more what I'm going for. I work in an office so it won't be hard for me to incorporate this into my work wardrobe. I'm not too keen on really full skirts or dresses, but will look to invest in some hats, gloves, and heels with ankle straps. I also need a good quality trench and some jacket and skirt suits. I already have a steel boned corset which I can't wait to wear