Vintage Style Dresses

Vintage-inspired dresses: 1950s swing and tea dresses, retro prints, nipped waists and full skirts, for weddings, races and parties.

Wearing a vintage-style dress

The waist is the point. Swing and tea dresses are cut to sit at the natural waist, the narrowest part of the body. If the dress is belted, the belt should sit there too, not at the hips.

Volume. A full skirt holds its shape best over a petticoat; many swing dresses are photographed with one. It adds volume and makes the skirt move.

Keep it modern. One vintage element is enough. With a 1950s dress, plain modern shoes and a simple bag stop the outfit becoming a costume.