Bright and Beautiful Summer Days

Lately, I’ve been re-evaluating my wardrobe and collecting pieces that have more wearability in the hot, humid weather of central Florida. Though I cherish all of my novelty pieces, I wanted something a little more casual.

I’ve found that Collectif has some of the prints I find a little less garish when I’m attempting to be a little more muted and casual. The Paint Pot print is one of those prints and I snagged the Dolores dress in this print on Ebay for a steal.

The dress is very comfortable. I wore my Rago shapewear underneath to smooth out my lines, but I chose to forgo my corset this time as the weather would have made wearing it unbearable.

I paired the dress with my Chase & Chloe Kimmy pumps, which matched the yellow perfectly. I love these pumps and I have several of this brand’s pinup styles because they are easy to walk in and they can take a beating.

 

I’ve found in these past few months that my style is changing again. Although I only started this vintage journey a year ago, I am constantly evolving and that’s ok. It only means I am continuing to learn more about myself as time goes on.

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Items Featured:

Dolores Dress in Paint Pot in Yellow by Collectif Clothing

Kimmy Round Toe Heel in Lemon By Chase & Chloe from Amazon

Seamed Stockings in Latte/Champagne by What Katie Did

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A special thanks to the photographer for the wonderful photos:

Heart Shaped Dreams Photography

The Importance of Foundation

One of the most important things I learned in my transformation into the pinup style is that the traditional “pinup” look isn’t just about the clothes everyone sees. It’s what’s underneath that can truly make or break a look.

Same dress, different foundations

One of my first purchases for foundation garments was a longline bra from Exquisite Form on Amazon. I wanted a sturdy, affordable bra that I could wear practically everyday. Along with this, I purchased a GREAT strapless bra from a local shop in my area. Strapless bras are vitally important for tops with low necklines like peasant tops so its important to have one that will fit comfortably and securely.

A look like this requires a good strapless bra.

Next, I invested in a well made corset. This is a personal decision. I find that my look is accentuated by wearing a steel boned corset, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone should wear one. I purchased a waspie cincher from Orchard Corset and a longer underbust corset from Mystic City Corsets.

Fully closed in my Mystic City Corset (30″)

I have found that purchasing a well made corset and seasoning it well will actually act as a better cincher than the latex waist cinchers you can find in many stores now. There are several misconceptions about wearing corsets so be sure to do research before you jump into the tightlacing pool!

My look with my Mystic City Corset underneath

When I first started dressing in the pinup style, I wore bicycle shorts underneath my skirts to prevent chafing and to give a smooth look. The best upgrade to this is to purchase a pair of high waist shaper shorts (I use Flexees by Maidenform) or a full body shaper to smooth out any problem areas and to just give a more streamlined look underneath your garments.

Under and Over

I think I invested the most money into the garments that no one but me and my husband see, but I’ve found that the pay off from them is well worth it. There are so many brands to purchase from in terms of foundation garments (Rago, Maidenform…) but really it depends on your comfort level. After all, it will be you who knows exactly what is hidden under all those pretties.

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Items Featured:

Coral Polka Dot dress by Sara USA from Amazon

Black Velvet Belt by Pinup Girl Clothing

Valerie Dress in Black Satin by Pinup Girl Clothing

MCC-75 Corset in Black Cotton/Sport Mesh by Mystic City Corsets

Lightweight High-Waist Thigh Slimmer by Flexees by Madienform

Longline Bra in Black by Exquisite Form from Amazon

Powderpuff Top in Red from Vixen by Micheline Pitt