Inside an Online Shop: Creating a 1950s Vintage Inspired Capsule Wardrobe
Heather got in contact with me wanting my help with her casual wardrobe. She told me that since lockdown she has been working from home and has been rotating between two casual outfits of leggings, tunics and boots and little else.
Heather normally spends her time in London as a consultant, attending client meetings, giving presentations and enjoying the after work social life. For these events Heather adores wearing her fifty style dresses with her signature Irregular Choice shoes and a cardigan. Heather feels really comfortable and confident in these outfits. However when she is at home in a rural location, she feels too dressed up in her dresses and heels, so wanted a more relaxed classic style for weekends but with a 50s flavour.
The 1950s Aesthetic
For most of us when we think about the 50s era we probably imagine circle skirts, twinsets and icons such as Sophia Lauren and Katherine Hepburn. Although these are iconic images of the era and what ladies would undoubtedly wear for special occasions, day to day dressing was more casual, many opting for the comfort and practicality of trousers and shorts which had been made more acceptable for women to wear as a result of the Second World War. No matter what the garment, they all shared the same qualities, form skimming with emphasis on the waist. To get some relevant real life examples of casual outfits I looked at some old sewing patterns from the 1950s, which was obviously a time when a lot of women sewed their own rather than buying. Here’s a couple that really inspired the Capsule I created for Heather:
Creating a Capsule Wardrobe
As Heather had no existing wardrobe to utilise, we had to create a wardrobe from scratch. It was important that the items were good quality to last for several seasons and would wash well, given that they would be worn repeatedly each week. Heather suits and loves light and bright colours, cobalt blue and aqua being amongst her favourite. She loves a pattern, particularly spots, gingham and florals, but without being too quirky in the way that some 50s style dresses can be.
Here’s a selecton of the pieces the we found for Heather:
The Follow Up
Heather was really enthusiastic through the whole process and started ordering before I’d even got home from the consultation! As we went through, she had some concerns about how it was all going to come together and create outfits si i returned for a follow up appointment once everything had arrived to put some outfit combinations together. As I laid out the outfits Heather was amazed to see how easily they all went together and how it would work with the few existing pieces that she already had. We took photos so that she had a catalogue of images to refer back to when she needed some ideas.
If you’re interested in creating your own unique Capsule Wardrobe, the blogs below will give you a good place to start. Alternatively if you want my help in curating the perfect Capsule for you, you can find out how you can work with me following the link below.
