retro

My Favorite Retro Fashion Brands

There must be something about October that inspires me to make a “Top Five” list that only has three items (instead of my usual six-ish)! Today I want to talk about my three favorite retro fashion brands:

  • Pinup Girl Clothing–I bet this one is shocking, right? I’ve talked extensively about how “PUG Changed My Life.” Most of my retro clothes are PUG pieces. I have skirts and tops, dresses, and even a bolero. I love PUG, and even when I’m not looking to buy anything and/or can’t afford anything, I still love to see what’s in the “Coming Soon” section of their website. They also have a fantastic Facebook community full of supportive (and very well-dressed) shoppers. I don’t think anybody does vintage-inspired clothing with a modern flair the way they do!
  • Splendette–In my mind, no retro outfit is complete without an awesome bangle stack. Prior to this year, I didn’t have a source for bangles that would fit over my large hands. And then Splendette announced that they were adding a Duchess Bangles line to their range, and my retro accessories prayers were answered! Splendette also offers pieces like necklaces and earrings, if you’re looking to coordinate with your bangles and get the full look.
  • Erstwilder–If there’s one thing a retro outfit really needs outside of bangles, it’s a great brooch. I love brooches, both fancy and whimsical. I actually had a few brooches in my jewelry box before I really got into retro fashions, but I’ve added quite a few since then. Erstwilder is definitely the place to go if you’re looking for something more whimsical, and they have themes and color selections to go with pretty much any outfit!

Of course, there are other brands I like. The Oblong Box Shop has fun novelty-print skirts. Unique Vintage sells house brands items, but also other retro brands. Luxulite, Meteor Jewelry, and Tangerine Menagerie offer fun jewelry options. And I wish I didn’t have giant clown feet, because I’d love to try some of the amazing retro styles B.A.I.T. footwear offers. But my top three are in a class by themselves, and make up the bulk of the clothing and jewelry in my retro wardrobe!

Pinup Girl

OK, so I’m totally not claiming to be a pinup girl myself, but I do love shopping with Pinup Girl Clothing, and that’s what this is really about…their amazing, well-designed, well-made, made in the USA clothes, which are available in a large range of sizes, so every woman can dress with a cool, retro vibe!

My love affair with Pinup started last year, with the purchase of a petticoat, because I had a skirt that needed a little extra oomph. I was nervous about buying a petticoat, because it was my first real jump into retro fashion, but I love it, and I really love the way it makes my skirts look!

My favorite thing I’ve purchased from them is the gathered Jenny skirt…but, of course, one wouldn’t do…not when they have so many amazing prints! So, I have four Jenny skirts, in different patterns (including one highly-prized Mary Blair train print), that I wear with regularity, because they’re so amazing.

I have to admit, Pinup shirts and I don’t seem to get along. I’ve tried two different styles, in different sizes, and I’m just not comfortable in them. They were both beautiful shirts, however, and well made, so that’s more my issue than theirs. Because of the difficulty I had with Pinup shirts, I was reluctant to try one of their dresses…and then I saw the Amanda dress in red, white, and blue. Something that special was worth taking a chance on, and I’m glad I did! The fit is still not quite right, but I can get it taken in if I decide to.

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I’ve even branched out, and tried an awesome, space-themed skirt from the Oblong Box Shop! I’ll admit, the fact that it’s a polyester skirt scared me a little…one of the things I like best about Pinup Girl is that everything I’ve purchased from them so far has been made of cotton…but the print is so quirky and vibrant, I don’t even mind the material!

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I also have a pair of Crescent and Aurora SparkleLux lucite earrings from Pinup Girl, the Starlite necklace and earring set, which is available from Pinup in a gorgeous retro pink color, but I went straight to the source (MeteorJewelry), so I could get it in blue instead, an Eiffel Tower brooch from Tangerine Menagerie, and a cool flying saucer brooch from Luxulite. I’m really loving vintage-inspired jewelry done in modern ways!

I’m not going full-on pinup or anything, because I don’t have the talent to do retro hair and makeup, or the money to have a full pinup wardrobe. I would eventually love to add another dress or two, like the Mary Blair Nancy dress, or the Mary Blair Lydia dress, and some more jewelry like the SparkleLux Crescent Drop earrings, or the antique-inspired Enchantress Bow earrings. I love including the items I already have in my regular rotation that have a vintage look, but in a totally modern way!

The Schnucks Anniversary Celebration

Today, our local Schnucks store was having a celebration for the store’s 75th anniversary. I’m just weird enough that hanging out at the grocery store on a Saturday morning sounded like a good idea!

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The highlight of the event (for me, anyway), was the barber shop quartet…so fun!

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The front of the store (inside and out), was decorated to give it an old-time feel…I think they succeeded!

I love that Schlafly made a special beer just for Schnucks anniversary!

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Of course there was food:

And cake!

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The soda was even in glass bottles…how old school! (Not pictured is the pineapple Fanta that three of the children tried, and I insisted on sampling…it was so good!)

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Did I mention the throwback uniforms? Bow ties are cool!

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This was a really fun way for Schnucks to include their customers in the anniversary celebration.

Here’s to another 75 years!