Bridal Style: Going Vintage – 50s Inspired Styling That Suits Your Body Shape

It’s Friday so it must be time for more Bridal Style and I’m delighted to welcome back Emily Jane to the Blog. Emily is our resident style expert and she has been bringing you a series of styling tips through the decades. So far Emily has covered 60s Styling Ideas and 70s Styling ideas, all with the view of choosing a style that suits your body shape.

Today Emily is talking 50s Styling ideas with us and will go though the key looks and what to look out for if you are straight or curvy, so there should be something there for everyone!
I’ll pass the Blog over to Emily.

Hi there Boho readers! I’m back again to talk about 50s inspired wedding looks that flatter your body shape. As a personal stylist I’m passionate about helping brides to know how to best dress their body shape to look gorgeous on the big day.

I’ve covered this in previous posts, but as a quick reminder, I’m binning all of those confusing ‘apple’, ‘pear’, ‘vase’ etc. body shapes and taking things back to basics – straight lines and curves. Most women are either are predominantly curvy, or mostly made up of straight lines. As I said last time, if you have a full bust, defined waist, and curvy bottom you’re probably a curvy type. If you have a small bust, flattish bottom and tummy and hips a similar size to your waist, you’re probably made up of straight lines. Just to re-iterate, it’s shape, not size that is important, you can be a curvy size 10 and a straight-lined size 20, and vice versa of course.
So, here are a couple of 1950s inspired looks to suit your body shape, and of course, for the rebels out there, how to break the rules if you fancy the look that isn’t perfect for you!

Straight Body Type – Funny Face

A cute dress that perfectly sums up the 50s feel, this Audrey Hepburn inspired look is perfect for those retro brides who want to keep things simple. This means it’s a great look for those who perhaps aren’t usually into the whole girly dressing up thing, and are therefore feeling a little bit lost in this whole ‘bride’ look!

Things to look out for
The fabric – this is a clean, structured look in a stiff fabric that will perfectly accentuate the neat, straight lines of your body

A bateux neckline – this ‘slash’ style, much like the 60s option for straight line bodies, is really something that only people with a proportionately small bust can get away with, showing off your fabulously fine boned shoulders it’s both sexy and demure at the same time

The flats – ballet flats perfectly emphasise the simple nature of this look, and mean that you’ll be comfortable all day, and poised to hit the dance floor all night. A straight body shape generally means that you don’t need the extra ‘oomph’ to your posture that a pair of heels can give you. Also a plus if you are concerned about towering over your groom!

How to do this look if you are curvy
The nipped in waist of this shape will be fabulous on you, but you may need some extra support from foundation underwear to make sure you have a smooth line under the fabric, as stiff shapes like this can be unforgiving of any lumps or bumps! To flatter even more, ditch the high neck and go for a sweetheart or halter style.

Curvy Body Type – Lovely Liz This frothy, romantic look is inspired by the dress that Elizabeth Taylor wore to her 3rd wedding. Tulle is a fabric that screams 1950s, if you’ve always dreamed of wearing ‘the dress’ with maximum impact then this is the look for you!

Things to look out for
Rouching and gathers – detail like this, especially on the bodice, is fabulous at hiding any lumps and bumps, whilst beautifully skimming over and showing off your curves

The length – Just because you want to go 1950s, doesn’t mean that you have to go for a ballerina / tea length dress. Although a shorter dress may immediately call the era to mind, there are still many, many examples of full length dresses from the era. Just make sure to remember the nipped in waist and full skirt and you’ll still be on track.

Off the shoulder – if you have fuller upper arms that you aren’t too keen to show off, but don’t want the bother of wearing a jacket or shrug, and are worried about being too hot or too restricted in sleeves, the full off the shoulder look of Elizabeth Taylor’s dress gives you a great option for covering your arms a little, whilst still showing off your fabulous décolleté

How to do this look if you are straight lined
Be careful with frothy layers of tulle which can quickly overwhelm the straight lined body. Instead switch them for a couple of delicate layers over the top of a more structured fabric. An off the shoulder look can still be fabulous, but perhaps make the bodice from a contrasting fabric such as silk or heavy satin.

thanks to Emily for this fab styling advice, she will be back in a few weeks time to discuss the 1940s with us.

For more information on Emily’s work go to:
Emily Jayne Phillips – Image Consultant
[email protected]
www.emily-jayne.com
01527 579650
Twitter – @emilyjayneimage
Facebook – emilyjayneimage