Vintage Necessities: Casual Wear; High-waisted pants, Pullovers, and Cardigans

One way to always look chic while still being casual and comfortable is to pull on a pair of high waisted pants and pair it with a sweater. The pants come to thinnest part of you, and the sweater should be slim fitting so it skims over all your curves.

High Waisted pants:

There are two types that come to mind when I think of high waisted pants for a vintage look: Cigarette pants and tapered trousers. Cigarette pants are slim fitting, like skinny pants, that come up to your waist. Tapered trousers, for a vintage look, should come up to your waist. They have pleats at the waist, and on some shapes they are very flattering.

Cigarette pants:

The first person I think of when I think of cigarette pants is Audrey Hepburn:

Her pants, as you can see, come smoothy up to the waist and cinch it. They are cropped slightly. Not all cigarette pants need to be cropped, but a true 50's/60's look is cropped.

Cigarette pants can come in many patterns, not just black. Think of Betty Draper in pants.

Tapered Trousers:

The person that comes to mind for me for tapered trousers is Grace Kelly:

In High Society, from 1956, she wore this style of pant when casual.

This kind of trouser is typically full length, not cropped. For these pants, you would want to avoid loud patterns, because of the bulk it could cause at the waist. I think that these pants are well suited to women with slim hips, because it can provide curves at the hip, giving a more vintage figure.

These pants are more loose, and possibly more comfortable, than cigarette pants. They are great for days you are feeling lazy, but still want to look vintage fabulous.

Sweater Shirts:

Sweater shirts, as I define them, are knit tops. Pullover sweaters and cardigans function great as shirts, especially when going for a vintage look.

Pullovers:

Pullovers are knit tops that you pullover. They can be a thick turtleneck that you would wear in the winter, they can be a pullover sweater vest, and a thin-knit boat neck or v-neck.

The climate I live in does not work well with thick pullovers, so I opt for thin-knit sweaters that can be layered. Sweaters stretch, too, so if you want to to you can get one that is slightly small so it will skim over your curves and be very flattering. Also, slim fitting sweaters look great with a bullet bra.

Here is Joan with a slim fitting pullover. She looks just too sexy for words.

Cardigans:

Cardigans can function as shirts or jackets. Buttoned up all the way, embellished with a brooch, and with a long necklace draped on top, you will look so vintage. Or, if the cardigan has beading, you do not need to add anything at all!

One thing that came into fashion in the late 50's and through the 60's was having the buttons in the back. This something that I go for all the time. When you do this, the collar in the front is high, providing a canvas for jewelry. The look works really well with low cut v-neck sweaters.

This isn't a vintage picture, but you get the idea.

Cardigans, for the best vintage look, should come to the waist, or if slim fitting, come just below, as long as the waist is defined.

I hope this helps some. As soon as I can find someone to help me take pictures, I will do a post on everything that I bought on my trip. Look forward to that!