Vintage Necessities: Casual/Business wear; the Pencil Skirt and Wiggle Dress

The reason this is casual/business wear is because pencil skirts and wiggle dresses can be worn to the office (and were a la Joan Harris), but can be worn around the house or on a casual day out.

The Pencil Skirt:

Pencil skirts are a timeless piece. They have been around for a very long time. The vintage look is up to the waist, and slightly cinched. They hug curves and are very sexy.

The forties pencil skirt is longer, and slightly looser. It is shaped like the woman's body, but there may be a little room to pinch. This is a 40's pattern (and it has pockets!):

The 50's/60's pencil skirt is much tighter, no room to pinch, no room for pockets. The basic shape was the same (the waist band fit the waist, and the skirt skimmed over the hips and legs):

When you pair a pencil skirt with a sweater or cotton blouse it is vintage casual. When you pair it with a structured shirt or silk blouse, and blazer, you can have a perfect outfit for vintage business. However, with the blazer, it must be fitted to the waist and cropped for a vintage look.

Wiggle Dress:

Wiggle dresses are my favorite. The are form fitting dresses that debuted in the 50's. They are so named because they are so tight that they cause you to wiggle when you walk. Joan Holloway wears this all the time.

If the wiggle dress is cotton or nylon the dress can be casual enough for day wear. They typically do not need a belt, because they should fit you at your waist, but you can add a belt, a neck scarf, brooch, and a pair of kitten heels and make it business chic.

Note: both the pencil skirt and the wiggle dress can be in a satin/velvet/silk fabric making them viable options for cocktail wear.