dot dot dot: tips to pull off vintage style

A few weeks ago, I had someone DM me saying they loved my style, but felt they couldn’t pull off a vintage look themselves. I always hate when I hear someone say they can’t pull off wearing something. I definitely believe in dressing for your body type or style, but I also believe that if you like something, you should just wear it. I definitely used to hold myself back from dressing more vintage in the past because I felt like people would judge me or make fun of me. So I wanted to share some tips for how to pull off a vintage look incase anyone else needed some encouragement to try out this type of style for themselves. 
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make it modern:
I think the easiest way to feel more comfortable dressing vintage is to modernize your look. If you’re wearing an actual vintage item, some simple alterations like removing shoulder pads, raising hemlines or shortening a sleeve can make a vintage piece more modern. Vintage reproductions, like the dress I’m wearing here, automatically look more modern. For instance, while this is clearly a 50’s inspired silhouette, in reality, its much shorter than an actual 1950’s dress would be (it would be calf length, rather than knee length). Accessories can also help modernize a vintage piece. For example, I thought the polka dot socks added a quirky touch here. 


find the right decade:
I think finding the decade that suits your body type the best is key. For example, I do not look good in drop waist dresses, which is one reason I don’t gravitate towards 1920’s pieces. Since I have some curves, I think 1950’s definitely looks best on my body. However, I still wear 60’s dresses too, even though some of them are definitely better suited for someone who is flat chested. 


have confidence: 
At the end of the day, the best way to pull off vintage, or any style for that matter, is to just be confident and have fun with it!


If you’d like to shop my dress, you can find it here:
https://www.dollyanddotty.co.uk/may-v-neck-50-s-style-spot-dress-in-black-white


Dress:
c/o: Dolly & Dotty
Headband: Lysande; Bangle: Retro Luxe Resin; Socks: Hansel from Basel; Shoes: Eastland Shoes
Location: Regina’s Grocery (Lower East Side, New York City)