The Retro Blog

Happy 4th of July. Today marks the 61st anniversary of the Hollister riot. The Hollister riot wasn’t really a riot at all. Basically a bunch of bikers showed up for a rally in Hollister, California. A few of them got drunk and started driving recklessly. With gang names like “The Boozefighters” and “The Pissed-Off Bastards” [...]

I can barely stitch up a hole in a pair of pants, but I’ve always had secret aspirations to sew elaborate retro dresses. Maybe someday I’ll hunker down and learn how to sew something other than a straight line, and at this time Sew Retro will become a resource rather than an envy inducer. It’s [...]

On my trip to Japan a couple of months ago, I kept noticing that all the supremely hip Tokyo girls were sporting the exact same set of green headphones. Turns out they’re called Panasonic RP-HTX7 headphones. They have a gorgeous retro flare with their moderately large size, rounded ear covers, and metal size adjusters. Unfortunately, [...]

Retro styled swimsuits can be pretty pricey, but with a little sewing knowledge (or at least a really good friend with some sewing knowledge) you can make your own. Craftster user ecinahs3000 has posted a tutorial on how to make your on 50’s style bathing suit. Just make sure you pair it with a nice [...]

Prom season is here. Personally, I was not such a fan of prom. I probably would have been more enthusiastic about the event if people were all in 50’s outfits. Enjoy some retro prom pictures:
1. Dress choice is ever so important
2. Make sure you know all the right moves.
3. Coordinate clothes with your date. And [...]

I think just about every girl I know has thought at some point in her life that being a flight attendant would be a pretty good job. There’s something romantic about the idea of jetsetting about and seeing the world while only needing a waitress level skill set. I’ve thought about this too, but the [...]

From mowtown mavens to mod beauties, this gallery of 1960’s ladies has it all.

When I saw that today is Audrey Hepburn’s birthday, it got me thinking about what a fashion forward lady she was. How might one go about emulating her style? This is where one needs to point one’s browser to That’s So Boss, a blog where the writer gives you a clip of a retro film [...]

The other day my sister was telling me about how she got ripped off on some fabric she bought at a store in Seattle. My response is the internet is your friend. Reprodepot fabrics has been around for awhile, and although their selection of mid-century designs has declined in the last few years, it still [...]

I have a hard time advising anyone to visit an online store that has an entire section devoted to clothes for burning man, but they have enough retro clothes that I can’t dismiss Babygirl Boutique entirely. Their Rockabilly and pin-up section is worth a look. It’s a lot like Daddy-O’s, but it’s got some better [...]

Here’s a video from the 1930’s the predicts the future of fashion, all the way forward to the year 2000. So what will we wear in the future…erm, past? Some interesting outfits indeed. The hair on the girl wearing the net dress is brilliant. It’s like a stylist from the 30’s doing a 60’s beehive [...]

The narrator of this video is on the lookout for scenes of “swinging London” among all the “fat cats.” It’s hilarious how the filmmakers seem to be mocking the idea of the 60’s fashion scene while simultaneously actively searching for evidence of it. They try to understand why young people are “conforming to the non-comformist [...]

In 1966, supermodel Twiggy was the darling of the London fashion scene. Frequently blamed for that whole making women think they need to weigh 90 pounds to be pretty thing, Twiggy was best known for being skinny, having big eyelashes, and being the symbol for mod fashion. Twiggy knew how to stare at the camera [...]

Daddy-O’s is one of those online stores I visit frequently but have no intention of buying anything. It’s just that I don’t wear dresses often. And by often I mean ever. Regardless, a lot of their dresses are simply divine and the Bettie Page look alike model doesn’t hurt either. The cute stuff’s typically in [...]