There is nothing so 50's glam as floral. But now that floral is returning, we don't want to look dated in the old-school grandma-esque florals. This is an especially dire outcome of thrift store shopping. You want to look modern, classic, but with hints of vintage.
Hints of floral.
One way to achieve this is by mixing the fabrics and styles in a way that references a vintage style, without mimicking it. In the Louis Vuitton Fall and Winter Collection 2010/2011 Collection there are a few excellent examples of this working successfully (and some not-so-much, IMO) Styles 15, 18, 19, 22 and 49 (minus the buttons on the jacket) are my favorite examples.
So how will a touch of floral and edgy materials give you a similar look?
Knee-length A-line skirts are as close to the mid-shin circle skirt that Vuitton features. The middle outfit is inspired by my favorite runway look from this collection, the combination of a leather jacket and floral skirt. Mind, the floral on my set is much bolder. But the jacket I pick does not have buttons that could have arrived in a time machine...
The pencil skirt was more popular in the 40's and 60's than the 50's...but paired with Victorian inspired-blouse and a floral bolero, you have a modern work outfit with vintage appeal. Belts keep the outfits cinched at the waist, maintaining the classic hourglass form. The floral patterns reference the 50's but what you pair it with keeps the outfit of being trapped in the past.
So what if I'm thrift store shopping and want a modern look?
The excellent thing about vintage inspired looks is that you can incorporate true vintage pieces for a similar look. If you have a little sewing know-how, you can alter thrift store pieces to make them fit like a glove. The straight, knee-length-skirt was big through the nineteen-ninety's. They did not have the form-fitting elegance of modern skirts, but if you found a skirt of this period (my recommendation would be to find solid colors)you can take it in to fit closer to the body. Or you could insert panels to create a layered circle-skirt. If adding a second fabric, I would suggest a more modern pattern. Then, like incorporating different textures, your skirt becomes evocative of a unique and modern look.
The fashion mags say that "fake" is never in style. I don't think that goes for expensive materials like leather. I believe that in order to pull off a look on a budget, fake materials are okay. You just need to remember the interaction between shape, personality, color and form.
I will talk about Shape, Color, Personality, and Form next time!