Tips on 50s style, not fancy dress!

[superbfairywren]

50s style dresses suit my shape and I have always worn them and thought they looked good. Recently I have seen more and more ladies wearing similar styled dresses looking like they are going to a fancy dress party. I am now scared I look like this when I wear this style of dress. I have a navy floral dress I am planning to wear for a wedding and wondered if anyone had any tips for shoes and accessories to make sure I don't look like a grease extra! The dress is comfortable, fits well and I want to look good but not overdone. I won't be wearing a petticoat which I think helps make it look less fancy dress too.
Picture of dress attached , it looks good on I think.

Love the dress. Classy shoes . Not platforms or wedges anything too modern.

But you'll know that already.

I like these

www.atomretro.com/product_info.cfm?product_id=3090

I have a similar shaped shoe in navy, do you think that would be okay? I normally opt for nice leather flats or sandals and keep it very casual but for a wedding I was hoping to wear heels and some jewellery.

I think with those dresses they step over the line into "fancy dress" when the hair and make-up is too severe. Having a 50s inspired dress is nice and feminine but once the hair is styled too much is looks overdone.

Hope that makes sense. I really like the dress you showed, think heels would be fine, but in a plain colour as the dress is colourful.

Yes I think the shoes. Would look perfect.

How are you styling your hair and make up

The shoes are very plain, just nice navy heels.
I have straight hair cut into a Bob at the moment and I can't do much with it(no time and no flair for hair!) So will probably just clip the front back.

I don't really wear makeup unless I'm going out at night and even then it's normally just a bit of mascara. My complexion isn't too bad at the moment so shouldn't need to cake it on, what would you recommend?

Keep your hair modern, steer clear of eyeliner flicks and red lipsticks.

No chance of eyeliner flicks and red lippy here! I always intend to leave time for makeup so i feel dressed up and ready but normally it's shoving some mascara on seconds before leaving the house! Am hoping I'll leave myself a little more time for this occasion.

I have the option of navy suede heels or tan leather slightly pointy heels. I have some tan leather flat shoes to take in case I have to walk a lot (pushing my daughter to sleep!) Which look good with the dress, so am wondering whether the tan heels would look a bit more modern with the dress?

There are some excellent blogs out there written by women who wear vintage all the time and classic 50s make up and don't look fancy dress at all. They have great styling tips etc.

Retro Chick, Diary of a Vintage Girl and Heyday! (who happen to make amazing repro dresses) are good UK based websites for tutorials and inspiration.

Oh and a low side bun or something (loads of tutorials on YouTube -search "easy summer updo") with dusky pink lips would actually be pretty authentic without looking fancy dress at all.
Victory rolls, as the name suggests, aren't even 50s but all the Viv of Holloway wearing clones got them in their cheap hen do pin up shoots and ruined them. Ditto red lips, now you get the clones turning up to vintage events and lecturing the rest of us for NOT having red lips and rolls ... ffs they had full make up counters with all different colours in the 50s!! And ponies, quiff, short cuts with a bit of curl, buns ... All authentic and "normal" looking hairdos!

I agree Squizita, the decades get very mixed with the generic vintage/retro banner! The problem is I have seen lots of women lately who look exactly like a VoH window mannequin and look really overdone, am scared I will end up looking like that this weekend!
Previously I always thought I looked more authentic/individual and less fancy dress but i think living in stretchy jeans and t shirts since having my dd has left me with little confidence. Feel like I've lost my idea of style, doesn't help that my figure is completely different post baby.

Thank you for the blog suggestions, going to have a look now.

I wear a lot of 50's dresses, with petticoats etc, but very rarely have the hair and stuff done, unless I can get to the hairdressers etc. I'm appalling at doing hair and make up and the thought of trying to do eyeliner flicks makes me shiver!

You look lovely Mermaid. I'm with you, I think it's the all done up look that seems a bit over the top.

I wear 50s dresses including ones with petticoats, but with modern hair & makeup. I couldn't do eye flicks if you paid me and there's few red shades of lippy that suit me. But the cut & fit of the dresses are really flattering.

Thanks I've had the hair done properly before for a shoot (pic), but since I can barely put a ponytail in myself, I won't be attempting it!