5 Ways to Dress with Vintage Style in the Cold

We don’t know about the rest of the world, but here in Ireland it’s been freezing over the past couple of weeks! So we’ve put together a short guide on dressing with vintage style in the winter. Never sacrifice your outfit in order to keep warm ever again!

1 Layer Up

You can layer your favourite vintage style clothes on top of each other to stay warm. Women’s vintage clothing can be geared more towards the summer months. But by layering a blouse, a dress, a cardigan, and a jacket; you can express your individuality whilst staying warm and toasty. By dressing this way, you can also take a layer off if you feel too warm!

Layer Up your Vintage Clothing to Stay Warm and Stylish

2 Opt for Long Sleeves and a High Neckline

A cold wind can cut through you if you’re not covered up! A dress with long sleeves and a high neck, like our Twiggy style, can protect you from the elements. Or our long sleeved Fay dress (pictured below) is a great option. The shirt collar means you can easily wear a polo neck or turtle neck top under the dress for a bit of extra warmth.

The Fay Heart Print Dress, Now €49

3 Thick Tights are your New Best Friend

We’ve styled our vintage style dresses and skirts with black tights for a reason! It’s far too cold out there to have bare legs, and black tights look great with pretty much everything. You don’t have to stick to black though! Add some fun (and warmth) to your vintage clothing with a pair of coloured or patterned tights.

A pair of thick black tights look great with The Anita Dandelion Skirt, Now €49

4 Get Yourself some Warm Accessories

Keys, wallet, mask… Hat, scarf and gloves! That’s what we’re all saying to ourselves before leaving the house this winter. So make sure you’ve got yourself a warm and stylish set of winter accessories that will go perfectly with your vintage clothing. You might as well look as stylish as possible for that daily walk within 5km! We have a great range of vintage inspired accessories available at ilovecarousel.com, that will keep you cosy while allowing you to express your vintage style!

A vintage style pair of gloves and a cosy beanie make the perfect companions to your vintage outfit

5 Choose Warm Fabrics

Your choice of fabric could be the difference between a pleasant walk or a gruelling hike! By choosing a sturdy cotton cord or a comfy cotton jersey, you will be better equipped to face the elements. When buying vintage style clothing for the winter, look for heavier fabrics and fabrics with a tighter weave. These will help to keep the cold from getting to your skin.

The new Elena Floral Print Dress is the perfect winter dress. It’s made from a comfy and cosy cotton jersey, is easy to layer and has a high neck and long sleeves.

We hope you found this guide helpful, and that you get to use some of these tips this winter! Let us know if you do by tagging us on Instagram using @ilovecarousel. Stay safe and stay warm ? The Carousel Team xoxo

Your Vintage Guide

Let’s start off by saying Vintage is for everyone! I’m going to help you to identify it, style it in a modern way, and dispel some of those myths that have made the rounds.

Contrary to popular belief Vintage clothing isn’t smelly or dirty and the chances that someone ‘died in it’ are very slim 😀 A good,reliable Vintage shop/supplier will have steamed/washed their stock beforehand ready for you to bring home and cherish. If you’re lucky they will know the background to the item, maybe an event it was worn to, or something interesting about the previous owner.

Vintage-Carousel-boutique-fashion-m2.ilovecarousel.com

(L-R)Embroidered Vintage Dress: http://bit.ly/WSrZ6X ,
Vintage Colour Splash Dress: http://bit.ly/1qNb3v1 ,                                                                         Vintage Ditsy Dress: http://bit.ly/1xSZKpS .

Vintage is quite easily identifiable when you know what to look out for. Here’s a good guide:

  • Depending on the country, Vintage is either classed as anything older than 10 or 20 years. Anything 100 years or older is classed as ‘antique’.
  • Polyester wasn’t used commercially in clothing until the 1950’s so anything made before that would a natural fabric such as cotton, wool, linen etc.
  • Hems in vintage items are often hand-sewn. It wasn’t unusual to make your own clothing pre-1980’s so hand sewing on garments is a reflection of that.
  • Features such as fabric belts, fabric-covered buttons, Peter Pan collars and shoulder pads are distinct features found on Vintage items.
  • Ruffles were popular in the 80’s, Paisley prints in the 70’s, Block-coloured shift dresses in the 60’s, Prom dresses in the 40’s and Practical but pretty teadresses in the 40’s. Vintage ads are a good indicator of what was popular at the time

The easiest and best way to style vintage without looking like you’re wearing costume is by pairing it with modern-day items. A trilby hat with a teadress, Metallic stilletoes paired with a girly 50’s dress, 60’s shift blouse teamed with jeans.

Vintage is great fun to play with and opens up a whole world of styling variety. Do a bit of research before you head out searching for a unique piece and most importantly: Keep An Open Mind! 😉

Vintage-Carousel-boutique-fashion-m2.ilovecarousel.com

Vintage Dip-Dye Lace Dress http://bit.ly/1wm8Fyu

 We received a haul of 500 genuine vintage pieces recently and you can check them all out here http://bit.ly/1aHLb84

Carousel xoxo

Weekend Style: We Style A Skirt 3 Ways For Every Day of The Weekend!

Around this time of the week, our minds often turn to whatever it is we’re looking forward to this weekend – and what we’ll wear! We decided to take one of our favorite pieces in the shop at the moment, and see how it can solve all of our weekend style woes, and get us through a busy weekend with ease. With its block red colour, this pleated midi skirt (available here) will go with almost anything. We adore its vintage inspired shape. We would wear it high on our waist for that classic 1950’s fit and flare look. So, let the weekend begin…

Friday night: Bowling Bonanza!

Ahhh work is finished for the week – now it’s time for the fun to begin. You’re joining your friends for the most retro of activities – bowling. You may not get a full strike every time, but this cute outfit is guaranteed to bowl everyone over! We unfastened the last few buttons on this cute bird cage print shirt and tied it in a knot to exaggerate this outfits retro vibe. You may not actually own a bowling ball, but this adorable bowling bag is just what you need to keep all your essentials in. Add some saddle or oxford style shoes, and you’re ready to hit those lanes! You can find the shirt here, and bag here.

styling bowling weekend style 50s carousel

Saturday: Shopping Trip

It’s Saturday morning, and time to meet up with your best friend for a relaxed coffee and a wander around some of your favorite shops or markets. Comfort is key here, but you won’t want to compromise on style. This gorgeous shirt puts a darling twist on the standard white shirt, with its dainty print and pretty pleating detail. Paired with the red midi skirt, this look is casual, but chic. Add a neckerchief to get a look reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn in “Roman Holiday” (1953). You’ll need a bag that can hold all the precious new trinkets you may pick up on your shopping trip, and this shopper bag is fit for the job. It’s gorgeous blue colour will compliment the whole outfit. Add a comfortable pair of flats or loafers, and you’re ready to head into town! You can find the shirt here, and bag here.

shopping weekend style vintage skirt carousel

Saturday Night: Restaurant Date

It’s time for some romance, and you have a tasty trip to a restaurant planned. Don’t be afraid to make a glamorous statement. Use block colours to add a contemporary edge to the vintage inspired skirt, and pile on the bling. You can make sure your accessories aren’t too overwhelming by sticking to accessorising one area only. Here we layered some large statement necklaces over a black top, but left our hands and wrists free of any decoration. This top is anything but plain. It has a sparkling sheer pleated panel on the back, ensuring you look great from all angles! Add this black and white bag and some bright colour block heels to complete this look.

date style weekend style circus midi skirt

Sunday: Time to Relax!

Phew! After all of that we think you deserve a rest! So throw on those comfy pajamas and head for the couch.

Take care!
Carousel xox