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Permalink Reply by Miss Stacy Blaise on July 15, 2012 at 4:35pm

I think you look really pretty.  I think if you dress in warm layers that will be fabulous.  I live in Mississippi so it doesn't get very cold here (usually).  Good luck.  Remember to wear cute coats, scarfs and boots.  

Miss Blaise

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Permalink Reply by Kari Drummer on July 15, 2012 at 5:12pm

You look beautiful! I always wear a large trench coat or a styles house coat I believe is what they call it. They come in fluffy furs and the like (Not real furs of course) and they wear really well over dresses. You can also wear riding boots as well. It does get very cold with updrafts - thankfully I live in Texas! But I always wear a nice fluffy coat over my dresses.

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Permalink Reply by Soozi Qu on July 15, 2012 at 5:50pm

Turtle Necks are the go, or twinsets with a warm scarf and an overcoat. They wore a lot of woolen clothing, as in woolen skirts, woolen suits. Scarves with matching hats and gloves and an overcoat completed it for warmth. I'm talking about Australia here, so haven't had any experience dressing for snow!

Hope that helps, you look very cute. :)

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Permalink Reply by cela hyatt on July 15, 2012 at 9:17pm

If you get a vintage coat, you can pretty much wear anything underneath and still have the retro vibe :) scarves are great, gloves, a muff and hats, really help.  Wool dresses and skirts with tights and silk thermal underwear (long johns) I would buy in a beige for better camouflaging, you can find some pretty ones online. you can google 1950s or 1940s winter fashion and see what comes up.  Watch old christmas movies, like the original Miracle on 31st street and Its a Wonderful Life they will show you exactly what was worn back then.  i found some pics online, these were some of my faves :) Have fun!

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Permalink Reply by Ella Macedo on July 15, 2012 at 9:53pm

I live in Auckland New Zealand and we are in the middle of winter now. It gets pretty cold at night and during the day it can be 12-15 degrees Celsius. Luckily I don't have to venture out into the cold much except to get to my car but where I work is really hard to heat so I have to still dress warmly.
I always wear thick tights and then layer. For instance I will wear my Doris skirt with tights and a cardigan and if it's extra cold, I'll wear another layer under the cardigan. When I wear dresses like the Heidi, I will wear a cardigan over the top and then maybe another top underneath. I love the green Bettie Page Secretary Circe dress- its a thick jersey knit and 3/4 sleeves.
When I do have to venture out into the cold, I have a coat and vintage leather gloves to keep me warm, and you know what it great insulation? Big chiffon petticoats! So warm! I got mine from Vivien of Holloway and it's so nice compared to the scratchy stiff ones on the market. X p.s I realise that 12-15 degrees is nothing near snow like where you live but hopefully this will be useful in some way :-)

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Permalink Reply by Soozi Qu on July 15, 2012 at 10:19pm

Great idea, Ella! I had never thought of wearing my petticoats during the day. I usually leave the big petticoats for evening dresses and wear original vintage one layer ones during the day. In fact, in the 40s 50s their petticoats were made from winciette for winter which is like a very fine flanelette. Also, I often wear vintage full petticoats they provide a complete later from chest to knee which helps heaps with the cold.

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Permalink Reply by Lissie Bee on July 19, 2012 at 2:01pm

Chiffon petticoats as insulation, what a wonderful idea!!! It would also solve the unfortunate embarrassment of having ones skirt blow up over their head...

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Permalink Reply by yazmin little on July 15, 2012 at 10:20pm

I live in alaska, so this is an all too common dilemna for me. It comes to a point during the winter where practical comes before fashion. I try my best to look nice and I mix some modern with vintage like a warm pea coat or trench coat and faux fur items. High waisted pants work really well with a nice cardigan or nice belted sweater. And more times than not I just suck it up and fight the cold to look nice. We all do it here in alaska. Its a part of living here haha.

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Permalink Reply by Lissie Bee on July 19, 2012 at 1:54pm

It gets super cold in my part of VA (a couple years ago I walked 2 miles in 4 Fahrenheit. Bur!) And I grew up in Los Angeles so I get cold very very easy. But I'll share a few of my tricks I've come up with ;)

First, get some of those super warm under shirts and pants you can find at camping stores like REI, and some department stores carry them in the colder states. They're not thermals but they're like a really thick spandex and they're usually rated for a certain temperature. Like for people that do serious outdoor adventures in the cold. They are meant for layering so they're thin. You can wear a pretty wool or angora cardigan over them, that will be your top, and you'll be pretty and warm without any bulk. If you can find the bottoms tight enough they can usually pass for tights if you wear them with a skirt and boots; or you can just wear regular thick black tights.

If i'm going to be indoors where I would roast in wool and would need to take my cardigan off, I have these sheer lace long sleeve shirts I wear under a sleeveless dress. They're not very warm but it is an added layer when sleevelessness would to too cold for indoors, and they also don't add any bulk if you're going to be layering sweaters and coats over it.

And most important off all, invest in a nice, dressy, WARM wool coat. Usually the warmest coats aren't fancy, but if you hunt around the internet you'll be able to find one that is pretty and warm. The best would be something the cinches at the waist and flairs out as a skirt, like a dress, so that way you can also wear your full PUG skirts under them.

And accessories can be fashionable as well as functional. Faux fur shrugs worn as a scarf, leather gloves. But.. as far as shoes go, I draw the line... being fashionable is never worth a sprained ankle ;) so no heels in the snow. Maybe just wear boots and change into heels when you get indoors. If someone finds fashionable snow boots send em my way!

Also, it doesn't get any better than these ladies..

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Permalink Reply by Amber on July 19, 2012 at 4:26pm

Great picture!

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Permalink Reply by Dilemma on July 22, 2012 at 1:04am

Great advice re the thermal-type wear. I'm nervous about New York in winter and how that will go! Thanks for the advice.

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Permalink Reply by Tahitia Belle Fille on December 9, 2012 at 6:20pm

That's really good advice Lissie, and I couldn't agree more about the perfect pinup dress that cinches at the waist and then flares out like a skirt.

The big lesson here that I'm taking away is that you CAN still be a pinup girl in the winter time, but you're going to have to know your winter wardrobe do's and don't and work harder at it to make it all come together :)

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