I’m constantly getting inspiration for either clothes or hair from movies. I wanted to list a few of my favorite flicks that offer amazing clothes, or even more amazing hair-do’s or both! Not all of these are necessarily from the 40’s or 50’s, but they still did a dammed good job and they make me wish I could do hair on set of era-specific movies. : )

One of the first that comes to mind is A League of Their Own. This is a great movie in general. I’m a huge Tom Hanks fan and I just adore is character in this film. I follow him on Twitter and he just seems like the nicest guy! (P.S.-The part where Bettie Spaghetti receives the letter about her husband dying in war makes me bawl every time.)
Anyway, there are some fabulous looks in this movie. My favorite happens to be later in the film where the gals are all staying in one house and the two main characters (Geena Davis and Lori Petty) get into a tiff because Petty’s character Kip has just been traded. Geena Davis’ whole outfit is wonderful.

Her hair wrapped up in a scarf with just a few curly tendrils peeking out in the front, with a great silk blouse tucked into a high-waist pant. In this scene, her scarf is placed pretty well at the hairline. Now, I’ve seen this look and attempted more than once and I’ve come to the conclusion that either my head is too big, or my scarf is too small…I’m going with the latter.


Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a picture of this outfit, so I had to go with a screenshot and of course I couldn’t get a decent one of the entire ensemble. So here is a close up where you can see the pockets and buttons on the pants. It was hard to tell, but her shoes almost looked like they were possibly a Ked-style shoe, a simple white tennis shoe perhaps. Here’s the link to the scene, maybe you guys can figure it out.
Another scene that has an outfit I love (albeit a bit cleaner) is where Geena Davis and Lori Petty are walking home from the baseball game in the beginning of the film.

Again, Davis has a great high-waist sailor style pant, with a simple plaid blouse tucked in. Her hair looks to be parted down the middle and pulled back by either bobby pins or a barrette, still curly even after a game of ball. : )
Replicating either of these looks would be pretty simple, if you’ve got the pants. There a few different places online you can get them, I have yet to find a thrift store that has them, although the next time I got to Boomerang I’m going to ask about them.
Etsy- These are only $75 which really is pretty average I’m finding and the fact that you only pay $5.00 shipping is pretty nice also.
Heyday Vintage
Viven of Holloway
Freddies of Pinewood
Violetville Vintage-These are more expensive because (according to the site) they are actual vintage pants from the 1940’s; hence the limited size. The great thing about this site (if you can get past the prices, ouch!) is not only the selection but you can search by era which is very convenient.
Avenue.com- I found this great pair for the more voluptuous ladies, and they’re on sale too! They are a more modern cut but they would still look great with a baby-doll style t
reVamp Vintage- Also some really great pieces, but also very expensive.
Make Me Chic-Obviously not pants but these shorts are ADORABLE and they’re only $12.00! Sold.


Another more adventurous option is going to the thrift stores of course. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve never found an actual pair of high waist “sailor style” pants but that’s not to say you can’t improvise. I plan on doing this myself this weekend and I will definitely post pictures on how it goes.
Let’s say you find a pair of nice pants that you think could work for a high waist look; there are a few things you should do before you buy and some things you can do after you buy to change them up a bit.
Before you buy::

1-Try them on!!!
The golden rule of thrifting, from my point of view. Whether they’re from the 1980’s or the 1920’s, clothes fit differently throughout the years. Sizes change, cuts change, fabrics change so be sure to make sure they fit before you spend the dough! Especially when it comes to finding a pant or skirt that you want to replicate a specific look, on the hanger it may look to fall at just the right place on your body but once you try it on it could sit too low (which is usually what happens) or they could be too short in the leg. So just double check before trucking on.
2-Wear the right undergarments:
I, in no way at the moment, have a flat tummy. I also have huge hips and along with that comes a huge toosh. I’ve come to terms with these facts and now embrace them. Taking those things into consideration, I must prepare what I wear underneath so the clothes on the outside will look their best. Your two new best friends are waist cinchers and high waist, tummy flattening undies. The cincher you can either get online or at a thrift store. I even saw more modern styles at Macy’s recently.
The undies, I own two different kinds both purchased from Target. One in white and one in black of course, but the white pair has more stretch and they are not as restricting. These are perfect for pants, pencil skirts or form-fitting dresses. They offer enough stability in front to smooth you out without the possibility of bulging. The black pair, I use mostly for dresses usually with an a-line or flowy skirt. This pair is much stiffer, the fabric is thicker (it almost reminds me of a swimsuit type of fabric) and there is no question that you’ll have that flat tummy appearance. The one draw back, at least for me because of my shape is the sizing. If I go a size up, they tend to be too big in the stomach, if I go my normal size or smaller, they fit perfectly up top but are a bit constricting in the thigh which is why I limit their use to flowy skirts or loser fitting clothing. Since I have lost weight, both of my waist cinchers are too big and really no longer server their purpose. Essentially, they are shorter, less complicated, less clenching than a lace-up corset but offer roughly the same results. I also recommend, depending on your body type, wearing a pair of the aforementioned undies with the cincher to keep the silhouette consistent. If I am out and about, I’m usually dressed to the nines either way, but if that isn’t your style, at least try and take a pair of unmentionables with you while you’re trying on clothes, in most cases with this type of lingerie, you’ll be able to don a smaller size too!
3-Try to buy an “outfit” not just “a pair of pants”:
This can give you two options. When I shop, I try and visualize what I could wear with a particular garment and I try to start with the things I already own. (I’ve been told I do a lot of squinting when I shop!) I have more tops than bottoms for some reason so when I’m picking out a top; I try to think whether or not it will go with my capris, denim and/or skirts. When you’ve picked out a great pair of pants, think of how many outfits you can create with them paired with the clothes you already own (that includes shoes!). If nothing really comes to mind or you’re just not sure then go for the gold and buy a blouse as well. This way you can still test them out with your old clothes without being stuck with a pair of pants that you can’t wear.
4- Changing them up:
So you’ve got the pants and you’ve got a blouse to wear with it but you still want to fix them up a bit or they don’t have the EXACT look you want. The easiest way to remedy this is buy six to eight large size buttons (color is up to you, depending on the pants) and just sew three or four on each side either in a straight vertical fashion on the front like so..
Or you can sew them closer to the pockets either in front or behind…
This will definitely give you the more recognizable “sailor style” pant.

As always, if you have discovered or spruced up a great pair of pants to make an even more amazing ensemble, please email me pictures with a description so we can show it off!!