With the annual USO dance coming up in a few weeks, we thought it would be helpful to post a roundup of tips on how to dress vintage. Think of this as a quick links starting point on how to go retro for the USO. Before you get your start, you might want to browse around the web to get an idea of what WWII era fashions were like. You may even want to check out some cool 40′s era recreations (ladies and gentleman’s styles) for inspiration. Likewise, a quick start is to check out the retro clothes on DanceStore.com. However, don’t feel you have to spend an arm and a leg and don’t think you are limited to vintage shops and recreations. With a sharp eye, you can land some cool stuff in ordinary local stores. With this economy, your best bet may be to spend quality some time in thrift stores. You might even land some actual vintage threads. However, be careful wearing real vintage to dance in, they might just end up being actual threads by the end of the night.

The biggest question we get from the ladies is how to do their hair. Dawn has recently written a review of a new vintage hairstyle book. But you’re thinking “doesn’t vintage hair styles take forever to do?” Well, not necessarily. She’s also posted a video sent to us on how to do victory rolls in 5 minutes… and with the number of hits that page gets, it must be good advice. Speaking of videos, the wonders of YouTube can be a huge help with finding vintage hairstyle tutorials.

For the guys, you have it easy since men’s fashions don’t change much through the years. However, it can be tricky if you are going for the subtle differences that will set you apart as retro. Be sure to check local menswear shops for some cool wide leg pants. You can usually find these at urban menswear stores (think dressy hip-hop stores often found in malls). If you are going for casual, you can sometimes find stripey shirts and socks in stores like Target and Old Navy. If you are looking to dress vintage WWII military, well… that can be a hobby in and of itself. Uniforms can be rented, however, you may want to check eBay or your local Army/Navy surplus store.

Have a tip on dressing vintage? Post a comment and share!