1940s inspirations

Classic '40s makeup.

1940s fashions might be hard to come across in little old Adelaide so here are a few insider tips on where to look and who to ask!

Waves with decal are the perfect '40s do.

Nadia at "Nadia's house of serendipity" should be your first stop. Nadia knows her fashion era's and she know's all of her dresses in her shop, she currently has some beautiful 40s dresses of real vintage, available. Nadia's House of Serendipity is on Partridge street Glenelg. Wall to Wall, Floor to Ceiling fashions, beware, this place is ADDICTIVE!

Katherine Heigl pulled off the open-back '40s dress

Irving Baby is an inner city stop off for vintage inspiration. More on the casual side, the fashions you will find here may not be suited to Bridal wear but you are sure to find inspiration pieces here, including stationary ideas. You'll find Irving Baby on Twin Street in the centre of Adelaide City.

Simplicity, clean, soft lines. 

You're going to need to find yourself a top notch hairdresser that has done the classic 40s waves and curls. So ask around! You're going to need a real pro to pull these off perfectly. The 'do should be shaped to your face and neckline as well as the dress and your headpiece or veil, earrings and jewellery. This look is always "complete" and well thought out, so work with your hairdresser and have a trial or two if need be.

Birdcage veils are a very vintage addition.

Finding yourself a Makeup Artist shouldn't be too hard, the 1940s look is a classic and very simple but still well worth having a trial with your Makeup artist.

An Alexander McQueen dress the oozes 1940s glamour

Finding a 1940s wedding dress in Adelaide is going to be tough! You'll need to search high and low to find one as it's not a "typical" dress style. You may need to head down to Melbourne, but call around the bridal boutiques there before you hop on the plane. Ask them to send you catalogue pictures of what they have and plan your days.

Anne Hathaway in a classic '40s dress.

www.poshgirlvintage.com has some amazing dresses for sale

www.heydayonline.co.uk is also another great shop for 40s fashions 

You can shop around online for your bridesmaids dresses, check out Posh Girl Vintage and Hey Day Online, dresses are priced around AUD$90 but may require some fitting upon arrival. Find yourself a local dressmaker that can take in the dresses to suit each of your bridesmaids.

Below you will find some more inspiration photos for a 1940s inspired wedding gown.

This dress in a variety of pastels would look gorgeous
for bridesmaids.

This is a classic '40s neckline, paired with an open back

This Sunday July 24th - the North Adelaide Vintage Fashion fair is on again. http://vintagefair.com.au/ for more information. Be sure to get in early and browse the racks for gorgeous pieces.

You also need to go in and visit Red Ruby Vintage - custom orders and vintage petticoats, this dainty little shop in nestled in amongst the hustle and bustle of the CBD. You'll find it at 14 Peel Street, Adelaide - (08) 8231 0022 - call ahead and check the 
opening hours.

Lace and silk, very 40s

This bride does '40s simplicity perfectly.

Women’s dresses were knee-length and featured padded shoulders – one of the few adornments in clothing that was otherwise simple, thanks to wartime rationing.

I just love this brides hair.

“Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions.” - Coco Chanel

A 40s inspired dress with train.

A soft 40s wedding gown

40s inspired fashions.

I had to add this one, aren't they cute?

 In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.”  By Coco Chanel"

Tea length dress with bolero.

Classic 40s hair and makeup with earrings and necklace.

http://glamourdaze.blogspot.com/2009/08/1940s-fashion-womens-dress-code.html - This is a fantastic blog that details silhouettes, shoes, lines and more!

40s-50s inspired dress

40s inspired dress with gloves.

Shake ya tail feather - Peacocks

 With a lace addition this peacock inspired bouquet is just divine.

  Who says your bouquet needs to be flowers? Why not show off your colours in a bouquet like this?

  Adding small feather details with splashes of aubergine and navy/cobalt blues paired with bronzes - this wedding is transformed into a peacock paradise.

  Peacock inspiration doesn't have to just be about feathers and colours, these beautiful place cards help to tie in the theme right across the board, easy to make for the DIY bride too.

  Set a-top an aubergine table cloth these would definitely catch the eye.

  Sometimes a little is a lot, these minimalist invitations and RSVP cards are gorgeous.

  Bridesmaids and flower girls in colourful skirts with purple, blue and aqua organza detail.

  I love the colour of this table cloth.

  A fantastic way to include the peacock feather into your wedding is to ask your guests to incorporate it into their wedding attire, include a feather or two with each invitation. (You can get 500 feathers for around $200 from eBay).

  Stained glass champagne flutes, DIY these to and have them as your wedding favours.

  This bride has done peacock right! I just love the fan feather bouquet.

  Boutonnières for the gents.

 Your three basic peacock colours.

  A feather headpiece in place of a veil is very pretty, oh and very Carrie Bradshaw!

 Don't you just want these? If you're handy with the hot glue gun, DIY these for your bridesmaids or for yourself.

It's all in the shoe.

Shoes... we all love shoe shopping, when the bank account is over flowing of course! But when you have an outfit to match, it can be super difficult to find the perfect pair. Your Wedding Dress is no exception.

So here's a few hints and tips on where to find the shoes for you.

Zu do a fab collection of shoes, something like what you would expect to see Carrie Bradhsaw and the girls wearing. They're stunning, come in a range of colours and heel heights, and all under $120.

Check them out here!

 I adore the Audrey pair, especially with a tea length dress.


Jazz you could wear time and time again, the perfect white is hard to come by in a shoe, so if your dress is white, head on in to try them on!

Rose (below) is a classic heel, sure to be comfy all day long, with a little lift for height and in a classic white.

Betts has been around for years, and you'll find one in every shopping centre, but if you're partial to your online shopping, check out their website here. Just beware though, there's a 70$ off section which is might dangerous to ones credit card! Here's a snippet of the shoes I found on their site today. 

If you are partial to a bit of colour,
these Kelly shoes are super comfy.

Check out the price tag on these! $32.99, bargain
and you're bound to wear them again.

Classic wedding shoe.

There is also a nice little wedding shoe boutique in St Peters called Ivory Soul but expect to add a couple of hundred dollars for the boutique shoes that come custom with Swarovski crystals and such.

Don't stray too far from what you would normally wear, you're going to be on your feet for most of the day. Even if you wear heels everyday, I would definitely advise taking a pair of flats, whether they're thongs, ballet flats or even sneakers (yes, adidas do a great all white pair, see below), it's definitely worth having comfy feet. 

Wear the shoes in, even if it's only around the house, there's nothing like wearing a pair of shoes for the first time and finding that every inch of skin is forming a huge blister that shoots pain with every step - not ideal for your walk down the aisle! Now, if you've never tried these, I guarantee you will never be without them after you've tried them. Party Feet are available at chemists, Kmart's, shoe shops, everywhere - and they're amazing. 

If your dress is big enough, and you want to have comfy feet all day, here's a few modern alternatives for you! Havvie's (Havaianas) are wildly popular for the beach wedding and for the Aussie bride.

These white designs have Swarovski crystals added to them, a quiet night and a bit of superglue and your Havvie's are wedding-ready! Havvie's are about $39.95 rrp available from surf stores, if you're after a cheaper alternative, everywhere right down to Coles sell "flip flops" that you can customise with crystals and the like. Just make sure you wear them in, to avoid blisters.

These little stick on crystals are available from most craft stores, or you can check out eBay or even Etsy. DIY is a great way to save the budget.




Flip Flops from Coles - $7
Superglue - $2
Crystals - $6.99

Shoes for under $20 for your wedding!



You might have to reassure your groom that these runners aren't intended for running on your wedding day! The Adidas kicks will keep your feet super comfy all day long, it's not for every bride, but if your dress permits and you plan to be on your feet all day and not acting like a fragile princess, these babies will sure be the pair for you!

Check out the surf stores are Marion or the Adidas store in Rundle Mall. They come with a variety of detailing and colour variations. These will set you back anywhere from $79.94 - $139.95






I think I may just have to buy a pair of these. They're super cute and yep, a little off beat for most, but totally adorable. They also have a matching pair of men's high tops too so you and Groomy can have matching kicks!

Your local store might not have the pair you want in stock but they should offer to have them brought into the store for you.