Plaid has long been a staple in fashion, but there’s something especially captivating about the way it was worn in the 1940s and 1950s. Vintage photos from this era capture the charm and versatility of plaid, whether it’s on crisp suit jackets, cozy flannel shirts, or chic dresses. Plaid is always a standout pattern and a fashion favourite.

In this post, we’ll take a nostalgic look at the iconic plaid fashions of the ‘40s and ‘50s, showcasing how this timeless print became a key part of everyday style.

Today is also PLAIDURDAY (OCT 4TH 2024) where we celebrate all things PLAID! I love a good plaid pattern and especially when it’s vintage!

1940s vintage photo: 1941 yearbook photo from the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina of a young woman wearing saddle shoes walking down the stairs of her school.

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

The Best Vintage Photos from the 1940s & 1950s of People in Plaid Fashions: Timeless Style Inspiration

1950s photo of a couple in plaid shirts posing together outside. Love the Ducktail hairstyle on our man. Very cool.

1950s photo of a couple in plaid shirts posing together outside. Love the Ducktail hairstyle on our man. Fun 1950s Fashion inspiration.

Source: Etsy-iloveyoumorephotos

The following photo is from a past blog post on Easter photos & ads and I wanted to share it, not only for the plaid shirt but it has a similar feel to the photo above. That feeling being FUN!

1950s Vintage Photo: Easter egg race winners, Gatineau Park, Quebec, 1957.in

Plaid and a car, a perfect combo in this 1940s vintage photo. LOVE the plaid dress on the young woman in the photo.

Further Reading: Plaid: A Fall Fashion Trend. The Vintage Edition

1940s vintage photo of a young woman in a plaid dress posing in front of a car.

Source: Etsy-therescuedphoto

I would love to have the fabulous plaid vest our photo booth gal named “Rose” is sporting in this 1950s image. So awesome!

Further Reading: 1950s Photos of Everyday Women’s Hairstyles & Vintage Photo Booth Images 1930s-1950s

1950s vintage photo of a young Black Woman with 1950s hairstyle and a plaid vest posing in a photo booth.

Bottoms up! 1950s photo of a man finishing the last of his beer.

1950s vintage photo of a man in a plaid shirt downing a beer at a table

Source: Etsy-DearMacyVintage

Fun on the farm! 1940s vintage photo of a group of young women posing together on a farm. Love the girl in the middle with the cute cowboy hat and of course we have to point out our gal on the left in her plaid shirt.

1940s vintage photo: Vintage Image of a group of young women in 1940s fashions and 1940s hairstyles posing together on a farm. One girl is wearing a plaid shirt and another girl is wearing a cowboy hat.

Source: Etsy-DearMacyVintage

A lovely wedding day photo with our young bride sporting a stylish plaid jacket (I actually think it’s a suit jacket as I see a pretty blouse poking out) and our groom in a lovely suit.

The back of this photo says: “Taken April 5th, 1953. Charles 25 years, 9 mins 25 days. Evelyn Wall”.

1950s Vintage Photo: Wedding Day April 1953. A lovely wedding day photo with our young bride sporting a stylish plaid jacket (I actually think it's a suit jacket as I see a pretty blouse poking out) and our groom in a lovely suit.

Source: Etsy-DearMacyVintage

1940s vintage photo of a group of girls wearing matching plaid bows in their hair and seem to be all wearing some sort of costume. Of what? Not sure. Comment below if you know!

1940s vintage photo of a group of girls wearing matching plaid bows in their hair and seem to be all wearing some sort of costume. Fantastic 1940s hairstyle inspiration.

Source: Etsy-AlaskaVintage

1950s vintage photo of a family photo in the living room with bold floral wallpaper. The youngest in the photo, is sporting a plaid shirt. They look so happy.

Further Reading: Be Inspired! Vintage Photos of Wallpaper Designs in Mid Century Homes

1950s vintage photo of a Black-family posing on a couch together for a photo in their living room with the floral wallpaper. Fun Mid Century Interior Design.

Ready for a fun night out! 1940s photo of 2 women posing outside in their going out outfits. Our lady on the left is sporting a lovely plaid dress while her friends in a cute two piece suit with blouse. Big fan of the ladies 40s curl hairstyles.

1940s photo of 2 women posing outside in their going out outfits (1940s fashions). Our lady on the left is sporting a lovely plaid dress while her friends in a cute two piece suit with blouse. Big fan of the 1940s hairstyles.

Source: Etsy-girlcatdesign

Time to wash the pot! 1950s vintage photo in I think a school classroom.

1950s vintage photo: 1950s Woman Washing Pan at Sink in a Plaid Shirt

Source: Etsy-AlaskaVintage

I’m slipping this 1930s photo from 1935 in because it’s PLAID BIKINI! Amazing! Love it!

1930s photo of a woman in a plaid two piece swimsuit in 1935 on the beach.

Source: Etsy-DearMacyVintage

Saddle shoes, rolled up jeans and a plaid suit jacket look so cool together! I want to sport this fun 1940s look right now.

Further Reading: Vintage Photos of Saddle Shoes

Fall Fashion Look: Plaid menswear jacket as seen on our stylish young woman in this 1940s Photo. I love the rolled up jeans, paired with the jacket and the saddle shoes. Great look!

While not plaids for the body, how about plaids for your interior design? I just HAD to share this photo from the 1950s of this very busy living room. What do you think of the plaid curtains, pillows, carpet, rattan furniture with floral cushions and a very interesting horse wallpaper? Would you of decorated your home this way?

1950s vintage photo of a mid century living room filled with lots of interesting interior design choices. Plaid curtains, horse wallpaper, Rattan furniture and floral cushions.

Source: Etsy-SherwoodsTreasures

Thank you for dropping by and stepping into the world of Plaid with me. I hope you enjoyed the photos I shared today and please comment below on anything you wish to chat about on this topic. I love hearing from my readers!

Further Reading:

Liz

2024 Liz note: I completed this fantastic post in 2023 but never published it. I believe that it is still relevant today and should be shared!

Red took the runways by storm as the shade du jour for the fall 2023 season. Now it’s 2024 and Red is still a hot color. (Siren Red) It is the ‘It’ colour of the season. The Fall Fashion Trend you MUST have in your closet (even if your reading this in another year. Red never goes out of style!.)

Here at the Vintage Inn, we love a good red..anything as long as it’s vintage. We also love fall and dressing the part, so for today’s post I’m am going to show off a collection of vintage red fashion / beauty advertisements and some lovely “Red” vintage fall pieces that you could buy right now (or be inspired by for your own style (for women & for men).

1950s Jonathan Logan vintage advertisement featuring a red 1950s dress

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, Unique Vintage, RocknRomance Vintage, Collectif re Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Vintage Fall Fashion Trend: Red

Vintage Fall Advertisements 1930s-1950s

Wear your red UNDER your fall outfit. “Red Spice by Luxite”. 1950s vintage advertisement for Women’s Lingerie. How lovely!

1950s vintage advertisement for womens Luxite Red Nylon Lingerie. Red is a Fall Fashion 2023 Trend.

Source: Etsy – TreasureIsle

Pair your plaid skirt with a red top to get that perfect autumn look.

1950s Fashion Ad for the Turnabout Pleated Plaid Pendleton Skirt. Pendleton’s Turnabout debuted in 1953. It was a skirt that could be turned inside out for a new look.

Further Reading: Plaid: A Fall Fashion Trend. The Vintage Edition

Source: Pendleton USA

Go red this fall…with your nails! “Red..Racy…and Irresistible! Slightly Scarlet by Cutex”. 1955 ad.

Can we take a moment to admire that stunning evening gown on our model? WOW!

1950s vintage ad for women's red nailpolish from Cutex 1955 featuing an image of a women in a 1950s evening gown.

Source: Chronically Vintage

If you don’t want to go with a lot of red in your outfit (but I mean why would you not, when it’s made out of corduroy and is a vest with tapered corduroy pants?), then you can do accessories. Like a red sash and red shoes to balance it out. DROOL!!!! So amazing!

1958 Sears Fall / Winter Catalog page.

Further Reading: Vintage Magazines & Vintage Catalogs (1920s-1960s)

Source: christmas.musetechnical.com

“Enjoy year-round comfort in a Forsyth OSMALANE shirt”.

1955 Forsyth Shirts featuring a fashion illustration of a man with a red shirt.

1950s Vintage Fashion Ad for Men's Forsyth Shirts from 1955.

Source: Pinterest

1956 Bells Hess Fall / Winter Catalog front page featuring 3 women in fall fashions including our featured colour..red! Beautiful!

Note: This huge 244 vintage catalog is available as PDF on Etsy HERE.

1950s Fashion Fashion: 1956 Bells Hess Fall / Winter Catalog front page featuring 3 women in fall fashions including our featured colour..red! Beautiful!

Source: Etsy – ivarose

1930s magazine (not an ad but close enough): Fashion Service Fall Winter 1930 featuring an illustration of a woman in a red dress and matching red short jacket.

Further Reading: A Journey Through Time: Fall Catalog & Magazine Covers (1920s-1950s)

1930s magazine: Fashion Service Fall Winter 1930 featuring an illustration of a woman in a red dress and matching red short jacket.

Source: Archive.org

Ayer, ‘Roulette Red’ lipstick advertisement from 1953 because a red lipstick goes with any season.

Further Reading: Vintage Makeup Advertisement s

1950s Vintage Beauty Ad: Ayer, ‘Roulette Red’ lipstick advertisement, 1953 featuring an image of a 1950s woman with black gloves

Source: Pinterest

1940s women’s loafers from “Friendly Sports”. Loafers in red (and other colours) are perfect for road trips taking in all the fall colours.

1940s vintage advertisement for women's loafers from Friendly Sports featuring an illustration of a 1940s couple heading out together on a date during college.

Source: Pinterest

“Beautifully matched accessories in thrilling color sets…ensembled by Sears-Roebuck!”. 1940 Fall / Winter Catalog page.

“Fiesta Red” for our lovely 1940s hair turban and matching purse. So stylish (all of the purses & hats).

Further Reading: 1940s Hair Accessories: The Complete Guide

1940 Fall / Winter Catalog page featuring womens matching hats / Turbans and Purses. Perfect fall fashion.

Source: christmas.musetechnical.com

Vintage Red Fall Fashions

A sample of some beautiful vintage fashions available at the time of this post on Etsy (which was in 2023 when I first created it). These fall fashions are meant to inspire your own wardrobe for the season. Enjoy!

Do you love vintage Fall fashions and the below outfits are not avail? Then take a look at my always updated Etsy Collection of Fall Fashions from the 1920s-1960s that you can purchase right now.

Heading into the fall season 100% means that two piece suits. Not only are they perfect for the changing temperature, but they are also stunning!

1940s two piece berry red women’s suit. Look at those sleeves?? Gorgeous!

Further Reading: The Skirt Suit: A Vintage Fall Fashion Trend

1940s Fashion/ 1940s Skirt Suit in a Berry Red, the perfect Fall Fashion Trend 2023.

Source: Etsy-Summersweetvintage

1 940s deep red wool gabardine two piece suit. The jacket has exceptional tailoring and details. The skirt is a classic a-line cut.

1940s Fashion / Fashion Fall Trend-Red as see in a 1940s deep red wool garbardine two piece suit.

Source: Etsy – Swishygirl1

1950s cherry red wool sweater dress and cardigan set by Ann Adams.

1950s Fashion: 1950s cerise wool dress and jacket set by Ann Adams. A lovely sweater dress with matching cardigan that is perfect for Fall.

Source: Etsy – vintagevintagebtq

1930s long sleeve crimson velvet dress. This dress screams festive holiday’s but I also love it for a fancy fall evening out with friends.

A Fall Fashion Trend-Red as seen on a 1930s Long Sleeve Crimson Red Velvet Dress. Beautiful 1930s Fashion.

Source: Etsy – MamaLovesYouVintage

1 940s Red Dressing Gown or a Housecoat, that is perfect for laying around with a warm drink watching the leaves change.

Fall Fashion Trend - Red as see in this 1940s fashion, Vintage 1940s Red Dressing Gown / Housecoat

Source: Etsy-RiverTraceVintage

This is a fabulous documented vintage 1960’s two-piece skirt and sweater set made by the one and only “Kimberly Knitwear”. Check out the original ad that appeared in Vogue magazine in 1965, it retailed for $55.00 which is equivalent to $522.00 today (Source).

A perfect fall outfit!

1960s Fashion: This is a fabulous documented vintage 1960's two-piece skirt and sweater set made by the one and only "Kimberly Knitwear". A perfect Fall Fashion Outfit. Check out the original ad that appeared in Vogue magazine in 1965, it retailed for $55.00 which is equivalent to $522.00 today

Source: Etsy- TheBlackLotusVintage

A beret tends to be the hat of Fall, but I’m loving this 1940s beaded deep red cloche hat. You will 100% turn heads with this beauty. It is by Merrimac (Canada) Limited. 100% wool.

1940s Vintage Hat / Fall Fashion Accessory: A 1940s

Source: Etsy – LogoRetro

A 1940s / 1950s men’s tie with fall leaves is a must have to be on trend.

1940s / 1950s Men's Tie in Red with Fall Leaves in Gold on the Tie. Perfect Fall Tie.

Source: Etsy- BestVintageClothes

How cute are these shoes? Lace up walkers, they have a dashing 1940s look, but are likely 1950s. Theyre in a simply gorgeous true cherry red leather, with rounded toes – featuring a natty pair of detachable classic fringes.

1940s/1950s vintage shoes for women in red. Red lace up walkers w/detachable fringe.

Source: Etsy-ukcharmvintage

Lastly, I am an affliate with Unique Vintage, RocknRomance Vintage,(vintage style clothing companies) and they have lots of fall fashions in the colour red in modern sizes.

Thanks for dropping by! I hope maybe you were inspired to add a little red to your wardrobe or your beauty routine. I know I was.

Question Time: Do you like the colour red? Would you wear it this Fall? Share any thoughts you have about this post in the comments section below.

Further Reading:

Vintage Fall 1920s-1960s (archived blog posts)
Vintage Fashion 1920s-1960s (archived posts)

Liz

Category: Vintage Fashion

The Best Vintage Photos of People in Plaid Fashions

The Best Vintage Photos from the 1940s & 1950s of People in Plaid Fashions: Timeless Style Inspiration

Vintage Fall Fashion Trend: Red

Vintage Fall Fashion Trend: Red

Vintage Fall Advertisements 1930s-1950s

Vintage Red Fall Fashions