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

Today’s vintage photos post is a collection of fun images from the 1920s to the 1960s of Men and Women out and about in their shorts.

Let’s take a look at the vintage fashions!

1950s vintage photo of a model getting her shorts fixed for a photo shoot about SHORT SHORTS. A woman with a 1950s hairstyle is helping her.

Source: LIFE Magazine

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

Brief History of Shorts (take a read at the link below)

The Long History of Wearing Shorts: The 200-year Evolution of Knickerbockers, Daisy Dukes and WWD’s ‘HotPants’ by Women’s Wear Daily (WWD)- This is an easy read article, so this is why I decided to just share it instead of reposting it.

SCANDAL! Adoption of these styles caused controversy in some parts of the U.S. In 1937, shorts became illegal in Yonkers, New York, and the town of Honesdale, Pennsylvania, banned shorts in 1938. “Honesdale is a modest town, not a bathing beach,” said a city official in Missouri’s Moberly Monitor-Index.

1950s photo from 1954 of a woman wearing a Classic campus outfit of men's clothes including pink shirt, bermuda shorts, and striped elastic belt, all from Brooks Brothers.

1954 photo: Classic campus outfit of men’s clothes including pink shirt, Bermuda shorts, and striped elastic belt, all from Brooks Brothers (source).

1920s-1960s Vintage Photos of Men & Women In Shorts

1950s Photo of 4 young women in shorts sitting on a wall together. Cute Plaid shirts.

1950s vintage photo of 4 young women in shorts sitting on a wall in 1950s summer fashions

Source: Etsy-girlcatdesign

Shorts for sports-Canada’s first Female Olympic Medalists at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. The first time women were allowed to be in Track and Field.

Further Reading: 1928-Canada’s First Female Olympic Medalists

1928 womens olympic team the matchless 6 vintage image

1950s photo of 2 young women in shorts and cute blouses with scarfs tied at the neckline, out sightseeing (our lady on the left is holding a camera). What cute summer style!

Further Reading: 1950s Summer Fashions as seen in a 1955 Spring / Summer Sears Catalog

1950s vintage photo of 2 young women in shorts and blouses with scarf around their neck sightseeing as one girl is holding a camera. Cute 1950s Summer Fashion Inspiration!

Source: Etsy-JakeRoebucks

Shorts to the right and cute 1940s swimsuits to the left! LOVE this 1942 photo of a group of stylish women on the beach posing together to capture a fun moment in time. Also…I am a big fan of the 1940s hairstyles too.

Further Reading: Vintage photos of vintage Black style

1940s vintage photo of a group of Black Women in 1940s swimsuits and 1940s shorts and blouse on the beach with 1940s hairstyles

A couple posing outside of the Tahiti Lounge (great sign on the building). Both are sporting shorts of various lengths.

Note: I think the photo is 1960s even though listing says 1970s (but I could be wrong). Whatever the age, it’s a fun photo.

1960s vintage photo of a couple in shorts posing in front of a bar / restaurant called 'The Tahiti Lounge' and it has great Mid-Century Typography on the sign.

Source: Etsy-AlaskaVintage

This 1950s photo from LIFE is from the same series from the first image in this post. The images are called simple, “SHORT SHORTS” which seems pretty obvious about what the post is about.

I like to think the women are yelling “SHORTS!”.

1950s vintage photo of women in shorts for a article in LIFE magazine about short shorts. Fun 1950s fashions for summer.

Source: LIFE Magazine

Fantastic late 1930s / Early 1940s photo of 3 friends posing together in their Summer fashion sets (shorts & tops) with wonderful curled hairstyles. Love the ‘lederhosen style romper in the centre.

I also wonder if the cute striped outfit on the left was once beach pajamas worn by her mother? The look is very reminiscent of that style. Thoughts?

Fantastic late 1930s / Early 1940s photo of 3 friends posing together in their Summer fashion sets (shorts & tops) with wonderful curled vintage hairstyles.

Source: Etsy-DearMacyVintage

Vogue, 1927. Model, Portia Grafton, standing beside the gunwale of a boat in Great Neck, Long Island, wearing a black crepe beach coat with white terry lining and matching black shorts by Jean Patou, with a white sleeveless top by Kurzman, and a fitted white cap.

1920s Vintage Photo / 1920s Fashion: Vogue, 1927. Model, Portia Grafton, standing beside the gunwale of a boat in Great Neck, Long Island, wearing a black crepe beach coat with white terry lining and matching black shorts by Jean Patou, with a white sleeveless top by Kurzman, and a fitted white cap.

Photo by Edward Steichen/Condé Nast via Getty Images)

1950s Men’s & Boys Bermuda Walking Shorts and Shirt: Perfect sports duet for his leisure hours of home or in the sun.

Note: This image is for a sewing pattern from Simplicity that can be purchased HERE.

Source: Etsy-mbchills

1950s vintage photo of a young woman in short shorts with a belt sitting on her front porch.

Vintage Fashion Note: According to the ‘Vintage Dancer‘: “As the decade progressed, short shorts grew shorter and tighter with a very flat front and made of stretchy materials. Many were worn shorties with matching belts, too”.

“Pinup shorts, were the shortest and tights of the shorties. They lacked pockets, were often made of a stretchy knit materials and came in some wild prints or a solid black, white or red.”

1950s vintage photo of a young woman in short shorts sitting on the front porch looking at the camera

Source: Etsy-DearMacyVintage

1937 Summer fashion inspiration-Romper / Playsuit.

Fashion Fact: Some American cities and states chose to ban them due to modesty laws. In 1937, shorts were made illegal in Yonkers, New York, and the town of Honesdale, Pennsylvania, banned shorts in 1938 with a city official stating that “Honesdale is a modest town, not a bathing beach.” (Source).

1930s Vintage Photo from 1937 of a young woman wearing a Romper / Playsuit / Shorts in the summer time. Fun 1930s Summer Fashion Inspiration.

Source: eBay

1950s vintage photo of men and women in 1950s fashions all wearing shorts including the men pairing them with their suit jackets. The back of the photo simply says “Shorts”. Ha!

1950s vintage photo of men and women in 1950s fashions all wearing shorts including the men who are also wearing suit jackets with their shorts.

Source: eBay

Men wore short shorts! ha! 1950s photo (I think? Maybe late 1940s) of a man and woman posing by their car during the Summer time. Cute headband on our young woman.

Note: I am aware that this could be a swimsuit, but I don’t see any hint of water around. Maybe this man was bold enough to walk around in short shorts? We will never know!

Further Reading: Vintage Photos of People Hanging Out With Their Cars