We all know that fashion is pretty circular, everyone loves to revisit trends of the past and put a modern twist on it, from 70s flares, to 50s skirts to 60s colourful patterns.  But who knew that the 00s would already be coming back around this soon?

Everywhere you look it’s pretty apparent that the 00s are back and there’s not much that can be done to stop the storm of Ugg boots and low-rise jeans coming towards you.

Here are some of our fave trends that we can bring into this decade without looking like a Disney star on the red carpet **cough Ashley Tisdale cough**

Velour Tracksuits

The absolute height of both style and comfort. If your bum didn’t have Juicy written on it, who even where you?

We can thank Paris Hilton for helping merge the words of comfort style and glamour. The ultimate face of velour tracksuits. And you can thank brands like Vetements and Namilia for bringing us the modern versions.

If you want to update this style nowadays go for a pair of high waisted and wide tracksuit bottoms and a cropped velour hoodie and some chunky trainers.

Micro mini skirts

Has anyone ever said to you “That’s not a skirt! That’s a belt!”? Then you know how to properly rock these skirts. After all the saying is, good things come in small packages, so these skirts are clearly great.

How do you wear them you ask? With a vest top that is 3 sizes too small obviously. Add lots of belts, some knee high boots and a baker boy hat and you’ve got it nailed.

Tiny Bags

If you thought the skirts in the 00s were small, then you should check out the bags. The smaller the better and the more emblazoned with a designer logo the better.

While these bags were big enough to keep your phone and Lancome Juicy Tube Lip Gloss in, the bags these days seem to have gotten even smaller! Check out the cultish Jacquemus offerings where all you could fit are your loose change.



Dresses over jeans

This one is tenuous and the idea of it brings a lot of fear to people. But wearing a dress over jeans doesn’t have to look heinous! Bring the look to the present by wearing a mini dress that you would have previously thought was too short over a pair of boot cut trousers or plain jeans.

Cargo pants

Always forget where your phone or keys are? No problem! They’ll be in your pockets! 

These trousers are the height of practicality, especially considering the usual size of the pockets on women's trousers. You can keep all your essentials close and handy or you can use it to keep multiple snacks or other fun things, as well as looking cool.

Handkerchief Hems

These hems don’t know what they’re doing, they go here there and everywhere! But they look so good billowing in the wind, making you seem like the ultimate main character.

Nice top and jeans

We miss the days when the go to response when asked ‘what are you wearing tonight’ was always a nice top and jeans. These had to be some sort of strappy halter top and low rise bootcut jeans though obviously.

Nowadays the going out top is still going strong but the way it’s worn has changed mainly to high rise jeans or the plethora of trouser cut options that there are. We love mixing the nice top and jeans idea with an elegant 80’s silk blouse and some leather trousers if you're not up for the bootcut jeans and strappy shrunken tops.

Mickey, Donald, Minnie, we can’t be the only ones who still have a soft spot for our childhood favourites? Whenever we find a box of vintage sweatshirts or dungarees, we always have our fingers crossed that we’ll pull out some super cute Disney emblazoned pieces.

A cartoon sweat is the perfect addition to any 90s inspired outfit. So it’s time to dig out your baby pics and recreate those incredible outfits. We’re not the only ones who can’t get enough of Disney clothing, the whole of the fashion industry seems to be totally obsessed! So check out our top Disney fashion moments...

Top 10 Disney Fashion Moments

1. Comme Des Garcons X Minnie Mouse

Designer Rei Kawakubo’s found a muse in Minnie Mouse for the CDG 2008 fall/winter collection and we have to say this fascinator alone is completely adorable!

2. Supreme X Mickey Mouse

What happens when you cross a streetwear Goliath with the biggest cartoon character in the world? Well, you get Supreme’s 2009 collaboration collection. Mickey took over classic styles like tees and hoodies, which sent fans into meltdown.

3. Annie Leibovitz Reimagines Scarlet Johansson As Cinderella

Known for her ethereal and otherworldly photography style, Annie Leibovitz created this enchanting imagery with superstar Johansson as Cinderella. She nailed the fairytale glamour.

4. Carine Roitfeld In Givenchy

The Met Gala is always a place to find the most diverse array of styles and in 2013 fashion royalty Carine showed her love for Disney. This Givenchy Bambi number is really cute, but in a totally goth way.

5. Zendaya As Cinderella

Another Met Gala look that blew us away from 2019, former Disney star Zendaya arrived looking regal in a dress that can only be described as Cinderella realness. Don’t forget you can see ALL of our favourite campy looks from this years' Met Gala here.

6. Disney X Opening Ceremony

Not only is this particularly adorable, but founders Humberto Leon and Carol Lim went all out for the Disney theme by taking over Disneylan’s ToonTown to stage the show. Avante-garde meets adorable AF, we love it!

7. Levi's X Mickey Mouse

When two icons collide you know it’s going to be good. Disney denim, what’s not to love?

8. Lindsay Lohan Becomes The Princesses

Disney provides us with a whole lot of Halloween costume inspiration, but Lindsay Lohan really went all out for her Cover shoot for Paper magazine in 2018. Along with Cinderella and Ariel, they recreated Snow White and Aurora’s iconic looks with a modern fashion spin.

9. Vogue Japan 2014

This super fun and quirky shoot is peak Disney. Over-the-top and a little cheeky this is the perfect cartoon editorial.

10. British Vogue 1991

The ultimate vintage Disney fashion throwback, this shoot from the early nineties is camp and cute in equal measures. Now where can we find a Daffy Duck cap?

Our Top Vintage Disney Picks

If you've caught the Disney fashion bug then head into store or check out our website to shop classic vintage Disney pieces and our own Reworked Vintage Disney. If you want get some more inspo then you can read up on our favourite camp fashion icons or get some 90s dungaree styling inspiration here.

Words By Eloise Gendry

Naomi is a bonafide fashion icon, that is undisputed and with such an awe-inspiring style, of course, people will be looking to copy it. In a world of fast fashion some brands and celebrities, *cough cough* The Kardashians, try to imitate an iconic look without giving credit or making it clear they are paying homage.

A muse to many designers and seemingly ageless, Campbell continues to be flawlessly dressed and always pushing artistic boundaries with her looks. In a world of knock-offs, we believe in celebrating authentic vintage style and today we’re giving thanks to one of the industries biggest players. So here are our 10 favourite Naomi Campbell looks.

1. Doubling Down

A vision in blue, we will always love a bit of double denim but Naomi went all out with these flared jeans and matching sequined denim bandeau. Summer party inspo? We think so!

2. Lowkey who?

A satin bias-cut skirt is a wardrobe staple for summer 2019 but Naomi knew this way before anyone else. The square tinted sunglasses and fur jacket are just the icing on the fashion cake that makes this look feel so effortless. Shop our selection of coloured lens sunglasses and midi skirts online and in-store.

3. Versace Vixen

Whilst she can do OTT like the best of them this Versace outfit from the ’90s is a sophisticated and fun look which is glamorous yet toned-down.

4. Safety Is Sexy

At Beyond Retro we are all about supporting important causes through fashion and 2003 Naomi in the rhinestone embellished halter emblazoned with the slogan ‘Use A Condom’ is the kind of thing we can get behind. The top was part of a collection used to support AIDs awareness by London Designer Katharine Hamnett.

5. All That Glitters

Floor-length, shimmering gown and Gianni Versace as your date; G L A M O U R!

6. Moss & Campbell; A Powerful Friendship

There’s a reason that so many ‘going-out’ inspiration Pinterest boards feature a billion pictures of Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, this friendship is a serious fashion powerhouse. Not only are they style icons and supermodels but incredible business women.

7. Fashion Queen of England

A lot of British icons were present at the 2012 London Olympics and whilst our GB teams did well Naomi really showcased our homegrown talent. In a floor-length gown and towering heels, she took to the stage at the Olympic closing ceremony and stunned.

8. Power Dressing

We love a good suit and this white two-piece looks so incredible on Naomi. An iconic 90’s look, the rectangle sunglasses turn this outfit up all the way to 11.

9. Gingham Goddess

We definitely did not look this put-together on our 22nd birthdays but of course, Naomi managed to pull it off in a blue gingham dress with signature 90’s baby blue eyeshadow..

10. No Filter Needed

A legendary look, this Versace mini dress is exquisite and perfectly encapsulates Naomi’s icon status. Even the guy in the headset in the back of the picture can’t believe his eyes.

See more of Naomi's greatest style moments along with some of our other top style icons in our favourite animal print looks.

Words Eloise Gendry

Denim has been a staple in everyone’s wardrobes since the 60s! This classic workwear textile has been there with us throughout the fashion decades, resulting in the existence of a favourite pair of jeans, statement denim jacket or accessories such as hats or scrunchies (or if you’re brave - all of the above). 

As seemingly everyone in the world is a lover of this comfortably cool material, the tried and tested best way to stand out from the crowd is through customisation. Here at Beyond Retro we love to show off a little creativity and rework a look, so here are a few helpful tips on how to transform your old denim from drab to fab.

Before playing around with your vintage denim, find out about it's story with our ultimate denim guide.

Customise Denim With Patches

Whether you’re into bands, cartoons or merely feel the need to make a statement; patches are one of the easiest ways to get custom images onto your clothes. They’re simple to apply, you just have to iron them on! 

How to Acid Wash

To achieve this ultimate 90s effect, you’ll need to dilute some bleach in a spray bottle, squirting the areas you’d like to lighten. You’ll see the results almost immediately but remember to wash the jeans before you wear them!

How to do Embroidery

Maybe try practising on some scrap material first, or better yet, find somebody else to do it. All you need is a needle and embroidery thread and a cute design in mind and you're set to get to work customising your denim!

Inspired but have nothing to DIY yet? Discover some true vintage denim treasures online at Beyond Retro.

Words Hatti Rex

Now we all know that the Cheese Burger was invented at the 1904 St Louis World Fair and Donuts were introduced by the Dutch settlers of New York, duuuhhh, but have you ever looked at your trusty canvas cons and queried “WHERE ARE YOU FROM, HOW DID YOU GET HERE?”
Me either.

But we just got our mitts on a whole bunch, so I’m about to drop some serious Chuck knowledge with a brief history of Converse.

In the Beginning

Believe it or not, Converse All-stars were not invented for maximum traction on booze-soaked indie/nu rave dance floors of the early to mid-2000s. Nor were they invented to help assist the anarchy uprising of the mid-70s. The first incarnation was actually invented over 100 years ago in 1917, for the newly emerging American sport of basketball. The flat-footed, zero shock absorbent first Converse shoe was actually made for physical activity. Mental.

Original Converse ‘Non-Skid”, note no Chuck signature

Surprisingly, the All-Star was quite technologically advanced for its time. The rubber ‘ non-skid’ sole and the lightweight Canvas was the tits in 1917 and by 1918 they were making 20,000 shoes a day! It wasn’t till 1921 that a man named Chuck Taylor changed Converse forever.

Chuck Taylor

Chuck Taylor, a semi-pro basketball player, started wearing the first Converse shoes in 1920. Converse noted this and gave him a job as a salesman and brand ambassador and toured America with his Converse team showing off their kicks. During these tours, Chuck suggested some design tweaks to Converse to help improve the flexibility and ankle support of the ‘Non-skids’. Converse adopted his ideas and in 1932 slapped his signature on the ankle patch and the Converse All Star we know today was born!

Chuck Taylor, great posture, greater shoe designer.                                

The Sports Sneaker

Converse All Stars quickly became America’s preferred basketball sneaker. It was the official shoe of the Olympics from 1936 to 1968 and during WWII All stars were the official athletic training shoes of the U.S armed forces.
Post World War II the Chuck Taylor All Stars became sporting standard for all basketballers, from Highschool gyms to the Pro NBA and ABA leagues, everyone was wearing Chucks on the hardcourt. It was so popular that in the 1960s Converse had captured 70-80% of the basketball market share, to put that in perspective industry leader Nike has about 40% of the basketball share today.

Trends and technology changed but Converse All Stars remained the same, and the inability to adapt to the sports market meant that the Chucks slowly faded out of the realm of the athletic sneaker world. The classic canvas All Star was last seen on the NBA court worn by Tree Rollins in the ‘79-80 NBA season, 63 years after the Chuck Taylor All Stars was born.

Tree Rollins, wearing canvas All Stars

Off the Court

Fortunately for Converse, another movement was shaking during Converse’s basketball boom. Back in the 50s, wearing athletic sneakers outside of the gym was seen as a slightly rebellious act, similar to Marlon Brando wearing underwear (a T-shirt) and blue jeans on the silver screen. Greasers started to slowly adopt Chucks and wore it as a subtle fuck you to the tie wearing, straight-laced “Man”. Converse’s low price point also helped, due to the no-frills canvas and rubber construction, it was affordable to the working-class and teens.

Rock n Roll

This counterculture association stuck and started gaining more traction throughout the decades. Slowly, Converse All Stars became apart of the uniform of nonconforming Youth. By the mid-70s, the counterculture explosion of punk reared it’s scraggy face and wrapped around its feet was our mate Chuck- The first commercially successful basketball sneaker, one of the first mass-produced sneaker, had become a punk footwear staple- OH THE IRONY. What also may have helped that the two largest punk bands on either side of the pond, The Ramones and The Sex Pistols, were also donning them and that they also looked mint in a pair of drainpipe jeans.

Ever since Converse, All Stars have become synonymous with music and individualism.

Hair metal, Gangsta Rap, Grunge, Post Punk, Indie and New Rave; the music trends changed but the shoes remained the same.

Converse on the Catwalk

These subconscious advertisements from industry leading musicians and artists helped Converse gain a certified ‘classic’ and ‘cool’ rep and with Converse’s current and past collaborations with brands such as Off White, Comme des Garcons, Carhartt, J W Anderson and Dover Street Market, the classic Converse All Star will continue to remain relevant for another 100 years.   
Icons and artists who braved the bleeding heel blisters of Converse All Stars include: Eddie Vedder, Farrah Fawcett, Elvis, David Bowie, Robert Plant, Blur, James Hatfield, The Strokes (and every Indie band of the 2000s), Drake, Wiz Khalifa, Hunter S Thompson, Jane Birkin, Pharrell etc etc.

Rapper Ice Cube

Robert Plant and his lemon rocking the reds.

Teenage Heartthrob turned Dad bod spokesman, Leo in Basketball Diaries

Gonzo Journalist Pioneer, Hunter S. Thompson in the white ‘Oxford’ All stars

Elvis, not Costello, wearing Converse on set

1970s style icon Jane Birkin

The Strokes

Words Damien Watt

WonderBras, corsets, push-ups and girdles; styles and fashions in women's lingerie have reflected not only the changing trends in women's fashion but also changes in societal attitudes to beauty, the body and politics.

Check out our break down of the history of lingerie and the changing trends and styles from the Mid 19th century lingerie to the 1990s.

1850 - 1900

Crinolines and corsets were standard elements of a fashionable ladies dress in the mid - 19^th century. During this century skirts were voluminous and bell-shaped, the desired effect was first achieved by layering a large number of petticoats together.

In 1856 they were replaced by the cage crinoline - a hooped petticoat made from flexible steel. Skirt s continued to expand and they reached their maximum proportions around 1860. Skirts were so enormous two ladies could not sit together on the same sofa! 

'Camille' by Monet 1866 - shows the vast hooped skirt that was fashionable at the time

A crinoline, courtesy of the V & A

1900 - 1910s

During the Edwardian period, fashion as always reflected the mood of the age. It was a decade defined by everything that was larger than life-size (for those who could afford it) in an age of excess and extravagance.

In fashion busts too became bigger, the effect was emphasised by the so-called 'health' corsets which were designed to relieve pressure on the abdomen, made the body firmly straight in front, by throwing back the hips and throwing forward the bust. This formed the body into an S-shaped stance so distinctive of the period.

1920

During the 1920's skirts became shorter and waistlines dropped, this sleek and slinky silhouette was unforgiving to any form of bulky lingerie. An androgynous silhouette was the fashionable shape of choice throughout the roaring jazz-fuelled 20's - the bust was entirely boyish and women even took to wearing flatteners and lightweight slips in newly invented fabrics to achieve the desired effect.

1930

The 1930's is renowned as the Golden Age of Hollywood and of glitz and glamour. Fashion looked to burgeoning Hollywood starlets for style inspiration. There was an emphasis on backless dresses bared to the waist, many of the dresses of the period looked as if they had been designed to be seen from the rear. 

With developments in fibre technology, fabrics, colours, patterns and innovations with adjustable straps, padded bras and cup sizing, bras became more sophisticated than ever before and allowed for a more versatile approach to dress especially when it came to backless dresses. Wasp waists were also back in fashion coming into the 40's. In the summer of 1939, Vogue's reporter noted 'you must have a tiny waist, held in if necessary by super-light-weight boned and laced corsets'.

Tony Frissel for Vogue, 1938

1940

Fabric shortages throughout the war impacted trends and styles in fashion, the waist remained nipped with skirts coming to just below the knee. The 'make-do and mend' campaign encouraged women to re-make and update their wardrobe by hand. Military terminology crept into everyday product marketing with the conical 'bullet bra' increasing in popularity, offering support and protection.

Dior's revolutionary 'New Look' in the late 40's waists were heavily corseted, hips were padded and shoulders softened with an emphasis on the bust. This hourglass silhouette was achieved with the help of a strong girdle, with attached suspenders to hold up stockings.

1950

Pointed brassieres or bullet bras remained popular into the 1950's, helping to achieve the ultra-feminine look that was favoured throughout this decade.

Hooped skirts to achieve the popular bell-shaped form

1960s

Despite the sexual and feminist revolution of the 1960s many trend-led young women often looked like children, dressed in baby doll dresses, puffed sleeves, pinafores, gymslips and the Knickerbockers.

Lingerie reflected these styles with cute nighties, frilly knickers and unstructured brassieres becoming popular throughout the decade.

1970s

The cutesy styles of the previous decade were set aside in favour of a more sophisticated and sexy look. Lingerie became daring and luxurious with the use of silks, satins and sequins utilized to create the underwear for the decade of disco.

1980s

The lingerie of the 80's projected a bold, youthful and overtly sexual image. This was the decade that brought us thongs and G-strings with lingerie designers drawing inspiration from fetishistic corsetry and lacing.

Cindy Crawford modelling a bra and thong set 1980's

1990s

The 90's saw the trend for underwear as outerwear fronted by the chameleon queen of pop, Madonna and also infamously known for her conical bra. This was also the decade of the WonderBra worn by supermodel Eva Herzigova.

Eva Herzigova in Wonderbra's 90's billboard campaign  

Shop our selection of vintage lingerie here or for some more fashion history read our history of Levis jeans here.