Over the past few years, while most young people have been celebrating their summer vacations with high-waisted shorts and crop tops, there has been an underground subculture of Rockabilly fashion emerging, and let me tell you, it's amazing.
Just last week I went to a posh boutique in the town of Tonawanda for an assignment relating to a fashion article. The boutique is called Cats Like Us, and it specializes in modern Rockabilly wear, carrying brands such as Too Fast and Lucky 13. I knew as soon as I walked into their baby blue store that I wanted to buy every single item in stock. And between me and my mother (who just so happened to be helping me with the assignment), that's just about what we did. But as we left the store, completely in love with our new things, I wondered to myself: "Why hasn't this trend gotten bigger? In this day and age, this style is right up my generation's alley!"
Chances are that the reason you haven't looked into investing some Rockabilly in your wardrobe is because you haven't really seen it, or you just assumed it was something far in the past. Well, my friends, its time to get enlightened, because there are many reasons why Rockabilly wear will become your best friend this summer. Here are five of them.
1. It's complementary to every body type out there.
For anyone who has wanted to follow the cutest trends, but has felt that they don't accentuate your voluptuous curves in the way you want them to -- well, brace yourselves for a major confidence boost, because Rockabilly lives and breathes for the curves. Since the trends came out during a time when the "hourglass figure" was the most sought after, the structure of the dresses, skirts and tops will make you feel amazing!
You want something to accentuate your small waist? They've got something for that.
You want something that will give you a Kardashian-style booty pop? They've got that, too.
You want to go full Jayne Mansfield -- i.e., full hourglass? They've definitely got that! It's literally impossible not to feel like a bombshell in Rockabilly.
2. It's perfect for every possible occasion.
Obviously, Rockabilly is perfect for party or daily wear. Maybe you wanna be casual -- you can just style your hair and put on a sweater and you have a whole new look. But thankfully, the long skirts and a simple tops also comes in handy when you have a job interview or internship to go to. Either way, you'll be able to stand out from the mainstream crowd in a way that says edginess as well as maturity and class.
3. The swimsuits look fantastic!
Nowadays, many of the most popular stores are copying the Rockabilly look for their latest swimsuit collections, the reason being that the Rockabilly/Pin-Up swimsuit is basically timeless. Whether you prefer bikini's or one-pieces, frilly bottoms or tomboy shorts, you will still feel like Bettie Page strutting down the beach and making heads turn.
4. Have you seen Rockabilly men's fashion? Yeah, exactly.
Boys, take note! Nothing is hotter than a guy with a button up, sideburns and a pompadour. It yells posh class but also that bad boy edge that every girl secretly can't get enough of.
5. Rockabilly can work for any kind of price range.
While the more popular modern Rockabilly brands can be a bit steeper in price, there are other ways to get that perfect Pin-Up look! First of all, thrift stores are your friend. Rather than your nearest Salvation Army, you can find some vintage thrift store boutiques that specialize in clothes from the past at amazing prices.
Another great way to save money is to find Rockabilly stores with great sales. When I went to Cats Like Us, they were having an SPCA Food Drive, so if you bought five cans of food or other materials for the local SPCA (which were like $1 each), you got 25% off your whole order. And let me tell you, it adds up!
So if you're ready to get a whole new summer wardrobe going, now's your chance to get that confident stride going and become your own personal Wanda Woodward for all the world to relish!
