How to add a little retro to your daily look

• Red lipstick.  This is probably the most effective and easiest way to add some retro glamour to your look.  Red looks good on everyone, but the shade of red you wear does make a difference.  Olive toned skin would look better with a orange-toned red.  Porcelain-skinned beauties usually look better with a blue-ish red.  Some women may look better with a brick red, others with the purest red, think Crayola, they can find.  But strong red lips were the look through the 40s and 50s and a bold lip has been popular for a lot longer (think silent screen vixens).  If you are channeling the earlier Clara Bow-era look, you might want to pair your lipstick with smoky eyes, otherwise keep the eyes simple, a little mascara and brown eyeliner for daytime or some liquid black liner for nighttime and you have instant 40s-50s Hollywood va-va-voom!  I consider myself lucky; after I went redhead I discovered that most red lipsticks look good on me, with the exception of a very blue-ish red, so I actually own several in different shades.  (If the 60s are more your thing, rock the mod look: black lining the eyes, maybe even fake eyelashes, and pale, pale pink lipstick!)

• Vintage jewelry.  This is an element of retro-wear that is close to my heart since I collect vintage all the time.  If you don't have any pieces from relatives (always the coolest source for vintage anything!) hit your local thrift store or antique store and check out the jewelry case.  Pearls never go out of fashion.  You can wear a long strand if you are channeling you inner flapper, a choker if you are feeling a little like Breakfast at Tiffany's, or a shorter strand to showcase your bosom.  Cluster earrings are great for a 1950s look.  Enamel button earrings were popular for a several generations.  Screw back earrings date to the turn of the century to the early 50s so you can easily spot an older piece.

• Polka dots.  This is more specific for the 1940s, but nothing says WWII quite like polka dots.  Or khaki come to think of it!

• Western wear.  The western look was popular from the 1930s-50s so if you have a western button down or some cute western wear, pair it with a pair of capris, jeans or a bell shaped skirt, slap on that red lipstick and voila!  Instant retro!

• Color palette.  1940s: think browns, khakis, greys, tans, black.  1950s: light pink, black, red, gold.  1960s: bright colors, pinks, yellows, oranges, greens, corals, bold blockish colors.

• Silhouette.  The 1920s into the 30s was all about the long, flowing silhouette.  In fact this is coming back into fashion right now.  Think long slip dresses, slender draping fabrics and shapes, the Flappers and Art Deco chic.  The 40s and 50s were all about the hourglass shape.  Think Joan from Mad Men, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield or Sophia Loren.  And if you are blessed with a ballerina figure, why not wear a boat-neck top, tights and flats a la Audrey Hepburn?

Even if you don't go all the way retro every day of the week, even a few of these elements scattered amongst your wardrobe can help you channel your inner bombshell any time!