Dorothy Dandridge Style

Dorothy Dandridge was an American film actress who starred in Carmen Jones (1954) and became the first African American woman nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. This collection celebrates her Hollywood glamour with fitted Pretty Retro pieces: wiggle dresses, hostess dresses and tea dresses, pencil skirts, capri pants, Bardot tops and sweaters. Every piece is designed in England and made by hand in Europe.

What is Dorothy Dandridge style?

It is all about the silhouette: a nipped-in waist above a skirt that either skims the hips or flares from them. Choose by the shape you like.

• Skimming the hips: our wiggle dresses are cut close in stretch bengaline, from the one-shoulder Norma and the satin-tied Halter to the 1940s Rita and the 1930s-inspired Melissa. A pencil skirt gives the same line in two pieces.
• Flaring from the waist: the hostess dress has a wing collar, cap sleeves, covered buttons down the front and a three-quarter circle skirt, and the Veronica tea dress has a keyhole neckline tied in a bow and a wrap-style skirt.

How to wear Dorothy Dandridge style

For separates, the Rizzo blouse is a 1950s-style cotton shirt with darts into the waist, a turn-back collar and short sleeves with a turn-up; wear it with a pencil skirt or capri pants. A Bardot top, a sweater girl top or a bateau sweater works the same way, and a cardigan finishes the outfit. Keep the colours rich: black, red, wine, navy and ivory run through the collection.

You will find the dresses in our wiggle dresses and 1940s dresses, with skirts in our skirts, capris in our vintage trousers and the rest in our tops. Sizes run from UK 8 to 18 for dresses, skirts and the Rizzo blouse, and S to XL for the knits; the size guide has the measurements.