Vintage Film Outfits: Linen Shirts, Wide-Leg Trousers & Fedoras

These looks come from the visual language of old film photography: warm grain, faded walls, late afternoon light. The clothes are just as quiet. Linen shirts, pleated trousers with a wide leg, long skirts and a hat or two. Nothing here is tied to a single decade, which is why it still works today. Below are seventeen outfits, grouped by the piece that carries each one.

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Film stocks, one at a time

What each emulsion does with grain, latitude and colour.

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Two women by a weathered wall, one in a paisley print shirt, sage pleated trousers and a fedora, the other in a cream blouse with a polka dot scarf

Wide-Leg Trousers and a Fedora

Film stocks, one at a time

What each emulsion does with grain, latitude and colour.

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High-waisted pleated trousers with a full leg are the base of this style. Pair them with a loose shirt, tuck it in halfway, and add a felt or straw fedora. Sage, grey, stone and khaki keep the palette soft and close to the film look.

Woman in a plaid shirt, grey pleated wide-leg trousers and a fedora beside a friend in a grey tank top and long skirt

Woman in a butter-yellow linen shirt and matching wide trousers with a straw hat and round sunglasses under a tree

The White Linen Shirt

An oversized white or cream linen shirt is probably the most useful piece in the set. Roll the sleeves, leave it a little rumpled, and wear it with dark jeans, wide denim or light trousers. Worn slightly off the shoulder, it looks more relaxed; buttoned and tucked, it looks sharper.

Woman with a dark bob in a white linen shirt with rolled sleeves and dark jeans against a peeling plaster wall

Woman in an oversized white shirt worn off one shoulder with wide-leg jeans and round sunglasses

Woman in a loose white linen shirt and light blue trousers on a sunny balcony

Woman in a white ruffled off-shoulder blouse and cream wide-leg trousers with a brown leather belt

Dresses and Long Skirts

For something softer, look for long A-line skirts, shirt dresses with a tie belt and simple cream dresses. A printed blouse with a plain long skirt is an easy combination. A black top and black skirt in matte fabric gives a more graphic version of the same idea.

Woman in a patterned long-sleeve blouse and long grey A-line skirt leaning against a cracked plaster wall

Woman in a black and white paisley shirt dress with a tie belt in front of a painted wall

Woman in a black mock-neck top and long black skirt with a side slit in front of an art nouveau wall mural

Woman in a flowing cream dress with a long matching scarf on a cobblestone street

Coats and Jackets

In colder months the same mood carries over to outerwear. A washed or acid-wash denim jacket, a navy wool coat, a chunky knit scarf and a felt hat are enough to keep the look.

Woman with long hair in an oversized washed denim jacket on a city street

Man in a brown felt fedora, navy wool coat and chunky knit scarf on a city street

His and Hers Looks

This style works well for couple photos because both wardrobes share the same colors. A shirt with pleated trousers and a hat on one side, a floral or plain dress on the other. Keep the tones close, cream, olive, brown and black, and the photo will feel consistent without matching outfits.

Man in a flat cap, plaid shirt and pleated trousers next to a woman in a floral sundress in a pine forest

Man in a felt hat and white shirt with a woman in a floral cotton dress and a flower in her hair on a wooden porch

Man in a paisley shirt, pleated trousers and fedora beside a woman in a taupe top and cream skirt on a porch

Man in a cream shirt, dark trousers and hat with a woman in a long black dress in an old room with peeling walls

Getting the Film Look in Photos

Shoot in late afternoon light or open shade.
Choose old walls, porches and quiet streets as backgrounds.
Keep the color palette muted: cream, olive, brown, grey and denim.
Add a little grain and lower the contrast when editing.

Turn Your Photo Into a Cartoon

Have a photo in one of these outfits? Try it with the free Toonizer cartoon generator and see how it looks as a 90s cartoon or a vintage illustration.

Pixel Christmas Card Maker Put together a pixel-art Christmas card and download it. Make a pixel card

Pixel Mood Calendar Mark each day with a pixel face and see your month as one grid. Open the calendar

Film stocks, one at a time

What each emulsion does with grain, latitude and colour.

Open Vintizer