Sweetheart

The classic pinups of the 1940s will forever hold a special place in the popular imagination. Some are simply sweet, and some are very definitely saucy, but they will never fail to raise a laugh (and maybe a pulse). Those paintings of audacious girls manage to say sexy without being trashy because of the inherent humour – a cheeky wink is endearing.

I’m keeping this little 40s pinup look sweet with stripes and denim shorts (much more modest than a little skirt that can flip all too easily in an errant breeze) and classic rope espadrilles. This style of shoe became very fashionable in the 1940s due to rationing – shoe designers had to get creative – and were made famous by Lauren Bacall when she wore an ankle-laced pair in the 1948 film Key Largo.

I adore stripes in almost any colour combination, but my favourites are bright colours, or black with white. Stripes, with their nautical lineage, also shout summer. The espadrilles are striped and polka-dotted – how sweet can you get? – and aptly, are by Candy. I found them in the Sacred Heart charity store last weekend, and, never worn, they were a bargain for $15. The cute little pink and white cotton knit by designer label Gorman also came from the same store – $6, thanks. The little denim 40s style shorts are new, by Seduce.

(The raspberry candy heart came from a sweet shop at the Queen Victoria Market.)