I followed the size chart, and ordered based on my measurements, and I'm a curvy girl. It fit perfectly. I'm 5'1", so it hits me right below the knees. I didn't have any of the fit issues that I've seen in other reviews. You don't really need the petticoat, but it hangs sort of sad if you don't wear one. I put a red ribbon belt on it instead of the black one that came with it. I thought it was cuter.
Swing coats were popular when a lady went out because their fullness helped cover the bulkiness of many dresses. These coats featured fitted shoulders and flared out at the bust line. Most had large buttons all the way down the front. Many had a large belt helping to keep the coat securely closed. Jacques Fath first introduced this coat in the late 1940s, but it grew in popularity during the 1950s as it was easy to hide the baby bump which no self-respecting woman would show. Dior added one to his collection in 1951. You may hope that it rains everyday with this beautiful retro swing coat from Miss Poppy Wear(@misspoppywear).
• Dresses: This is the thing that ladies following the pin up style just can’t do without! The most diverse silhouettes are all in for this range from A-lines to body-flattering tight options. The accent on the waist is the most important detail here. You may also create some contrasts with colors using monochrome dresses and matching them with accessories like when matching a tight fitting black dress with a red floral accessory.
Beginning in the early nineteenth century, pin-up modeling had "theatrical origins",[3] burlesque performers and actresses sometimes used photographic advertisement as business cards to advertise shows.[4] These adverts and business cards could often be found backstage in almost every theater's green room, pinned-up or stuck into "frames of the looking-glasses, in the joints of the gas-burners, and sometimes lying on-top of the sacred cast-case itself." Understanding the power of photographic advertisements to promote their shows, burlesque women self-constructed their identity to make themselves visible. Being recognized not only within the theater itself but also outside challenged the conventions of women's place and women's potential in the public sphere.[5] "To understand both the complicated identity and the subversive nature of the 19th-century actress, one must also understand that the era's views on women's potential were inextricably tied to their sexuality, which in turn was tied to their level of visibility in the public sphere: regardless of race, class or background, it was generally assumed that the more public the woman, the more 'public,' or available, her sexuality, according to historian Maria Elena Buszek. Being sexually fantasized, famous actresses in early-20th-century film were both drawn and photographed and put on posters to be sold for personal entertainment.[6] Among the celebrities who were considered sex symbols, one of the most popular early pin-up girls was Betty Grable, whose poster was ubiquitous in the lockers of G.I.s during World War II.
The clients you would most likely come across for this style are vintage enthusiasts, pin up pageant girls and burlesque artists, as well as people going to costume parties. There are also always drag queens and the secret “I Love Lucy”-obsessed people from that era who are holding onto nostalgia. Either way, this style is great fun to create and will come in handy when you least expect it, or when you want to embrace your inner silver screen goddess.
I always turn to false eyelashes for our performances and I also wore them during our photo shoot. Wearing false eyelashes always gives me a huge surge of confidence and I feel almost as if they are my armor; they thicken my lashes and open my eyes to give a truly glamorous vibe reminiscent of legendary Hollywood starlets. Just pair with vintage inspired makeup and you'll soon be channelling Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, or your favorite pinup.
That’s where reproduction boutiques come in. Many shops have popped up within the last decade to reproduce items from the post-war time period, some even using original patterns and fabrics. If you’re looking to try out a pillbox hat like Midge Maisel, interested in a classic red lipstick, or thinking of going full pinup, there are lots of options at myriad price points, not to mention styles and sizes for many bodies.
