Other pin-ups were artwork depicting idealized versions of what some thought a particularly beautiful or attractive woman should look like. An early example of the latter type was the Gibson Girl, a representation of the New Woman drawn by Charles Dana Gibson. "Because the New Woman was symbolic of her new ideas about her sex, it was inevitable that she would also come to symbolize new ideas about sexuality."[9] Unlike the photographed actresses and dancers generations earlier, fantasy gave artists the freedom to draw women in many different ways.[10] The 1932 Esquire "men's" magazine featured many drawings and "girlie" cartoons but was most famous for its Vargas girls. Prior to World War II they were praised for their beauty and less focus was on their sexuality. However, during the war, the drawings transformed into women playing dress-up in military drag and drawn in seductive manners, like that of a child playing with a doll.[11] The Vargas girls became so popular that from 1942–46, owing to a high volume of military demand, "9 million copies of the magazine-without adverts and free of charge was sent to American troops stationed overseas and in domestic bases."[12] The Vargas Girls were adapted as nose art on many World War II bomber and fighter aircraft; Generally, they were considered inspiring, and not seen negatively, or as prostitutes, but mostly as inspiring female patriots that were helpful for good luck.[13]
Do you or did you used to work in an office environment? Then you're bound to own a pencil skirt. The classic pencil skirt is a key piece to bring to a pinup shoot as it's very usable and can be worn with shirts and cardigans or even just with your favorite bra. It is reminiscent of 1950s wiggle dresses that made the wearer walk with a little wiggle in their step.
What Katie Did: This is where all your favorite retro Instagrammers are getting their stockings, and most of their lingerie, too. The site has a variety of colors of seamed nylons and more modern seamed pantyhose, plus seam-free nylons and fully fashioned stockings (a knit nylon fit to the specifications of the leg shape of the wearer with little to no stretch).
For the makeup, I put a warm eyeshadow color like a brown in my crease with cream colored shadow on the lid to make my eyes pop without stealing the show. I used a brown liquid liner for my cat eye. Black looks harsh on me, so I prefer the softness of a dark brown. A structured brow is important for pin up looks, so I used the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow pomade. Blush is important for pin up looks to make you look lively. I also softened the look by going with a nude/pink lip rather than the typical bright red.
We are sure that you know how the pin up girls and they hairstyles actually look. All of us, probably, have seen those fabulous and attractive women on colorful retro posters. The modern fashion world is struggling to get that retro atmosphere back and trying to implement the ideas of the past on runways. If you are a fashion addict, you could see the tight and shiny locks on the models hair on several recent showcases – they are the main attributes to the pin up style. The other needed features that can transform a modern girl into a provoking pin up symbol, which can catch everyone’s imagination, include such things:
You might think of the classic wiggle dress a la Mad Men when it comes to the pin-up look. But these styles can serve you well beyond the confines of your office. Pair that dress with pumps and wear it to a wedding or date night. Or, why not dress it down with adorable flats or Mary Janes and a jean jacket? Wear a button-up blouse with high-waisted jeans for a cute, casual look, or slip on a form-fitting wiggle skirt instead for a drop-dead sexy outfit. You’ll have a blast discovering a wide variety of ways to style these retro-chic designs from Unique Vintage.
A simple pin-up hairstyle has always been neat and sexy, from pin curls, victory rolls, bangs and more. All you need is a large barrel curling iron, a good ol’ hairspray, some bobby pins… and more and more hairspray to hold your curls together. You can also use Pin-up hair accessories like headbands, bandanas, flower pins and hats as accents and to show emphasis on your neat and intact hairstyle.
Contrast. This is one of the main demands of the pin up style, as only making one of those hairdos cannot change your appearance significantly – if you want to get this effect, of course. Bright red or black, white or brown – it doesn’t matter which color you will pick, the only thing you should remember is the intensity of the color. Preserve it carefully after dying or just take a good care of your natural hair.
The most important piece of advice for anyone wanting to rock the victory roll is to embrace the backcombing! There needs to be a lot of great backcombing, held with strong hold hairspray. Do this in small sections for the best results, smooth the outside with pomade ,and hide those bobby pins. This means that even girls with thin hair can get involved!
To get pin curls: dab gel onto the root of a small section of damp hair, then twirl that section of hair around your finger until you get to your scalp. (You can twirl in whatever direction you’d like the curls to flow.) Slide your finger out of the curl and pin the curl to your head. Repeat for your entire head of hair, allow hair to dry, then remove pins, and voila![1]
Lastly, I smoothed the front with Suavecita Pomade and finished with R+Co’s Outerspace Flexible Hairspray. In short, curl the hair with a small curling iron ans set it using a heat protectant. Tease the front into two sections and mold one side into a victory roll facing forward, and the other side into a barrel role going back. Use a lightweight pomade or wax to smooth and a flexible hairspray to set.
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.
