Starting A Pin Up Wardrobe On A Budget

Having your own retro wardrobe can be a great asset when you're out there looking for pin up modeling gigs. Some photographers might not supply wardrobe for shoots and others, who may not do pin up on a regular basis, may need a model who can fend for themselves in that department.

So how to start building a retro/pin up wardrobe without breaking the bank?

One place to start is the Salvation Army and other thrift stores. In the New York area they've been picked clean of real vintage for years, however, depending on where you live, you may still get lucky. But you don't just have to troll for vintage at the Sal. It can be a great place to pick up basics like a black pencil skirt, black shoes, sweaters, shorts, cute capris...The list is endless, you just have to keep a sharp eye out for the gems among the dross. Look for simple, clean lines. For example, you want skirts, capris and shorts to be very simple, without say, cargo pockets or ornamental zippers. The more classic looking (meaning even though it is modern it could be from any era) the better. Also, stay alert for anything that could be used as a prop since people donate some of the strangest things to their local thrift stores!

With Halloween coming up, don't underestimate the potential of costume and party shops! Of course they have the seasonal witch, devil and black cat, but don't pass up the opportunity to pick up a sexy nurse uniform, sailor girl, soldier, hula girl, harem girl or even a Daisy Duke costume! Most costumes are less than $50 each and the opportunity is there to pick up items half price after the holiday. These shops can also be great sources for props; cigarette holders, hand cuffs, brooms, bunny ears (think Easter), etc.

How about lingerie? While there are some fabulous repro lingerie lines out there like What Katie Did and Secrets In Lace you can also find great buys from old stand bys like Frederick's of Hollywood. 'Ornamental' corsets (meaning the kind you don't want to use to tight lace your waist in by four inches) are a fraction the cost of the real thing and they have great sales in which to pick up odds and ends like garter belts and cute sets (like this one for example).

Do a Google search for "Shirley of Hollywood" (maybe she was Fred's cousin ;-)), and see what comes up. They make very reasonably priced pieces and have great ruffly boy shorts! (Unfortunately they also make some incredibly tawdry stuff as well, but to each his own I suppose).

With just a little creativity and resourcefulness it can be easy to get your wardrobe collection started or put together a look for a shoot without having to go into debt!

Workshop Pics and Our Lovely Graduates!

Pin Up Hair Will Make You An Able Grable!

Miss Matilda's Able Grable web site and Pin Up Finishing School have teamed up on a giveaway. All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me the name of Able Grable's impending new frock to be unveiled any day now at Miss M's web site, Able Grable.

The prize is free attendance at the August 23 Pin Up Hair Workshop here in New York City!

Your Class~The 2 1/2 - 3 hour seminar demonstrates techniques for doing some popular pin up hairstyles as well as fingerwaving and pin-curl techniques.

In addition there's a hands-on portion where you will learn to make your own hair flower accessories and your own rats, which are useful for victory rolls and other 40's hair styles.

Light refreshments will be served.

Join us for the perfect girly bonding day!

Winner will be picked totally at random by my hubby (who has no vested interest and/or the pugs (that should be interesting).

Draw day is 15th August 2009.

All entries most welcome!

So swing on by with your entry and most of all Good Luck!!

( Lucky winner must provide their own transport, prize is the class only!)

http://www.pinupfinishingschool.com/

http://www.ablegrable.com/

And don't forget to check out Miss Matilda's fabulous blog.

Please feel free to repost this !

Marilyn's Secret Bra Sells For $$$

Video from NBC's today show featuring interview with Katie Halford of What Katie Did!

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August Hair Workshop Special

On August 23, 2009, Pin Up Finishing School™ will be offering a Pin Up Hair Demo Workshop. It will take place from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm at Otto's Shrunken Head on 14th Street between Avenues A & B.

The 2 1/2 - 3 hour workshop will include demonstrations of some popular pin up hair styles, pin curl and fingerwaving techniques. We'll also create simple hair flower accessories and make our own rats which are useful for Victory Rolls and other 1940's hair styles!

And now for a limited time if you sign up with a friend you will both receive 10% off the fee of any of the full Pin Up Workshops scheduled between now and the end of 2009!

* * You must both sign up at the same time in order to receive this offer. Just put the name of the other person in the comments section of the sign up form!

Offer good until August 8, 2009

Sign up at http://www.pinupfinishingschool.com/

Upcoming 2009 Workshops

August 23 - Hair Workshop

September 27 - Pin Up Workshop
October 25 - Pin Up Workshop
November 15 - Hair Workshop

November 22 - Pin Up Workshop

You can sign up for any of the above at http://www.pinupfinishingschool.com. Just specify the date you are registering for in the comments section of the Pay Pal form.

Glamour Girl Accessories!

No Glamour Girl's vanity table is complete without adorable and glamorous acessories! Those marketing geniuses at Benefit are a pu up's best friend in this department! From their fabulous all-in-one powder/blush/lipstick compact of nearly ten years ago, to foundation cases that look like records in boxes that look like record players these ladies know their stuff.

The latest entry into the "OMG, I need that!" sweepstakes is a gorgeous set of Eau de Toilettes that come in atomizers that look like (wait for it)...COCKTAIL SHAKERS!!!! As if that wasn't squee-inducing enough, they come in these ingenious little boxes that look like the outside of a house on the outside and open to reveal the cocktail shaker atomizer in it's natural habitat; a chi-chi living room!

Called the Crescent Row Collection, at $36 this is one accessory every Glamour Girl can afford!

Pin Up Beauty Tip Of The Day - The Beauty Accessory EVERY Glamour Girl Needs

So what is it? What is the one beauty accessory every Glamour Girl needs? It is a particular mascara, foundation, powder? Nope, none of the above. It's a Sephora Beauty Insider Card!

I can almost hear you saying, "But Rocket, it's just another marketing loyalty card like the one I get from the drugstore and the supermarket." Ok, maybe it is, but do you get free, high-end beauty stuff from the drugstore or the supermarket? Chances are, no.

Besides the fact that Sephora is the Holy Grail of cosmetic stores did I mention YOU GET FREE STUFF? Where else would you be allowed to run around and play with awesome department store cosmetic brands like Too Faced, Smashbox and Benefit without the hard sell, someone hovering over you every minute and having to request what you want from behind the counter as if you were a child having to be doled out your daily cookie?

And for every dollar you spend, you get a point. When your account reaches 100 points you're eligible for premium samples and gifts. So far I've gotten a really nice foldable Sephora shopper, a full sized Urban Decay liquid eyeliner and Philsophy Purity Made Simple facial cleanser, among other things.

In addition, you get special offers on products that are only for Sephora Beauty Insiders. You can earn points for in-store AND online purchases!

If you are a make-up addict like I am, then why not be earning points towards free stuff while you're chucking your disposable income at Sephora in the pursuit of the mascara that won't wind up half way down your face or the perfect eyeliner brush?

Sign up online at Sephora.com!

Rockin' The Pin Up Girl Look - Part 2 - Stockings

Before there were pantyhose (invented in 1959), there were stockings and every woman wore them. Except during World War II when nylon was needed for the war effort, it was considered the height of sloppiness to leave the house without hosiery.

Now, thank goodness, we have choices, but seamed stockings are still the pinnacle in sexiness for the pin up girl look.

The ultimate in authentic bombshell stockings is the Fully Fashioned (or FFS) stocking, so called because they were knitted in one piece on the machine and then hand finished by an operator who sewed the seam in. The famous hole at the top of the welt was left so the operator could turn the stocking!

There are currently several different types of heel available in FFS; the pointed heel (which was invented by the French and is predominantly a European style), the Cuban heel (the most common and most authentic), the Havana heel (similar to the Cuban but thicker and ending higher on the calf) and the Manhattan heel (a more recent design).

There are only a handful of manufacturers still making full fashioned stockings, one of which is Magnolia Hosiery here in the United States, who have been making FFS on the same machines continuously since 1954. You can still order from them directly! What Katie Did offers a nice selection of FFS including contrast colored seams (most recently blue and red). FFS come in a number of solid colors, in full contrast beige with black seams and also black feet and seams.

Another type of stocking which was introduced in the 1950's is the RHT or Reinforced Heel & Toe. These are seamless and give more casual look. They can also be purchased from Magnolia and What Katie Did.

Leg Avenue and a host of other brands offer modern seamed stockings. The difference between these and FFS is that the seam is sewn on afterwards as a decoration and is not part of the stocking construction. Many people find these kinds of stockings more comfortable because of the stretch (they are more akin to a pair of modern pantyhose than FFS are).

Whichever type of stocking you choose, make sure that your seams are straight. You can achieve a straight seam by carefully gathering the length of stocking up so that it is all in your hands, place the toe of the stocking on your foot and then point your foot on the floor. Slowly pull the stocking up your leg, keeping a finger on the seam and guiding it along the center of your leg. You can try spraying the back of your leg with a little hair spray to make the stocking stay put before putting it on as well.

Whether you choose fully fashioned, RHT or modern seams, in order to up your "oomph" quotient, a pair of stockings is a must have!

Pin Up Beauty Tip of The Day

I don't know why I've never heard of this before, but now that I have, I'm sharing it with all of you! (And if you already know this, I'm sorry. I give you permission to mock me in the comments ;-)).

In this era of daily hair washing and blow drying the "I've just washed my hair and I can't do a thing with it" joke will probably earn you blank stares, but those of us who set our hair and expect it to do fancy and elaborate things know that freshly washed hair is the worst hair to work with.

So what's a glamour girl to do? You may not always know when you need to give your hair two days notice.

Well then - it's sea salt spray to the rescue!

What it's designed to do is give you that tousled, day-at-the-beach look, but it's also good for texturizing and BODY. Viola! "Dirty" hair without it actually being dirty!

There are lots of brands out there: John Masters, Aquage and KMS to name a few. You can even make your own with a recipe found here!

I know what's on my next beauty product shopping list! Maybe even tonight, since I forgot to give my hair two days notice that it needs to be set tomorrow!

Rockin' The Pin Up Look Outside of the Photgraphers Studio - Part 1

It's no secret that the pin up girl look is big on the runways and on the street right now. Such diverse influences as singer Katy Perry, burlesque diva Dita Von Teese and those fabulous females in the cast of AMC's Mad Men have all have gone a long way towards resurrecting glamour and showing the world that curves on real women are infinitely more attractive than the anorexic clothes hangers that usually trot down the runway.

Dita Von Teese, Katie Perry, Mad Men's Christina Hendricks

So how DO you rock a pin up look while walking down the sidewalk? Here in Tip #1 we're going to start with the "foundation" so-to-speak (a little play on words there).

First and foremost is "shapewear," aka foundation garments.

Ladies, I don't care if you are Skinny Malink personified, proper undergarments are the basis upon which your gorgeous look is built. Let's face it, no one wants to see your thong line, the outline of your belly button or anything else you have no business showing to the strangers of the world through your dress. That's just trashy and trashy is the furthest thing from glamour you can get (think Beyonce on the red carpet in Elie Saab as opposed to Lil Kim on the red carpet in whatever this is).

OK, so maybe nature didn't give you natural curves, or your waist leaves something to be desired. This is where shapewear comes in! It can give you a waist where there was none before, or flatten a belly that isn't exactly a six pack. Most importantly it gives you a smooth line under your clothes so folks can see how gorgeous you are and not what undergarments you are or aren't wearing. Remember glamour is all about the tantalizing HINT of nudity.

One of my favorite things for under day dresses or any dress that doesn't require a strapless bra is the corselette. A corselette is a one-piece body shaper with an open bottom and attached garters for your stockings. What Katie Did makes a fabulous corselette as part of the Glamour line of shapewear. The nice thing about the Glamour range from What Katie did is it comes and black and peach and all the pieces in the range coordinate with other items that they offer. The Glamour line also features a bustier, Merry Widow Basque, and a waist cincher among other pieces. For my money, What Katie Did are the best source for reproduction vintage lingerie and shapwear out there. If you're leery of order from the UK for whatever reason, Rago Shapewear is a great American alternative and is sold through many different outlets. Another American source for reproduction 50's lingerie is a site called Secrets In Lace .

Glamour Corselette

Don't forget the old stand-bys like Spanx and the new line at Target by Spanx creator Assets by Sara Blakely.

Another one of my favorite pieces of shapewear is the Merry Widow. Slightly longer than a long line bra, they come in shapes that can even tame a bit of belly or hip. Sadly Lady Marlene stopped production on their beautiful products last year, but you can still find some of their fabulous pieces online or in select intimate apparel shops. My ultimate favorite is the Lady Marlene 986 which comes in white or black with a lace inlay. It both hooks AND zips. And here's a trick I learned from the lingerie Wizard of Orchard Street - buy this one size smaller than your usual bra band and it will suck everything in a push it all up! Other good choices in the Merry Widow/bustier department are Carnival and Goddess.

Another great piece of shapewear which is both functional and sexy is the waist cincher. These do exactly what they say; cinch the waist in! Once again What Katie Did comes to the rescue. I'm a big fan of Katie's gold label Lily cincher (seen here on the lovely Bernie Dexter). As you can see it starts just below the bra and ends just under the belly so not only will it cinch the waist, but it will take care of love handles, pot bellies and saddle bags! You can also try the Glamour model from WKD or check into the Rago waist cincher.

I could go on and on; panty girdles, open-bottom girdles, garter belts, strapless bras, and yes, even control thongs - the world of shapewear is a smorgasbord with different levels of support, decoration and uses.

But if you only take one lesson away from this blog it is this:

A good foundation is the basis of a glamorous, pin up look!

Now get shopping :-)!

(All photos in the blog are copyright of their respective owners and all rights are reserved)

Pin Up Beauty Tip Of The Day - Eyebrows

Make sure that your eyebrows are perfectly plucked or waxed, and groomed The inner corners of your brows should be the thickest point, thinning out towards the tips. Before you are finished with your makeup, you can color your brows in thoroughly with an eyebrow pencil to add drama to the look.

Why Pin Up?

Why Pin Up?

I’ve always been what you would call a “girly girl.” At the age of 14 when I was the proud owner of SEVEN pairs of shoes, my mother declared I had a shoe fetish. Little did the poor woman know that seven was going to be laughable within a few short years.

My clothes currently take up three closets and numerous storage bins in my home. The best way to store shoes is a continually evolving process. I own five sets of hot rollers and at least ½ a dozen curling irons much to my husband’s constant bemusement and I have more make up than I could possibly wear in seven lifetimes!

For years I had a secret pin up girl inside me.

Part of it was the whole attraction that the slightly naughty girls from the 50’s were the ones that looked sexier and seemed more appealing than your Gidgets or teenagers in circle skirts. What fun is it to be a teenager in a circle skirt when it involves only Coca-Cola, curfews and boys who would probably wind up as insurance salesmen?

No, the real fun was in being a naughty girl like Jayne, Mamie or Miss Adelaide.

I would watch the latter do the “Take Back Your Mink” striptease in Guys & Dolls religiously and fantasize about doing that one day myself.

And pin ups! Pin ups are the vision of sassy, sexy, slightly risqué mid-century perfection. Pin up girls always looked beautiful and irresistible and every man wanted one.

It all started with a burlesque class given by the Red Hots Burlesque when they were based out of New York. I learned the basics and then got up there and took it all off! It was fun and the gals involved in burlesque in New York are very welcoming and supportive. But it seemed once I’d done it and got it out of my system I was sort of over it.

Pin up, on the other hand, is just something for which my passion grows!

Somehow I managed to get on the My Space friends list of Philadelphia area pin up photographer, Bombshell Mandy. Some pin up photographers, Mandy being one of them, offer discounted, “group shoot” days; hair, make up, photo shoot, edited pictures and a print or three all for an amazingly wonderful price!

I took the plunge and got hooked up for Halloween 2007. If you take a look at those pics today, all the gorgeousness you see in it is all Mandy’s doing! It was my first time and you can tell! I look as grim as the reaper, but fortunately it managed to come out as sultry!

I’ve created Pin Up Finishing School so that I can share what I’ve learned in the past 18 months with other girls who want to pose as pin ups. Get your feet wet in a secure & supportive environment! Break the ice and you’ll be much more at ease during your first full shoot!