Pinup essentials

If you caught my last post, you'd know that I've been asked to share a few hints and tips about dressing and being a pinup for girls who are just getting started! This is the second of my articles which originally featured in Red Lipstick Pinups magazine, with a few updates and pictures to help you along.

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Essentials can be different for every pinup girl, depending on why you want to be a pinup (such as looking for change of style, starting to model, competing in pageants pageants etc.) But I’ve put together a list of clothing, accessory and makeup items that should be in your pinup wardrobe!

A circle skirt 
Every pinup girl needs to have a circle skirt (or a few) in her wardrobe. If you’re just getting started, these skirts can be paired with t-shirts and blouses that you already have and still give you a vintage look. I love putting my circle skirts with my superhero shirts for a nerdy touch, or wearing pretty colours and a petticoat.

A wiggle dress
Figure-hugging dresses that show off your curves. They can take a lot of confidence to wear them, but believe me, they will make you look and feel fantastic.

Hair wraps
Brightly coloured hair wraps, scarves and do-rags are a pinup girls’ best friend. Because, let’s face it, some days your hair is not going to cooperate. Scarves and wraps hide a multitude of hair sins and take you from modern to vintage in a matter of seconds. You all know my favourites are from Honey Cub, so if you haven't' already checked them out, what are you waiting for?

Red lipstick and winged eyeliner
Start searching now, because every pinup has her favourite brand and shade of red lippy and preferred method for getting the perfect wing on your eyeliner. Check out some online tutorials for hints and tips on rocking the look, especially if you’re not used to wearing bright makeup!

Brooches
I don’t know one single pinup who doesn’t have an extensive collection of brooches! Vintage brooches are easy to pick up from second-hand stores and markets, and there are also lots of places producing quirky and cute vintage-style brooches. Erst Wilder is an Australian company making some of the most gorgeous brooches ever, and they’re quickly gaining popularity all over the world. But I also love Deer Arrow and Heidi and Gretal at the moment for some gorgeous, quirky and unique brooches.

Fancy shoes
Shoes can be hard when it comes to your pinup wardrobe! Most of us have much bigger feet than our foremothers did, so finding vintage shoes is next to impossible. My advice is to develop an eye for “vintage-style” shoes. Think espadrilles, corked wedges, strappy Mary-Janes and Oxfords. It’s also worth shopping around for reproduction styles as you can pick them up at a fraction of the store price from some retailers.

Mermaid shoes and brooch 

I hope this has helped you get a handle on some essential pinup items! If there's anything you'd like me to go into more depth on, please let me know.

My wardrobe loves: Geeky vintage skirts from Seams Nostalgic

You may have gathered, especially from my Miss Cooly Rocks On posts, that I enjoy dressing to a theme. Sometimes that theme is subtle and only noticeable if you’re really looking, other days, it’s super obvious.

This outfit is one of those super obvious ones:

I first discovered Seams Nostalgic at Gold Coast Supanova at the start of the year. Abigael makes gorgeous skirts, but even better than that, she’s a nerdy/pinup loving girl who weaves both of those things into her creations. This, of course appeals greatly to me as a fellow pinup nerd! Her staple seller at the time wrap skirts with geek-themed pockets, plus some more vintage-style ones and some gorgeous, soft fluffy petticoats.

I’d been lusting after her Little Mermaid skirt from around the time I was searching for outfits for Cooly, and happily, a few months ago, I picked this beauty up.

I was really lucky to be asked to model the same skirt for her at the fashion showcase as a part of Raw Art Brisbane a couple of months ago. I had an absolute blast being done up as a mermaid for the night, but I was also lucky to get a special preview of her much-anticipated DC and Marvel “Alter Ego” skirt collections, the day before they released.

Photo by Elliot Tonks of Live Exposure

What’s most impressive about Abi’s work though, is how passionate she is about her creations. She’s put an unbelievable amount of effort into designing each and every one of her skirts, matching them to specific outfits in comics and movies, weaving the fandom element in so her skirts can be worn in the office in a sort of undercover cosplay just as easily as they can be worn to a convention as an actual cosplay. She’s made patterns, bought materials and sewn them all too. Everything is finished off beautifully, which just adds to the value of her pieces.

Photo by Elliot Tonks of Live Exposure

I’ve just started sewing properly in the last year and as I’ve taken almost a month to finish a dress that’s a bit rough inside, I’ve got a newfound appreciation for people who actually work as seamstresses for a living — and Abigael isn’t just a seamstress, she’s a designer, a patternmaker, a marketer, and administrator, a packer and all of those other things that come along with having a small business. She’s an impressive, talented lady, and I am super glad that I came across her at Supanova. I can’t wait to pick up my piece of her DC collection at this weekend’s Supanova, a Wonder Woman circle skirt (modelled in our group shot by the fabulous Cleo DeFleur).

Abigael is the one with the gorgeous pink & green hair!
Photo by Elliot Tonks of Live Exposure

The Marvel and DC collections are limited, but you can jump on her Etsy store and see what’s there, and have a chance to own your own gorgeous piece of Seams Nostaglic. If you’re going to be at Supanova this weekend, Abigael has a table so you’ll be able to meet the designer herself and pick up one of her skirts (or five or six!). Check out the Seams Nostalgic Facebook page for updates!!