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Dressing Pin Up - Is It Really That Much Effort?

By Etta Envy

Dressing Pin Up - is it really that much effort?

As all pin-up girls would know, there are many misconceptions about us. Such as the “effort” we put into our appearance and how long it takes to complete this look. it's therefore perceived as not practical for the everyday woman, but this is not necessarily the case.

I, for one have often found it to be much more effort putting on pants, boots, jackets and scarfs to give myself a “casual” appearance in comparison to dressing pin up - slipping on a dress, stockings and lipstick; and through this article I hope to shed light on the falsehoods and stereotypes around pin-up dolls and their “obsession” with appearances alone.

I believe one of the biggest misconceptions about us (which is a question I am asked on a regular basis) is – “Do we spend all day doing our makeup and hair to look glamorous?” and the answer to this is absolutely not!
I believe people think this simply because we wear red lipstick and quite often, winged eye liner, which does often take practice to master.)

I believe this 1940’s appearance to be one of the reasons we can potentially be singled out by society. Simply because we are different, have a unique style and choose to "advocate glamour every second of everyday” (-Dita Von Teese.)

All women have their own makeup routines that they have been repeating daily and therefore it becomes quicker to complete over time. Some women prefer a very natural appearance whilst others love that “beach babe” bronze look (often requiring much more makeup than a pin-up dolls usual routine.)

It is for this reason I find it unusual for people to single out pin-up dolls and their "over formal” appearance on a day to day basis, which in reality takes us around fifteen - twenty minutes.

So for those who are unaware of our makeup routines I hope you now have a better understanding and don’t believe we are machines that wake up at five o’clock every morning to make our lipstick look perfect and skin as white as porcelain. It’s something we have been doing for years and therefore have the ability to complete as quickly as every other woman does.

Another misconception I often find (and again am quite often asked) is how much I spend on my clothes. Many people believe pin-up dolls spend hundreds of dollars on our dresses, lingerie, skirts and shoes (and in some cases this can be absolutely true), HOWEVER, vintage clothing (when sourced from the right places) is often very affordable for those looking to gain some 1940’s pieces for their wardrobe.

Ebay and etsy are both fantastic sources for vintage clothing and are often very cheap, I also source clothes from local vintage stores, markets and second hand stores. Other fantastic websites are of course, pinupgirlclothing.com. stopstaring.com, berniedexter.com and bettiepage.com Ultimately a pin-up based style is very affordable and can be easily found.

Once again I believe people who are unaware of the pin-up culture are often mis-lead due the more glamorous appearance we can have when amongst a crowd, thus, leading to stereotypes about us that are far from the reality.

The truth is, that our style does not allow us to blend in due to the fact it is so different and not what is considered to be 'in fashion,' which does not necessarily mean we have spent a fortune on our clothes but it certainly draws attention.

Ultimately we dress glamorously because it’s how we feel our best about ourselves, it’s a way we represent ourselves in a crowd and allow ourselves to have a unique look: “Glamour is about feeling good in your own skin,” (-Zoe Saldana) - as every other woman should regardless of dress, makeup and style.

Lots of love

Etta Envy

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