A Beginner’s Guide to the Art of Pin-Up
Ok, let me guess… Sometimes you feel like you were born in the wrong era. You are a passionate fan of the 40s and 50s, fascinated with the Old Hollywood glamour and obsessed about all things vintage. You have secretly found yourself daydreaming about vintage outfits and hairstyles after watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
You can picture yourself dancing like Ginger Rogers while listening to any of the songs from the Great American Songbook in your Spotify “oldies but goodies” playlist. Many times, you have coifed you hair into victory rolls, and cinched up your corset over your capri skinny pants. You have loved winged eyes, hair flowers and red lipstick since you can’t even remember when.
Congratulations, you are ready to become a Pin-Up Model!
“But how?” You may ask… “Where do I start?”
Well my dear, here you have it, 7 Steps to Become a Modern Pin-Up Girl:
1. Pick a Pin-Up Name
Choosing your Pin-Up name is one of the most exciting parts of becoming a Pin-Up model. Keep in mind that this is a creative process and it may or may not be a linear one. It is possible that you have to go back and forth, trying different words before committing to a final name, but you will never go wrong with choosing something distinctive that reflects your personality.
You can start with making a list of things that you like; colors, food, drinks, cars, actresses or favorite words in another language, then play with them, mix them up and you can end up with things like Cadillac Cherry or Pink Amore. Alliteration is your friend, and by that we mean names like… Susie Seashells or Paprika Piper. Catchy names are easy to remember and it can help you stand out from the usual Divine, Doll or Von Somethings.
2. Define Your Style
Not all Pin-Ups are created equal. Once you have your name selected, it can help you determine your style or vice versa, it’s up to you. You can establish your signature look or brand with specific hairstyles, colors, makeup, outfits or accessories. For instance, let’s say your Pin-Up name is Pink Amore, you may choose to style your hair with pink flowers all th time, or to use hot pink lipstick in your photo shoots, any of these things can become part of yor image. Remember, you are creating your Pin-Up Persona and you get to decide if that Pin-Up is going to be a funny, classy, sassy or a bit badassy one.
3. Learn Pin-Up Makeup and Hair
This is going to be one of the most challenging steps but trust me… “If you can conquer liquid eyeliner, you can conquer the world girl!”. The good news is that you are going to learn the vintage style in the 21st century, which means that you have unlimited amount of information and tutorials all over the internet, youtube away…! And don’t forget to get the right products and tools, having the right teasing comb, hairspray or makeup brush set can spare you from a lot of frustrating moments.
4. Get The Look Right
Observation is the key to succes on this one. There were many different styles in the 1940’s and 50’s, and even today, you can recreate these looks with a modern twist. From swing dresses and Mary Jane shoes to circle skirts and petticoats, from high waisted trousers to tight fitting wiggle dresses and everything in between. Your outfit should complement your hair and makeup. One way of making sure that you get it right is to submerge yourself in the sea of Pin-Up girls. Pay attention what they are wearing and how, to their props, to their poses and facial expressions and practice those in the mirror. Another way is online window shopping, there are plenty of retro boutiques all over the internet, such as Top Vinatge, get inspired with their designs and soon enough you will develop a fine eye to turn your outfits into beautiful compositions.
5. Start Creating Your Portfolio
Now that you got the looks, the style and a Pin-Up name, you can start working towards building your portfolio. Look for a Pin-Up Photographer in your area, most of the times they offer makeup and hair services, it is an extra cost but it’s worth it. If you are already investing in the photo shoot, you may want to make sure your hair is professionally done as well as your makeup. Don’t feel intimidated, Pin-Up photographers are able to coach you with your poses and expressions and they usually provide a variety of themes and props that you can choose from, but if you want to be creative, you can always bring your own props.
6. Get Published
Once you recieved your final edited photos from your photographer, you can go ahead and submit to us or to any of the Pin-Up Magazines out there. The best way to do it is to read and follow the guidelines to increase your odds of being chosen and always keep in mind that many of them only accept unpublished photos for their publications.
7. Be Social
One of the fun aspects of becoming a Pin-Up girl is the opportunity to share the journey with likeminded ladies. There are many groups of people living the Kustom Kulture lifestyle in the Retro, Vintage and Rockabilly community. You can connect with them through social media and maybe join one of these groups like The Lucious Ladies. There are plenty of events and festivals that you can attend all over the world so put on your red Pin-Up pout lipstick, have fun and enjoy the ride!
Check out this video for more on becoming a Pin-Up!
If you have questions on the 6 Steps to Become a Pin-Up Girl, please email us at hello@chicaboomvintagemagazine.com.
