Pinup shopping on a budget

Now I know this one has been LONG awaited and its one I'm honestly asked ALL the time, so I thought I'd push out my cigarette pants review and deliver it to you all!

Pinup shopping on a budget!!

Now, I know...when you start out...it can be really hard to justify spending a LOT of money on pinup things. I know I was. I was worried still it wasn't for me, I was losing weight at the time, I was filled with a LOT of uncertainty AND...I didn't have a massive money allowance to build my wardrobe with. All these things meant I picked up a lot of ways to build a wardrobe without breaking the bank! A lot of these now feel like common sense to me but beginning a new dress style can be scary! So lets begin!

Get your basics cheap!

 There are a lot of 'basic' pinup things that can be purchased from cheaper stores that actually are ok quality that are GREAT for all pinups. For example, almost all of my cardigans are from either kmart or a cheap shop. I think the most I've paid for a cardigan that isn't a branded one is $12. The kmart ones I paid $8. They come in a variety of colours, are warm, compliment my outfit and don't break the bank. The same goes for shoes. Most of my flats come from the likes of Kmart again or Rubi Shoes. Good basic shoes that go with most casual outfits that leave my money free to purchase other things that might be more expensive. My first hair flowers were kmart flowers and I think I paid $3 each. While the quality wasn't great, they were an ideal starting point for a beginner. 

Below are my list of things that I did buy/still buy from no name kind of stores that I can work into my look and really helped me starting out:

• Cardigans
• Singlet tops (for reducing boob for tops to be more work appropriate)
• Scoop neck style tee's are great with swing skirts
• Ballet flats
• Accessories
• Bags
• You can occasionally kind awesome skirts/dress of a vintage feel in cheaper stores

Outlets are your friend!

I love the Dangerfield brand. Sadly, I find 99% of their clothes don't work with my proportions but when I was starting their brand really helped me find the confidence to step up to the brands I now love that are higher end. I bought 100% of my Dangerfield stuff from the Clearit outlet in Newtown, which sells last season stuff CHEAP! I still check them out for tops occasionally! You'd be surprised how many stores have clearence outlets. For example? An Aussie pinup girl who loves Alannah Hill cardigans? In Birkenhead point Sydney they have a clearance outlet....Review is just across from them if they also tickle your fancy. These are great places to snag some savings and get items that can be great staples in your wardrobe later down the track!

Sales are your friend!

One of my dreams is to go to a Pin  Up Girl Clothing Yard sale! Why? Because I see the incredible savings my US lovelies I follow make when they attend these events! As a pinup sales are honestly your friend because I've found...not much really goes out of fashion. There are certain cuts/styles that are pinup but most is open to personal interpretation. I wear things I bought 2 years ago and still get compliments. You can wear it over and over and its not an issue. Therefore, sales items are your friend. I recently saved over $100.00 on two skirts I bought from PUG because I got them on sale! If you see a brand you like, sign up to their newsletter! Get the inside scoop on sales and when they are happening. Try and keep a little bit of rainy day money tucked away for when these sales drop, because the savings are honestly worth it, especially when it comes to the higher end brands!

Get on the buy/swap/sell pages on FB!

These are honestly a treasure trove for ladies looking for pieces to buy. I've made some INCREDIBLE savings in this department and it gives you access to things that mightn't be stocked any longer. It can also help put you in touch with other pin up clothing loving ladies! These are a growing trend and I think they are absolutely awesome!

Ebay!!

 Now eBay is truly where I shine bright in bargin hunting! I can easily say that around 50% of my wardrobe comes from eBay and I've paid around half price or less for most near new items! My most recent score was a vintage swing skirt suit by Tatyana Boutique that I scored for less than the cost of just the jacket on eBay! I mean the savings can be incredible! However, its also very easy to be duped and waste money on imitation stuff, so here is the hints I have that I live by!

1. Be specific in your brand searches! I found imitation after imitation by just doing a broad search of 'Pin up' but found a heap of second hand PUG stuff by searching the full brand name 'pinup girl clothing'
2. Be wary if they don't post up photos of the actual item and just use images that are used by other sites like PUG
3. Save your searches! That way you can check on newly listed items!
4. Don't be afraid to buy good brands like PUG/tatyana's boutique second hand. Most of my stuff I bought was worn a handful of times when I bought it and is still in perfect condition 2 years later.
5. Ask questions. If you are interested in an item but have some questions, ask the seller. Remember, they want to sell the item, they'll get back to you (most of the time)!!

Some of my saved searches on eBay are:

• Pin up Girl Clothing
• Pin up Couture
• Bettie Page Clothing
• Deadly Dames
• Hell Bunny
• Stop Staring
• Voodoo Vixen
• Rock Steady

And I've found some AMAZING savings through these! 

Honorable Mention

I'm going to mention op shopping purely because I know SO many girls who have success with it but I honestly have never had any. If you have time to thrift and know the right areas you can find yourself some gems. I feel like this takes practice, a skilled eye and a bit of luck. I prefer the slight certainty of being able to look at my leisure.

I hope this has been helpful to a lot of ladies and I look forward to more posts like this soon!

Much love!

Pinup hair ~ styles and tips

Hello all!

So before I did my pinup shopping on a budget post, I wanted to finish up my Beginner wardrobe post by talking about pinup hair styles and in a later post pinup make up styles that are commonly found/associated with the style as I feel these two go together really well and they really do help make a complete look/outfit

So...I'm going to start with hair!

Pinup Hair

Pinup/vintage hair can feel very daunting when you're a beginner! Believe me, I've been there! That's part of why I'm saving for a better computer and a webcam for tutorials! I know there are a lot out there but every pinup brings their own knack and style for pinup hair and while one mightn't work for you, another might! 

When starting out, there are a few basic styles that were my go to's when I first started so I thought I'd share them here. Remember to practice, have fun and don't be afraid to try new methods!

Curls

Curls are the easiest way to get an instant pinup look as they were the preferred hairstyle of most woman in the 40-60's in various styles. If I'm wearing my hair out, its usually in curls!

There are two different types of 'curls' that you'll primarily see in pinup looks, that's a heat set done with curling tongs or hot curlers/rollers and a wet set which is a set done with pincurls or foam rollers that you sleep in when hair is damp.

Trial and error is the best way to find what setting style works best on your hair! I've briefly described the two different styles below

Heat set

Me with a heat set achieved with bendy curlers

Ashlee Marie with a headset done with curling tongs

Heat curl set

A heat set is just how it sounds! Its a curl set achieved with hot rollers or a curling iron! The biggest advice I can give to gals doing a heatset: 

• Pin your curls to cool! This helps it keep the shape and lets it last longer! You can use bobbypins though I recommend pin curl clips (can be found bulk on ebay!) See blow for an example

• Use a heat spray to protect your hair from the heat! You can get these from most stores that stock hair supplies. This will help stop your hair getting super damaged from the heat. You simply spray it on before use! Experiment with different products to as everyone's hair is different!
• Experiment with different types of heat setting to find one that works best for you! Again, everyone's hair is different! I also finger only a light brush out is needed for a heat set

Wet set

Marilyn with a wetset

A wetset I did ~ Photography by Lauren Horwood

Ashlee Marie with a Wet set

Wetset I did ~ Photography by Billy June Photography

A wet set is the more traditional way of achieving curls. For me personally, a wet set is my go to because it holds curl better for me. The concept behind a wetset is to sleep in it overnight on damp hair and take it out and style it in the morning.

You can pin curl or foam roller. I do both, depending on how much effort I feel like putting in. Its important that hair isn't too damp or it won't dry in time and that you use a setting lotion. Again, experiment with different styles of setting and different products to find one that works with your hair!

Also remember to be gentle when brushing out! Brushing out takes practice and time. Brushing out too much will reduce your curls! 

Victory Rolls

Myself with Victory Rolls

Bernie Dexter 

Nikki Napalm 

Dita Von Teese

Miss Victory Violet

Victory rolls are instantly recognizable as pinup! While they take a while to get to knack of, once you have them down pat they are a great way to style hair, especially when you want something quick and easy! They are also incredibly versatile! Have two in the middle, one bigger one smaller, with a fringe, with no fringe, one more to the side...whatever tickles your fancy! Instant pinup hair in minutes! Advice for victory rolls: don't be affair of teasing!! You need the tease for a strong foundation for your rolls! And have fun! Because they are fun within themselves! Some wrap the hair around things (circular foundation bottles, toilet rolls, their fingers) some just wrap it themselves. Play around and find what works for you! Curling the hair beforehand will help!

Bangs

Micheline Pitt with Bettie Bangs

Miss Mosh with Bettie Bangs

Me with Faux Bangs

Ashlee Marie with Faux bangs

There are two types of bangs that pinups tend to wear that are again stereotypical of the pin up look. Bettie Bangs hail from Bettie Page and a lot of pinup girls rock them! If you don't feel like committing full time to Bettie bangs you can invest in either clip ins or master the faux bang, which as a favorite of mine when my hair was longer. Faux bangs are great for days when you want minimal effort. It can be achieved with either a hair rat/hair donut cut in half or by teasing and shaping! Curling the hair underneath can help make a faux bang easier to achieve. Worn with a scarf or flower its an instant pinup look

Beehive & swoop fringe

Me with Faux Bangs and a beehive 

Ashlee Marie with a beehive and a swoop fringe

Diablo rose with a swoop fringe and a beehive

Beehives are another way for instant pinup hair and a great on dirty hair! They are relatively quick and once you get the hang of them they are honest AMAZING for days when you want quick hair! These are also great in summer as they are off your neck! Again, don't be afraid of teasing!! Teasing may seem scary but its not! Also a LOT of hair spray.

The swoop fringe takes a lot of practice to get right and again, a lot of teasing but once you can do them, they are amazing for instant pinup hair! Curling the hair beforehand will help. 

Lastly, the suicide roll

The suicide roll is a curl at the front of the hair, normally with victory rolls, beehive or a hair scarf/bandana. These are a great fringe alternative to the bangs and swoop style fringes and when done right look AMAZING! Again, teasing is your friend as is practice! Curling the hair beforehand will help! 

Hair accessories to compliment your style!

Pinup's are ALL about accessorising and there are a few primary types of hair accessories that pinups use that I've listed below for you all to finish this post!

Scarves and bandanas

Doris Mayday wearing a scarf from Pin Up Girl Clothing

Micheline Pitt wearing a scarf from Pin Up Girl Clothing

Ida Van Munster wearing a bandana

Scarves and bandanas are a great simple way to finish a look, especially on beehives and loose curls. They instantly add colour and can also be used as a cover for hair that isn't styled or is messy!

Flowers

Me wearing Daisy Jean Floral Designs Flowers ~ Shot by Miss Mookie

Micheline Pitt Wearing Flower Crown from Pin Up girl Clothing

Me wearing Lady Rowe hair flowers ~ Shot by Billy June Photography

Pinups LOVE hair flowers! They are an instant way to finish pinup hair with style and elegance as well as brightening up an outfit. There are literally SO many amazing ladies (myself included) who craft pinup hair flowers so you literally have hundreds of amazing designs brought to life by different ladies at your fingertips!

Bows

Me wearing a Charlie Heart Breaker Bow

wa

Ashlee Marie Pinup Doll

Bows are another great way of finishing a pinup outfit, especially if flowers aren't your thing! Again, as with flowers there are many amazing products and brands to choose from!

Lastly Clips/Combs...

Micheline Pitt wearing a comb from Pin Up Girl Clothing

Me wearing a diamonette clip ~ Photography by Lauren Horwood

Cherry Clip

Clips and combs are great touches to an outfit, especially if you are after something more formal. 

I'm going to leave it here tonight!

I hope this has helped everyone!

More to come tomorrow

xXx

Weekly Outfit Overview ~ 2/2/2015-8/2/2015

Hi again!

Time for a weekly overview before I do another one of my promised posts! 'pin up shopping on a budget!'

Monday 2/2/2015

Scarf: Closet Confessions Boutique

Top: Collectif

Dress: Pin Up Girl Clothing

Belt: eBay

Brooch: Erstwilder

Boots: Vintage

 Tuesday 3/2/2015

Hair Piece: Lady Rowe ~ Discontinued

Top/Skirt: Steady Clothing

Belt: eBay

Shoes: Pin Up Girl Clothing

 Wednesday 4/2/2015

Scarf: Closet Confessions Boutique

Top/Skirt: Collectif

Belt: Hell Bunny

Shoes: Pin Up Girl Clothing

Thursday 5/2/2015

Earrings: Vintage

Dress: Pin Up Girl Clothing

Shoes: Kmart

Friday 6/2/2015 

Hair Flower: Daisy Jean Floral Designs

Dress/brooch/gloves: Vintage

Belt: Hell Bunny

Shoes: Kmart

Saturday 7/2/2015

Scarf: Closet Confessions Boutique

Top: Sourpuss

Shorts: Pin Up Girl Clothing

Sunday 8/2/2015

Scarf: Closet Confessions Boutique

Earrings: Ebay

Top: Pin Up Girl Clothing

Brooch: Erstwilder

Skirt: Hell Bunny

Shoes: Rubi Shoes

So that's last week's round up for you all! Was SO good to finally have my hair redone!

More posts to come!

Missi aka Miss Osiria Rose

Favorite Outfits of January 2015

Hi again! 

So basically I just wanted to start doing a post around the end of a month of my favorite outfits for the month before!

So here are January's Favorite Outfits!

Hair Flowers: Daisy Jean Floral

Earrings: Sparklelux

Top/Skirt: Hell Bunny

Belt: PUG ~ Off a seperate outfit

Shoes: Payless

Flowers: Lady Rowe

Necklace: Debstar Designs

Bustier: No Name

Skirts: Pin Up Girl Clothing

Shoes Pin Up Girl Clothing

Scarf: Closet Confessions Boutique

Bustier: Vintage Repro

Belt: eBay

Brooch: Erstwilder

Skirt, shoes & bag: Pin Up Girl Clothing

Beret: No brand

Top: Kmart

Brooch: Deer Arrow

Belt: Ebay

Skirt: Pin Up Girl Clothing ~ Discontinued

Stockings: No name

Suspenders: What Katie Did 

Shoes: TUK ~ Discontinued

Scarf: Closet Confessions Boutique

Necklace: Debstar Designs

Top: Pin Up Girl Clothing

Belt: eBay

Skirt: Steady Clothing

Shoes: Bordello

Dress: Tatyana Boutique

Shoes: Pin Up Girl Clothing

Brooch: Erstwilder

Dress & Shoes: Pin Up Girl Clothing

So there are my favorites for January! What did you think? What were your favorites and why?

More coming now!

Missi aka Miss Osiria Rose

xXx

Pinup Wardrobe basics ~ The staples to a starter wardrobe

Its post time! Taking a break from my flower making to do a post about something I get asked frequently, that is about the staples to a starter pinup wardrobe! This post IS BIG just as a warning!

Prior to embracing pinup life around 18 months ago, I literally have NOTHING that was pinup in style! My previous style of dress which basically was a more bo-ho style as its loose styles meant clothes had more chance of fitting me. I hated the style but it was all that worked with my body so I stuck with it. It wasn't til I took the plunge in late 2012 and bought myself my first hell bunny dress that started a love affair!

I get a lot of asks about how I started building my wardrobe, so I thought I'd do a post detailing things that are inherently 'pinup' that you can get to get a starter pinup wardrobe!

Dresses:

While there are some 'pants' brands within pinup (I'll discuss them a little later on!) most pinups wear skirts or dresses! When I started out, I favored dresses over separates as they provided an entire outfit in one purchase and they helped me build up the confidence to feel I could style separates.

The two types of dresses that pinups primarily wear are swing dresses and wiggle dresses.

Swing dresses are characteristically tight on the upper body and flared at the hips! They can come in a variety of styles and can be worn with or without a petticoat. Swing dresses are fun, great for girls who are a big self conscious of their lower half and offer the body a great silhouette. Swing dresses can be full or more of an aline in cut as well, depending on the make and style. Swing dresses in block colours, polka dots, florals, harlequin prints, gingham, cherries/fruit, classical animal prints and other bright patterns are great pinup staples!

Hell Bunny Miriam Dress in green

 Examples of swing dresses can be seen below:

Lindy Bop Audrey Dress in red Gingham

Pin Up Girl Clothing Maria Dress in Blue and Green Floral

Tatyana Boutique Malibu Dress in red

The other type of dress pinups wear a lot are wiggles/pencils! Wiggles are characteristically firm fitting and tight, designed to show of your curves by embracing the hips! These are great if you want something that screams SEXY and want to channel your inner Marilyn Monroe. Again, these can come in a variety of cuts, colours and patterns! Some go from being extremely Va-Va Voom while others go for a more demure classic cut. When buying wiggles ensure to take into account the fabric as it will dictate the amount of stretch in ag garment which will affect the fit. These again can come in a variety of prints as listed before as well as block colours! Some examples from various companies can be seen below:

 Hell Bunny - Magali Dress

Lindy Bop Vanessa Dress in red/white dot

Pin Up Girl Clothing Monica Dress in Teal

Tatyana Pencil Dress in leopard

Separates:

There are a lot of different separates that can be incorporated into a wardrobe but first I'm going to talk about tops/skirts and then brand out!

There are a HUGE variety of pinup style tops that one can wear to give the right look! Companies tend to have multiple top styles within their brand which is great for variety! I find tops with structure give the best finish for the pinup look! I've decided to break tops (and skirts) by company to show you the variety that is available! Tops can be matched with skirts, shorts or pants for a complete look and as you will see there is a HUGE variety of shapes and fits!

 I suggest for a starter wardrobe getting tops in at least your basic block colours: red, black and white in a shape you like best. Most pinup brands their tops in a variety of colours. PUG tops are personally my preference due to their incredible structure which give AMAZING shape but the others below are equally as great!
As I branched out I started incorporating more colours and top prints into my wardrobe.

Hellbunny tops:

Shelli Top in pink

Skelebow top in pink

Rock on Crop top ~ Designs with a matching skirt

Felicity top

Dannielle top

Lindy Bop tops: 

Ally top in red Jersey

Cillia Top in red

Frenchy top in black/white polkadot

Linda top in blue/white polkadot

Pin Up Girl Clothing:

Doris Top in White

Sean top in purple

Lauren top in White

Zooey Top in Red

Vixen top in red

Vamp top in baby blue

Peasant top in white

Collectif

Dolores top in black

Freddie knitted top

Alice top in pink

Tatyana Boutique:

Pullover in purple

Tie top in white

Skirts:

Just like dresses, there are two different kind of skirts that are primarily worn by pinups: swing and wiggle/pencil. However, there are again multiple types of swing skirt (wiggle remains pretty uniform across the board). In pinup fashion the skirt is always worn on the hips generally with the shirt tucked in! Just like the tops, I've broken skirts into brands. My personal favorites for skirts are again Pin Up Girl Clothing and Hell bunny! I prefer to keep my tops in block colours and have fun with prints in the skirts! Florals, gingham, cherries, polka dots and more! You also can't go wrong with one plain black swing skirt either! Its a great staple and mine is personally the Doris Skirt in Black from PUG. I'm also a HUGE fan of the PUG Jenny skirt range! I've listed some of my favorites!

Swing first:

Hell Bunny:

Lacey Skirt in Turquoise

Paula Skirt in Pastels

August Skirt

Mariam Skirt

Pin Up Girl Clothing

Doris skirt in black

Jenny Skirt in Classic Harlequin

Jenny skirt in castle print

Audrey Skirt in pink

Kinky skirt in Red Hawaiian print

Lindy Bop:

Peggy Skirt in black

Peggy skirt in turquoise florals

Peggy skirt in red/white polka dot

Collectif 

Liesel Gingham Circle Skirt

Aida Zak Natalia Skirt

Mary Plain Swing Skirt

Tatyana Boutique

Black rose skirt

Fan skirt

Poodles of Paris skirt

Wiggle/pencil skirts are a great staple in any pinup wardrobe! Again there are a variety of brands/fabrics/patterns out there! Skirts are a great alternative for wiggle dresses if your body size varies a lot from top to bottom!

Hell Bunny:

Joni Skirt

Lock Heart Pencil Skirt

Western Pencil Skirt

Bebe Rock Skirt

Pin Up Girl Clothing:

Retro skirt in black

Deadly Curves Skirt

Kinky Ruffles pencil skirt

Collectif:

Agarva Blackwatch Check Skirt

Polly Polka Flock Skirt

Vanya Cherry Skirt

Tatyana Boutique:

Catwalk Skirt red

Manhattan skirt

Shorts and pants

Shorts are amazing in summer for your pinup look! Pants & jeans are great for the winter months. The trick is to keep it high waisted! High waisted shorts/pants give you that hourglass shape by nipping you at the waist! Play with colours and patterns here too! Great with tie tops and crop tops in summer or structured tops in winter! If you aren't a fan of tight pants then swing pants may be the go for you! Capris are also killer! I have 2 pairs of capris and 1 pair of carpenter jeans and they are amazing!

Hell Bunny:

Pin Up Girl Clothing:

High waisted trousers in Tropical Print

Capris Pants in hot pink

Cigarette Pants in black

High Waisted Harlequin Shorts

Collectif:

Marilyn Cropped Jeans

Bonnie Blackwatch Cigarette Trousers

Glenda Swing Pants

Tatyana Boutique:

Carpenter Capris

Cardigans

Cardigans are the quintessential pinup staple when it comes to keeping warm. I'm not going to devote a huge section to these! I honestly buy most of mine from no name stores in different colours! Cropped and full length are both great. Brands like Hell Bunny do gorgeous embroided cardigans if you want something with a pattern and then there is the highly sought Dita Cardigan from Wheels & Doll Baby 

A cardigan should compliment your outfit. Having a range of colours is great for mix and match as well!

Petticoats & Crinolines

Petticoats and Crinolines are designed to be worn under swing styles to give a fuller shape. By flaring the skirt at the base it smooths your hips and makes your waist look small! This diagram isn't necessarily pinup specific but you get the gist!

My recommended petticoats are from Vivien Of Holloway or if you are budget conscious Hell Bunny (can be found on eBay and a lot of suppliers).

If...you aren't ready for the fullness of a petticoat I suggest picking up a Crinoline instead. I started with them and they gave me enough shape to eventually be confident enough to take the dive to a fuller petticoat. I picked up my first one on ebay for $9.99 and it helped me feel comfortable in a slightly shaped skirt

Shoes: 

Finally we near the end! Shoes! Now shoes are probably the easiest part of pinup! Flats can be as simple as ballet flats:

 They don't need to be expensive. I use to buy mine from kmart when I just started out!

Saddle shoes are also a great staple flat for a vintage look!

As well as tennis shoes!

Sandals are also great in achieving the pinup look!

And this season Jelly Flats also came into fashion!

For a more authentic look I'd recommend BAIT footwear for a range of flat and heels!

In regards to heels, most wedges and classic pumps are also appropriate! Have fun with colours and fabrics of your shoes! They can really add to an outfit!

Above all else remember to have fun, take risks and find what works for YOU and YOUR style!

I'm going to leave that here! I think this post is long enough! I hope you found it helpful! I'll be bringing a budget buy guide to you all over the coming week as well!

Weekly outfit overview on its way! Til later!

xXx