We initially ran this post last December and it was our most popular blog ever. Seems worth a rerun as we’re back in crowdfunding season (requisite #BeABacker reminder).
Ginger Rose as seen in Pin Up! The Movie
1. It’s all about the red, red lips and the cat eye. Flawless makeup daily? Pish! These two small details are worth their weight in gold – putting a laser focus on two fab femme assets.
Kat Stroud by House of Winter
2. You don’t have to be a six foot tall model to be beautiful. Pin up tosses off fashion industry standards. Sure, long and lean works, but so does short and curvy. And everything in between.
Sydney Ralston by Mitzi and Co. Photography
3. There is a time and place for sweats and Uggs. Yeah, comfort is good, but there’s a type of confidence you can get from sartorial polish.
4. “I can do anything in heels and you’re going to watch me.” Think of the old adage about Ginger Rogers – she did everything Fred Astaire did but in high heels and backwards. Now that’s power.
Pinup Little Bit by Mitzi and Co. Photography
5. Sisters are doing for themselves… And each other. Sorry, guys. All this fabulousness isn’t about trying to get your attention. Pin ups know it’s women who appreciate that perfect Cupid’s bow and straight as an arrow seemed stockings.
Bang Bang Von Loola in a vintage 1930s gown and brooch by Sheila Broderick Photography
6. Recycling is oh-so-fashionable. Vintage shops and thrift store finds: the ultimate in going green. Plus, the older clothes just last better than modern frocks.
Alfie Jean by Steven Jon Horner Photography
7. It’s not about some sort of aesthetic ideal: confidence is what’s sexy. Strength. Self-assuredness. Girl power. Yeah, it’s a cliché, but pin ups know true beauty comes from within.
When this video featuring the folks at Pin Up Girl Clothing hit the web yesterday, it really resonated with me.
Because this is what we’ve been trying to do through the film. Because, of course.
Or as Pin Up Girl Clothing owner Laura Bynes said in a comment when a friend posted the link on her Facebook:
Don’t give me a cookie for acting how we are all supposed to.
When I began working on this project, I specifically sought out women who weren’t only the blonde-haired blue-eyed stereotype. Or, they’re there (of course). But so are Asian women, Hispanic women, African-American women. I’m trying to show that the scene is diverse, not only in its body representation but also in who is a pin up.
From our world premier. Just some of the ladies you’ll see in our film and online documentary.
The problem, as Doris Mayday so beautifully points out in the video, is that when we look back at “history” it is sometimes whitewashed by who was “allowed” to be in the public eye during the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s. It’s not that beautiful women of color weren’t rocking the pin up look (they were because it was basically just normal fashion then) – it’s that they often weren’t seen in the media of the day.
Ok, so I know you know I’m running another crowdfunding. And you probably are thinking
Here’s another pitch to get me to back Pin Up! The Movie. Isn’t there anything else she can talk about?
Well, as a matter fact, there is.
How about Texas Guinan?
Guinan was a silent film star, business owner and overall bad ass. It seems to me that she falls into the historical tradition of the pin up: a woman who is owning her own sexuality and inserting it in challenging and non-traditional ways into the public sphere.
I mean, consider this:
In 1926, Guinan made $700,000.
The average net income in the United States in 1926?
$5,249.16.
She was known as “The Queen of the Nightclubs.” She starred in 33 silent films. She even owned her own film company. Her funeral in 1933 drew more than 10,000 mourners.
I really love this story – you know I’m a sucker for tales of women in history. So hit them up. Let’s show that this community isn’t just about my film but about supporting women in film in general.
As we’re heading into our new crowdfunding campaign, I figured it was time to update the trailer. I’m also planning another video that teases both the film and i-doc.