Questions, Questions, Questions

  Hello everyone and welcome back! I've decided to do something a little different today and I hope everyone enjoys this new post.

   Throughout my pinup journey I've been asked a lot of questions. Some are so charming and some are so outrageous I can't type them. Still there are three questions that I'm asked by every single person, without fail.


    3. "So what is a pinup?"
          I don't mind being asked what a pinup is. As a matter of fact, I'd rather someone ask than pretend that they know. I've also found that most people already know what a pinup is, they simply need a reminder (as in Rita Hayworth).

    2.  "How much do you get paid?"
           This is a question that I get asked quite often and I'm still a little bewildered by it. Asking a person how much they get paid isn't a question that you're supposed to ask, under any circumstances. But with pinup it's a little different. Right now being a pinup is more like a hobby. It's something that I finance myself and I'll gladly explain that. I can't help the look of awe that is written all over some people's faces when I tell them the truth. And when they ask me why I'm still a pinup I simply say, "Ballet is a passion of mine and I pay to take class, what's the difference?"

Here's the #1 question I get asked as a Modern Day Pinup and here's the look on my face when they ask.....

     1. "Why aren't you a real model?"
           That's like asking a housewife why she doesn't have a real job. Trust, everything that goes into being a pinup is real. Studying poses and having a pose coach is real, purchasing costumes and accessories are real too. I think that some people get confused; they assume that since I'm not on the catwalk with Karlie Kloss being a pinup isn't real modeling. To that I've asked, "So what's a real model?" Pinup is a different genre of modeling with a world all its own.
      If anyone gets asked charming, peculiar questions about their career/hobbies let me know. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for next week's post. Have a good weekend!**
      *The Pinup featured is Fay Wray from the book Va-Va-Voom! Circa 1933

The Modern Day Pinup A Naturel

Hello everyone and welcome back! It’s been far too long since my last post. And what I’m writing to everyone has been contemplated several times in my head and my heart.

To a woman her hair is her crowning glory, an expression of who she is and who she wants to be. So when I decided to go natural I had to ask myself: Do pinups go natural?

I noticed that some Black models wore weaves and wigs and I had a weave for my first pinup photo shoot. I loved my weave and the Veronica Lake waves cascading over my eye. It gave me that ole school Blue Dahlia vibe that made me feel like a Golden Age movie star. But wearing my natural hair brought up a lot of questions. Would stylists want to work with my natural texture? Would they refuse to work with me because of my natural hair? Can I take care of my natural hair?

I took a deep breath and stopped asking questions. I did what every single person does nowadays and went to YouTube and watched some tutorials. Angelique Noire has some wonderful tutorials for pinups with natural hair, one with victory rolls that I tested out. And I realized two very important things about my pinup journey.

I became a Modern Day Pinup because it’s part of who I am. And my natural hair is part of who I am as well; embracing both meant that I was embracing every single detail about myself and who I am naturally.

I also realized that I was holding myself back. I was too afraid to be a pinup because I was going against the grain, I wasn’t claiming who I really was. And when I didn’t want to deal my natural hair because it might be too difficult, I was denying who I really was yet again. I was blind to the fact that I was limiting my options and myself, and sooner or later it was going to catch up to me.

So just like with my makeup I practiced with natural hair pinup styles, bought some snoods and nylon scarves (any excuse to go shopping on Amazon or etsy!). And since I’m wearing my natural hair it's a wise decision to get a weave for photo shoots.

In the end holding yourself back isn’t worth it. No one wants to look back at life with regrets. I know I’ll never forget every photo shoot, every fashion show and every victory roll I’ve ever mastered. And most of all everything that has made me a Modern Day Pinup.