Pin Me Up Buttercup

No, you do not need to go full Angela Merkel and wear curve-hiding pant suits in order to dress professionally and powerful. Because even though pin ups are depicted as playful and a bit silly, you can also use this style to bring out your ambitious career driven side. In this post we'll look at why female professional fashion has been an assimilation of male silhouettes since the 16th century and how the pin up silhouet is slowly shifting female power fashion to a curve embracing statement. Disclaimer: Don't take this as a lecture on how I think all women should dress. Wear whatever you think is beautiful, occasion-appropriate and makes you feel confident. But since you're here, I have a feeling my views and tastes in fashion might resonate with you ;-) Open your history books to 16th century England...Or the 2018 Fifa world cup... Queen Elizabeth the 1st wore a masculine doublet to use fashion as a power statement, saying "I'm playing with...

4 ways of getting a Pin Up silhouet  & the 1 must-have accessory  Pin Ups come in all sizes, but only in one shape: the hourglass.  Even if you're not a natural hourglass, you can use fashion accessories and targeted exercises to make it look like you are.  In this post, we'll be looking at 4 different ways of getting that coveted shape, be it via exercise or optical fashion illusions - no matter your natural body shape. Because, even if you're not an hourglass figure, you're already half way there.  You just need to know how to "fake" the other half 😉 1. Natural way: maybe she's born with it?  Maybe it's a lot of crunches, Maybeline. No matter your body type, doing targeted exercises will make your waist a bit smaller and more defined. Try finding exercises you don't hate, that focus on your obliques (= side of your abs), such as  salsa dancing and side crunches. Or have a look at my Pin Up Workouts on ...

If I had a penny for every time someone said... Just a fun little post on the most common reactions you get, when out and about in your pin up style. Personally, I get number 5 and 7 a lot. But I don't mind, they make me laugh and are meant as compliments. If every reaction = 1 dollar/ euro, which one would be your money maker? ;-) - Buttercup, t he imperfect pin up 

I woke up like this, really. As a clumsy pin up with short hair, I felt I lacked the technique to create a controlled curl, as opposed to my natural mixture of uncontrolled curls and waves. I threw caution to the wind when I saw a bunch of velcro rollers at a local store (HEMA) for only €2.50. I googled some tutorials/tips for and got to curling. The big idea of the product:  Idea is that you take sections of your freshly washed hair and roll it around the velcro rollers. It's a simple product that gives you a lot of freedom and room to experiment, as the direction of the curl depends on the direction in which you roll your hair around the roller. You can use the rollers to just get volume (lift your hair roots by rolling the rollers as close to them as you can), or get a head full of curls, or just go for some waves - or a mixture of all those things. The reality of the product:  Get ready to experiment with the different sizes of rollers, knowing...

Starting a pin up wardrobe Essential Checklist Before you can go on your (window) shopping spree, make sure to do your homework and read the do's and don'ts . As a rule of thumb: Basic colors: black and red  Basic prints: polkadot, leopard, cherry Have a 2 to 1 ratio for even colored pieced > pieces with a print on them. You can combine even colored with other even colored pieces or print pieces. Combining print with print is a lot harder. Below are some extra practical tips, to complement the visual checklists (press the right arrow to continue to the other ones). Or download them . Extra Tips: Upper body Have a set of 'pure' basics, that can be worn over/under anything, before you dig into the cleavage, print, lace or otherwise fancy basic pieces. Get cardigans with long sleeves that end at your waistline. This ensures the hourglass silhouet even if you wear it with a regular t-shirt and jeans Try matching the color of your car...

Starting a pin up wardrobe- Do's and Don'ts Looking like a pin up can be effortless (disregarding the eyeliner ofcourse), but you need the right wardrobe. Here are some do's and don'ts that I wish I had when I started updating my wardrobe to a fabulous fifties / pin up style. Do's: 1. Measure yourself! I always reached for the M medium size clothes because I assumed I was somewhere in the middle. Little did I know that I actually have 3-4 different sizes, depending on the body part that gets covered. Clothing sizes are bullshit anyway .  A medium 10 years ago at H&M would be an XL today.  And different countries have different standards for what a medium, small or large is. So be aware that certain brands are bigger (German brands like Banned) or smaller (Italian brands) than what you might be used to in your local market (Belgian/Dutch for reference in this case). So instead of knowing your size, you should know your size s - plural. Put...

Sleeping (curly haired) beauty? So what if you're a bit clumsy and never went to beauty school (aka youtube tutorials)? That's where I'll chime in with a few reviews and do's and don'ts that I learn along the way. When it comes to hair, most pin ups wore curly hair with either victory rolls, betty page bangs or other specific styles. But if you don't have a natural afro, there are a lot of different ways to curl your hair. My hair situation: If you relate to my "hair situation" below, these reviews and tips might be for you :-) I'm a very low maintenance and no styling products - kind of person. I couldn't bother to wash and style my hair every morning before work (I'd rather sleep!). Neither do I like using heat (curling iron) on my hair, as I have naturally thin hair that I've been dyeing for the last 8 years, so I don't want to damage it anymore than I need to. In short: my approach to hair is clumsy, minimum effo...