I’m No Pinup

There is nothing wrong with not being a model! I ADORE turn of the century lingerie dresses. I've been collecting them for years. There is no WAY I could ever wear them. Most have an 18 or 20 inch waist that I would never have a chance at. I still love the style, even if I can never wear it. You have to be true to your self. And I agree with the previous comment: you look fantastic in the Redford thing!

If you ask me, you look just perfect as you are. For me, your style is even more inspiring than those 'perfect pin up pictures' because you look real. I can admire beautifully and perfectly styled ladies but it is nothing I can relate to.

Excellent post, as usual. First, I think it is better to own your style, and you do that very very well. I get tons of inspiration from your outfit posts and Miss Fisher creations, to say nothing of your historical costuming efforts. The vintage world is not all 1950s pin up girls or Myrna Loy stand-ins. I love your Robert Redford costume, and I really appreciate that you strive for wearable vintage clothing, rather than stuff that looks good for a photo shoot. I think you'll find that in old photos of regular people, they are wearing the sorts of things you show us!! I'm just a mum with four kids, and I can't do the photo-shoot only clothing and I love getting inspiration from people wearing "regular" vintage style clothing. 🙂 Keep on keeping on!

As a lady who drives a vintage car, can I just say… WAIT, THAT IS A LOTUS?! That kicks the socks off of any retro vehicle.

I'm also thrilled to read in the comments I'm not alone in loving your Redford look. If that's an "awkward selfie" then you're doing an excellent job of faking it until you make it. 🙂 And yes I do think it would kill on Instagram.

Even though I know we all suffer from some variety of Imposter Syndrome, it's really comforting to me that you (one of the few historical costumers I bother to follow anymore) has it too.

Keep doing you. You look fabulous.

I think it takes some internal fortitude not to get blown by the winds of fashion. It took me a long while to figure out that a lot of things I liked I didn't like ON ME.

I love the Robert Redford look. I'm partial to tweed and leather myself. 😉

It's better to be true to yourself! I cant wear heels my arches hurt, my eye lids are heavy so, no cat eye, stockings itch me, and I don't want to be squeezed into a wiggle skirt. I'd choose to be Greta Garbo or Katherine Hepburn wearing pants in a flash. Oh to aspire to be Dita von Teese, but it aint gonna happen. Not only do I want to feel comfortable in my clothing, but I want to feel comfortable in my own skin. Rock On in your boy clothes girl!!!

I've followed you and adored your work since I started my own costume journey. Perhaps my age helps as at 65 years old I'm already past trying to be anything I'm not. But one thing I always try to do is be "me" in that era. What would I have loved? What would I have worn? Most of the time you will actually see me in my silver hair or with silver wig or hairpieces. Even my brown wig which I have to wear for some impressions and colors that I love has gray hair in it. Truly! You are an amazing costumer and an amazing woman – whatever era you happen to be living in that day! Thank you for all your inspiration!

Drool. Please tell me that is your car!!!!!!

I think we all go through that struggle of trying to get that perfect vintage look. Hopefully, we all make it to where you are and accept ourselves for who we are rather than get stuck feeling bad because we're trying to be someone else. I for one have definitely realized some things about myself and what I actually like to wear and look like over the last year or so. And perfectly period vintage is so not me.

I enjoy wearing the same old boring make up every day (and no red lipstick). I hate vintage pants and would much rather bum around in modern jeans and tshirt when I get the urge to wear pants. I like boring old basics and not novelty prints. I don't care to pin curl my hair and I like said hair short. I enjoy wearing glasses even if they don't match the period I'm wearing. And I like to wear 20s fashions.

Who you are is awesome! Rock on with your flashy car driving, historical shoe designing, fabulous costuming, Robert Redford-style self. 🙂

Thank you so much for your sense of humor! I think we all need this reminder every now and then (and I'm 51). I'm so glad to see women coming to terms with themselves (and me, too!), and loving it. You're absolutely right. I admire you and your business!

I love everything you make and model. It's very inspiring. I'm no pin up either, and I don't want to be or need to be. Keep doing what you're doing.

-Loyal instagram follower and fellow 30-something

For what it's worth, I think you look amazing in all your pictures, however you're dressed.

as you say, we need to be who we are. I have come to realize I was born a hundred years too late. modern clothes are okay, and i am always comfortable in the century I am portraying at the time, but I truly love the 19th and early 20th century. if I could wear 1870's natural form, or Edwardian day dresses and corsets to work, I would. unfortunately, I have no one to dress me, and driving in a corset sucks. as for you, your Robert redford look utterly suits you. 🙂

I know what you mean, I never feel quite "me" in a 50's skirt with the full petticoat under it, I love the look and I have one skirt and one petticoat and occasionally i'll give it another whirl (mainly for the twirl effect), but each time I feel like it's a costume. I actually feel more comfortable in 1775 panniers and 1810's apron front gown than I do in 1950's teen chick. I could possibly do the wiggle look, but even that is more polished looking than I can pull off easily nowadays.
I love your Robert Redford look, you look comfortable in it and I think that's key.
I want to try 1940's at some point, the more tailored look without being overtly sensual might suit me a little better.

Well written and brave of you to write it! I think it is very sad that there are so much pressure of how you "should look" even in all those alternative styles. vintage or lolita or synth or androgynous-qeer, there seems to be so many norms to follow even in all those styles when the thing is to NOT follow main fashion ideals. I think becoming aware of the pressure to "look right", as you did, is an important step in dealing with those pressures. Keep it up being yourself!

Lauren, I think you look beautiful in whatever you wear. I love you in big historical dresses and I love you when you look like Miss Fisher's friend Dr MacMillan (who is awesome, and so are you, so I don't see the problem!). Of course everyone would like to be sensual and feminine in pretty dresses sometimes, and to some people that comes naturally, but that doesn't mean that a woman in pants isn't attractive (I mean, her 'cross-dressing' was what made Marlene Dietrich such a sex symbol!). I think you are very attractive and can definitely see you as a pin-up, and you don't need a wiggle dress for that. Attractiveness and sensuality are not so much a matter of clothes but of confidence and charisma. If you feel good in your clothes, you will look good. Your face is pretty already- you don't need a cat-eye (but if you want one because you like it, practice makes perfect. There are tons of youtube tutorials dedicated to make-up, and with good reason! Everyone struggles. All the perfect cat-eyes and pincurls on instagram are the result of countless failed attempts.)
Long story short: you are pretty, and you don't have to try to be anything else than you are!

Oh Lauran, I strive to look like you. You are my pin up doll. The eras you portray look perfect to me, I love your dresses, hats, coats. They are amazing you are my inspiration. Thanks for leading the way, I am trying to get my act together to follow. Your admirer from Saskatchewan, Canada.

Dear Lauren,
I'm normally content to follow your marvellously entertaining and informative blog, but this post struck such a cord with me that I feel I would like to add my two-pence worth.
Ever since I could choose my own clothes, I have plagued with the same amorphous feeling you describe of dressing up in my own clothes, and not being comfortable with my image. None of the available looks (goth, emo or chav, being a girl of the 90's and 00's in north wales. 'Vintage' as a style was unheard of, here until I started uni) felt right, and I was singled out, sneered at and had hurtful comments made about those I felt comfortable in (a mix of Victorian and 70's style, I now realise – band t-shirts, flares, leather, shiny buttons and frock coats for best. I dress like my Dad, from back in the day!). So it's sometimes hard for me to accept that something I had to fight for is now accepted, and my coats and t-shirts are now desirable items. My most complimented every-day coats were once unwanted theatre costumes!
So wear whatever you feel comfortable in and makes you feel awesome, whatever anyone else might say. They just haven't caught up with you yet!

I´m a little old grumpy man – That´s my style! I tried dresses, florals and diamonds – Hey I event went rockabilly for while but I have decided that 2016 is the year to embrace my inner old and grumpy man.
And I´m 30 something too 😉 I say go for it!

There are various online sources to provide you informative details on this topic,
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I think a lot of vintage ladies get caught up in one particular era, not realizing that there's more to vintage than one specific pinup aesthetic. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but it's more of a caricature than a reflection of what women of old actually wore day to day. I myself prefer practical day dresses to straight-up wiggle-dress glamour, so I definitely feel this!

"Counter culture" dress is intended for people to express themselves. If we have to look exactly like the role models of that culture then it has become exactly like what we say we dislike about common culture…conformity. I say, wear what you like, how you like it. As long as I don't end up on one of those mean mocking "People of Walmart" posts, I'm okay.

All very good points to note!!! Looking forward to seeing what is in the baggies!
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