Meet The Dutch Youtuber Paying Homage To Beauty Icons Of The Past

I know I've said this a thousand times already, but I made this blog to help women from all walks of life find their inner pinup girl. So when I stumbled upon A Youtube channel Called Lopsie It's a channel run by Lucy, a 25 five-year-old from The Netherlands with a passion for History. She focuses mainly on fashion and lifestyle. But She also has a  couple series on her channel such as "Beauty Beacons" and "The Pin Curl Dairies" where she tries to recreate different looks and hairstyles from style icons from the past. I spoke with her to get to know a little more about her and her journey to finding her inner pinup girl.

Can you give some background on your life and how it lead you to start your YouTube channel? I've always had an interest in fashion and beauty, for as long as I can remember. When beauty blogs became a thing, I fell in love with them and started following a bunch. One day in high school, we were given an assignment in IT class to build a website. I knew straight away I wanted to make mine a beauty blog. This was around the time when YouTube was upcoming and the first "beauty guru's" were popping up.

I thought it'd be nice if I made a few beauty tutorials to go with my blog. They were filmed on a webcam, in Dutch, and in terrible lighting, but making them was a lot of fun. After the school assignment was done I decided to delete these videos and start over. I started making videos in English and focusing on hair rather than makeup this time. I wanted to share hair-friendly styling tips and there were barely any no-heat, no-dye, and natural products only hair videos out there at the time so I decided to fill that void. That's where it all started! Over time the topics I covered on my channel expanded to include more lifestyle content, less strict hair styling videos, fantasy-inspired hair tutorials and finally my historical beauty series.

How did you get into vintage fashion and history? History is something I've enjoyed for a long time. I had an amazing history teacher in high school who really got me into it, and I ended up studying medieval Celtic languages and culture in university. I've always been mainly interested in the more distant past though, and have only started exploring the style of the last century very recently.

For the past couple of years, I've been recreating the looks of notable women in history on my YouTube channel, and I realized the styles of the more recent ones are the most wearable and they slowly but surely got among my favorites. It all kind of started when I discovered some early photos of Brigitte Bardot in the 50's and realized this was very likely to become my new fashion icon.

You have a series on your channel called  “Beauty beacons” What was your favorite vintage look to recreate and why? Beauty Beacons is the series where I recreate the hair and makeup of historical beauty icons. As for my favorite, I'm torn between the looks that end up resembling the original very well and the ones that actually look great on me. Obviously, the Brigitte Bardot episode is among my favorites, but I also really like the ones about Audrey Hepburn, Theda Bara, and Clara Bow.

Which beacon is your favorite?Ah, back to BB, then! I find it hard to explain, but young Brigitte with the dark hair and 50's skirts is just my ultimate goal when it comes to looks. She's effortlessly beautiful, casually glamorous, and the style is right up my alley.

What era of fashion is your favorite? And why? Honestly, my favorite is probably rococo which is just fabulous (that's the only right word for it, haha), but to stick with the vintage theme I'm going to say 1950's. I think 50's style is very feminine and elegant, but I also just really like it on me personally. It accentuates the female shape in a way that's flattering on my body type and most other body types too. I like that it's a little more extravagant than 40's fashion, but not as revealing and loud as 60's fashion. I also feel like 50's fashion is quite wearable still, and you can add little touches of it to your look without looking too costumey.

Do you wear pinup/vintage style fashion often if so what has been your experience wearing it?I've only started slowly adding vintage style elements into my outfits over the past few years, but I'm loving it more and more! I've been trying to add more vintage-style basics to my wardrobe so that I can combine my modern pieces in more vintage looking ways. Wearing 50's inspired outfits makes me feel good, because I know it looks good.

Somehow putting on a 50's inspired outfit instantly makes you look more put together. Whenever I do wear vintage style fashion, I get so many compliments. I feel like many people would love to wear that type of clothing as well but don't dare to, which is a shame because it doesn't take that much more effort than putting on jeans and a t-shirt, and the reactions I've gotten have always been positive!

You also have a series called “The Pin curl Dairies” where you try to get the perfect pin curls. All in all is this a hairstyle that you would wear often? And do you plan on making a series where you try to recreate other difficult pinup style hairstyles?

I'm still a pin curl newbie, hence the video series where I try to learn how to do pin curls and brush outs properly. At this point, it takes me a lot of time to get a good pin curl set, which is partially due to the fact that I don't have the right haircut for the authentic 40's/50's style. That does mean I don't wear pin curls very often. If I'm being completely honest, in my day to day life I tend to be really lazy with my hair and just wear it down in its natural texture most of the time. I would love to start doing them more frequently though. I don't have any pinup series planned as of yet, but I'm always looking for nice historical hairstyles to recreate on my channel so there'll certainly be a few up in the future!

Meet The Designer Adding Her Own Modern Twist To Vintage Classics

If you're looking to get into the pinup lifestyle, you're going to have a circle skirt or two in your wardrobe. But some mainstream pinup fashion designers and be quite expensive and the quality of fabric can often be less-then.  I found a shop that's affordable and the owner hand makes the skirts herself! I spoke to Dawn. The owner of Rock Chic Fabric who spends most of her time with her husband, her three adult children, and her two grandchildren. But when she's not enjoying her time with them, she's off in her sewing room into the wee hours of the night adding her own unique and modern twist to her favorite Fashion classics.  To get to know a little more about her shop.

Can you tell us a little about your background and what inspired you to start designing? What inspired me to start designing...that's a good question. I think the first time I felt inspired to sew was on a visit to my grandmother's house when I was very young. We lived a long way away, so I didn't get to see her often but remember quite vividly one visit. She showed me a dolls house that she had made. It was full of furniture, in particular, I remember a bucket chair covered in mustard fabric. She explained to me that it had been made out of a washing up bottle. Then I noticed that the dolls were all beautifully turned out in clothes she had made. I was fascinated. I remember thinking how could someone know how to make all these beautiful things and I wanted to be able to do it too.

Shot by @terrymcphotography Model @vivalafrankie

Although I have often felt inspired to sew  I have never really thought of myself as a designer. To me, a designer is someone who comes up with something new, fresh and exciting. My work is inspired by what has already been designed. The circle skirt is not a new fashion. The floor length circle skirt was probably made back in the 1890s, the poodle skirt is attributed to Charlot and designed in 1947 and some of my favorite vintage designs come from the fashion house of Dior, but I think for all that I have no less of a place in the pinup world. Those of us who are inspired by the great designers are preservers if you like. Keeping a beautiful tradition alive in the minds and hearts of those that see our modern twists on absolute classics.

How did you start designing? My earliest memories of sewing myself were for my Sindy dolls. I used to try to copy the clothes I saw in old films. I had well-dressed dolls don't you know! Most of them had pretty poor hair though as I fancied myself as a bit of a hairdresser too and frazzled their hair with the hairdryer!!

Shot by @terrymcphotography model @gaelicgirl_

When I was in my 20s I booked a course of 6 sewing lessons and from then on I was hooked on sewing. My first sewing victim was my daughter Sophie. She can't stand frills now thanks to my early efforts!! At first, my sewing skills weren't really very good. I remember trying to make my daughter a vintage red coat, which ended up in the bin due to my frustration! Once I had improved though I loved the fact that I was able to make clothes that were unique and different for my daughter and she loved putting in her requests!

I very quickly became aware of the lack of pattern matching in 'off the peg clothes'. I felt that if I made it myself I could spend time making sure that seams were properly matched wherever possible. Even now my circle skirts are fully seam matched, something I don't seem to be able to stop doing despite the extra work and fabric involved.

How did you get into pinup fashion? I would love to be able to say that ever since I was a child I knew I wanted to make Pinup style fashion, but for me, it was a gradual realization. Growing up I always loved old films. Saturday afternoons were spent watching them in our house. I loved 50s films in particular. There was something absolutely captivating about the structure and shape of the clothes and how they made women look and walk. I mean just look at Grace Kelly's wardrobe in Rear Window!! I watch that film over and over even now just to drool over the designs! Those films stuck with me and looking back many of the clothes I made for my daughter were 1950s inspired.

Shot by @terrymcphotography
Models @vivalafrankie and @gaelicgirl_

Initially, I made children's clothes and sold these online, but the final piece of the puzzle fitted in to place when my daughter showed an interest in the 1950s style too. I made both dresses and skirts for her and I discovered that I absolutely loved making this style. They were always statemented pieces as my daughter has an eye for unusual fabrics. She assured me that a curtain fabric she had found would make a wonderful dress and despite my misgivings, I made the dress only to find that she was indeed correct!! It taught me to explore fabrics myself.

I discovered that I too gravitate towards unusual fabrics rather than traditional florals. Being creative for me has been like a butterfly coming out of its chrysalis because I never realized I was creative. When I was a child at school if you couldn't draw you weren't considered creative, but creativity takes so many different forms and I am happy to see that this is being encouraged more in society today. Before long I was making skirts for friends and friends of friends. I got asked once 'are you the lady who makes the sticky outskirts?!! Famous!!

Shot by @terrymcphotography model: @gaelicgirl_

Which skirt do you recommend buying the most? My most popular skirts are tartan/plaid. Tartan is a classic and I think it always will be. Anything with pockets too. Pockets sell skirts! I have some new designs coming up too so watch this space!

Shot by @terrymcphotography model @vivalafrankie

Of all the things you could design, Why did you choose skirts? I have a number of reasons for this, but at first, my decision was based on my own shopping experience. I find separates a better option for me as I am two different sizes top and bottom. I was sure that there were lots of other girls out there that were the same. Later when I research the 50s I found that skirts were extremely popular at the time. I still like to make them in a more traditional way with a side zip and button as they would have been in the 50s.

Shot by @terrymcphotography Model @vivalafrankie

Do you wear pinup up style fashion often? Yes, initially I was scared to wear the pinup style as I don't have a model figure, but with encouragement from my daughter, I tried it. I have to say from the moment I put on my first circle skirt I felt gorgeous and completely confident. I couldn't believe it, my walk even changed! I have since converted several friends who have also experienced this same phenomenon. Many women think that they are too big, too old, or the wrong shape for pinup and it's just not the case.  A circle skirt is one of the most flattering styles you can wear. Nearly everyone looks good in them, if you have no waist it gives you a waist. If you have curves even better!

Shot by @terrymcphotography Model @vivalafrankie

Do you wear your own designs? I do! I have several in my wardrobe. Probably my favorite one has sewing machines all over it with 'born to sew' and other sewing related captions. I have numerous pairs of Rubyshoos to go with them too, lots of red in there as I love red! I haven't quite figured out what to do with my hair though, so if there is anyone out there who can give advice on pinup styles for thin hair that is stubbornly straight I am all ears!!

Click here to start shopping Rock Chic Fabric!

The Vintage Cosmetics Company: Vintage Glamour For The Modern Women

Vintage style makeup and beauty routines can take hours to complete. But if you're a modern working woman or women with children to take care of, chances are you don't have that kind of time to spend on your beauty routine. Well, there's a company set out to simplify these old methods so that you can still enjoy a little retro pampering. I Spoke to Esme Of The Vintage Cosmetic Company to get to get a little more about this shop.

How Did The Vintage Cosmetics Company Come to be? Clare Tarry and Craig Hubert started The Vintage Cosmetic Company in Britain in June 2011 because they felt that the market was saturated with lashes for party girls - they wanted to introduce a lash for the everyday woman that naturally enhanced the lashes women already have. The packaging was inspired by the glamour of the 1950s because they believe that every woman should not only have a simplified beauty routine, but also feel amazing - even if they do lead busy lives.

Why did They choose a vintage theme? Craig and Clare were d rawn to the glamour of the 1950s - a time when women always looked immaculate - fast forward to 2018 and the role of the modern day woman is very different to that of the 1950s traditional housewife. They wanted to simplify beauty routines for busy, working women and designed high-quality products that helped to enhance their natural beauty rather than hide it, but they also wanted those women to love the beauty tools they were using, so they produced them in an array of colors and prints inspired by the 1950s and added unique packaging to match.’’

How do they want women to feel when they wear their products? The Vintage Cosmetic Company ambition is that when people us our products they find them easy to use, they enjoy using them and that ultimately once they have finished their beauty routine they feel like the best version of themselves.’’

What's the product they most recommend? Everyone is different, that's one of the things we recognize here at The Vintage Cosmetic Company - we know that some of our customers prefer our Bathing & Body collection to our Beauty Tools and so on, but some best-sellers include our: Make-up Headbands, False Strip Lashes, and Make-up Melts.

Any up and coming products we can look forward to?The Vintage Cosmetic Company has so much in the pipeline! We are really excited to have just launched two brand new Make-up Headbands exclusively into Wegmans, the Olive, and Ava’’

Click here to start pampering yourself! The vintage cosmetic Company!

How Do Modern Burlesque Dancers Feel About Being Modern Burlesque Dancers?

Burlesque dancing has been around for quite some time, But the negative stigma that comes along with being a dancer still remains. Here on this blog, I want to encourage women to find their inner pin-up girl, no matter what profession they choose to go into. And since burlesque Is a common profession in the pin-up community, I wanted to talk to real live burlesque dancers to help women who are looking to get more of an understanding of burlesque - so I asked two burlesque dancers questions concerning burlesque such as how they felt being modern-day burlesque dancers.

Bettina May

Portrait Shot by @LelandBobbé

“It fills me with joy, to be onstage dancing for the audience, and to share that connection for that time with them. There's nothing like that in the world. It's such an intimate feeling like we're all part of something very special together.

The only opinion that matters is your own. If you live your life to please or impress others, you may not enjoy a life in burlesque.”

Lucy Luxe

Shot by @brisbane_boudoir

“I see burlesque as an opportunity to both love and express myself. And have found the environment to be very rewarding and supportive of this. I would encourage other women and men to think of the potential positives that may come into their life as a result of exploring burlesque, versus potential judgment. What others may think is beyond your control and if it's something you genuinely want to try, the opinions of others shouldn't stop you.”

Pinupdollcollection: Enhance Your Pin-up Collection

I was shopping around for affordable good quality pinup dresses when I came across Marta's shop, she's a dressmaker from Szeged, in the Southern part of Hungary who decided to fuse her love of sewing with her love for pinup style fashion When she couldn't quite find clothing that matched her taste. Thus creating her shop "Pinupdollcollection" I talked to Marta to get know more about her, and her shop.

How did you get into pin-up style fashion?

“I guess I started to adore the ladies on 50s graphics when I was at primary school...many years ago! I didn't realize what style it was at that time only that it was something most beautiful and full of feminity ever. Later I got interested and learned about what era and style it was. At that time back in the 90s, this style was unavailable in Hungary so it took many more years till I was able to get my very first dress, a real vintage salmon colored circle skirted beauty (still preciously preserved in my wardrobe), and then there was no stop to it. So, basically, pin-up was the style I adored and considered perfect even before I realized what it exactly was.”

Is there an active pinup community where you from? If so are you involved with it?

“There are retro-rockabilly community organizing dance events from time to time locally, but I am not very much involved. Sometimes I go out for the dances, though but unfortunately no other connected programs are offered.”

How did you get into designing?

“I have always admired 50s clothing and back in the 2000s, I discovered the possibility of ordering online from abroad. Even though I ordered many dresses I had a lot of ideas what I would want to wear but could not find corresponding pieces. Then it occurred to me that I should probably make it for myself. That was the point when I bought my first sewing machine and after seeing the first results and thinking realizing how much possibility there is in creating dresses, I decided to learn how to sew properly. Since then there is hardly any day without designing or sewing.”

How did you get into designing pinup style dresses?

“Pinup was the only style that inspired me for designing and dressmaking, so basically I have never made anything else than that.”

Why did you Start Your shop?

“After making many dresses for myself and turning it to my everyday clothing, I received a lot of compliments and inquiries to make dresses to order. This gave me the idea to create custom-made dresses and also go online to make it available for anyone who likes my designs.”

What kind of fabric are your dresses made of?

“They are almost exclusively made of cotton. There are different varieties and qualities of cotton I use that makes prices really varied. I prefer US cotton above anything else due to the high quality, great hold that is perfect for the big skirts, and beautiful prints. I also use many cotton fabrics from Europe and some from Japan. Rarely I use other fabrics, like jersey, polycotton when the print is irresistible.”

Any new designs we can look forward to?

“I am planning to create a collection with the absolute classic 50s look, an elegant line with detailed designs. From really high-quality polished cotton floral fabrics. I already have the fabrics in my warehouse and the beautiful designs in my mind.”

Click here to start shopping Pinupdollcollection!