I have always admired the grace, elegance, and individuality of the vintage pinup. Pinup hairstyles and makeup were just so immaculate, with the women appearing as though they never had a hair out of place and simply woke up looking flawless. This was way before the no makeup selfie was born, after all. Being members of vintage inspired girl band Diamond Darlings, my singing partner and I have our own personal favorite icons. Hers is the sophisticatedly sweet Audrey Hepburn and mine is the voluptuous, vivacious Marilyn Monroe, who we love to emulate when we perform.
It appears we're not the only ones channelling our fave vintage screen sirens, either, as pinup photo shoots are becoming increasingly popular. It appears everyone is partaking in these saucy yet tasteful shoots, including celebrities, and why shouldn't they? Pinup shoots can make you feel great about yourself and can celebrate your uniqueness. Plus, you'll have a wonderful keepsake of your younger self to look back on in later life.
With the rise of the pinup photo shoot, the popularity of pinup hairstyles has sky rocketed. Wearers of these glamorous 'dos include Gwen Stefani who loves rocking a vintage inspired quiff, Katy Perry who is often seen in Bettie Page style bangs, and not forgetting the modern day vintage vixen Dita Von Teese who is never seen without her quintessential pinup hair.
Whether you've got a pinup shoot in the pipeline or you want to channel your favorite Hollywood starlet in everyday life, then here's how to get a selection of pinup inspired hairstyles at home, so you too can look as pretty as a picture.
Before
This is my everyday hair: It's blonde, long, and pretty much all the same length. I don't have bangs so I knew I'd have to get creative with some of these style, as a lot of pinups had a luscious fringe. I picked out pinups who rocked longer locks rather than shorter 'dos.
1. Eartha Kitt's Feline Braid
Wow, doesn't Eartha Kitt make a purr-fect Catwoman? In her full costume for the Batman TV series, she wears a large braid atop her crown (presumably to hide the cat ear headband) and the rest of her hair is swept over to one side. Dressing up like a cat has been done by a variety of feline pinup models, but I would imagine mainly around Halloween.
To achieve this look, I took a large section of hair from underneath the top layers on the lefthand side of my head. I pinned back the top layers and secured the rest of my hair with a hair tie to keep it out of the way. After this, I proceeded to braid the hair I had sectioned off and I fastened this with another hair tie. Next, I released the top layers and combed them back. I took my braid and pinned the end of it behind my right ear, on top of the combed back hair. To finish, I moved my remaining hair to fall over my right shoulder, put on a cat mask and some ears, and the look was complete!
Verdict: I really like the big braid, I thought it added a soft touch to the sassy cat apparel. However, I probably wouldn't wear all the kitty clothing unless I was attending a costume party.
2. Mara Corday's Vintage Bandana
Mara Corday looks absolutely divine in her cutesy two-piece with a matching polka dot bandana. I put my hair in heated rollers to achieve my curls. I didn't have a bandana lying around, so I fashioned one out of some fabric from my craft box and then tied it over my hair, with the knot at the nape of my neck. I did try to fashion a curly, faux bang out of my ridiculously long hair but alas, it did not work.
Verdict: A very easy style to recreate but it looks way better with some curly bangs peeking out of the front of the bandana. On my hair it looks less pinup and more 1970s hippie.
3. The Diana Dors Curls
Ms. Dors always looked ravishing, but when wearing curly, styled bangs she looked super sophisticated. Obviously I knew I was going to encounter the same problems as I had with the Mara Corday look, but I thought I could fashion a pin curl to counteract this issue.
I left my hair curly and swept it into a side ponytail while keeping a couple of strands at the front loose. I then fashioned the strands into curls, pinning as I went along, and finished the look by twisting my ponytail to add to the vintage vibe.
I used a couple of blonde colored hair grips to keep the little curls in place.
Verdict: A very tricky style to accomplish with a lack of bangs, as trying to fashion short, tight curls out of hair that's over 30 centimeters long is quite the feat. If you're a lady with bangs or shorter hair, this should work a treat for you.
4. The Hazel Court Hairdo
Hazel Court was such a babe! Look how sultry she looks in her bandeau top and her high waisted skirt. To achieve Court's smoking hot style, I began by brushing my hair over to the right and pinning a side quiff in place. I then went a bit mad and back combed my hair, mussed it up, and tousled it with my fingers. This was the look with the hair behind my shoulders.
However, this crazy 'do is what the rest of my hair looked like — not remotely pinup at all!
Verdict: I loved this style when it was behind my shoulders but it looked a ridiculous mess when it was all in view. So the key would be for me to have to find a way to pin the rest of my unruly hair up. This look would be a winner for gals with mid length to shoulder length hair.
5. The Brigitte Bardot Beehive
A personal favorite pinup of mine, it could be argued that Brigitte Bardot made the beehive famous. I love how she wore the style so shabbily while managing to look totally chic. I left my hair in loose waves from using my heated rollers beforehand. I then brushed the top layer of my hair back loosely with my fingers and created a small ponytail pinched between my fingers at the top and back of my head. Without securing it, I pushed the hair forward so that a large, quiff-like beehive formed and then I secured it in place with some bobby pins at the back. To complete this look, I loosened some hair around my face and tousled it with my fingers to soften the overall feel.
Verdict: I adore this look and think it suits my hair type best out of all of the pinup styles I've tried. That's not to say that ladies with shorter hair can't try this style — you totally can! The beehive is a timeless classic.
Go forth and strike a pose in wonderful pinup girl hairstyles this summer!
Images: Archive Photos/Getty Images; Phoebe Waller; Giphy
