So ladies. You’ve decided to join your first Pinup Pageant, or you’re considering registering. Maybe you’ve entered and now you’re wondering what you’ve gotten into. Don’t know where to start on choosing the right ensemble? You’ve come to the right place! I have released this post before, but since becoming more experienced, I want to update it with all my new knowledge.

See, dressing for a Pinup Pageant is totally different than dressing in a more every day vintage style. You will want everything you wear to translate well from up on stage to the judges and to the crowd! Which basically, you want everything to be big and bold! There is a lot of strategery that goes into outfits I think a lot of people miss.

In this post we will go from top of your ensemble to the bottom on how to pick a perfect outfit to nail that pinup pageant you’re entering. Buckle up, because I’m going to be thorough.

A bit of a note beforehand: obviously you’re not going to be at your most comfortable in pinup pageant attire… high heels and a huge dress and large eyelashes aren’t the height of comfort. But you want to make sure you feel comfortable in your outfit! What I mean by this is that you don’t want an outfit you can barely walk in or one that you’re going to have to continually tug and pull at it to lay the way you want. Make sure everything fits you well and it’s something you personally feel good in.

So let’s begin…

Hair

We will start with the hair! This is one of the most important parts of your outfit, as usually a large part of your score will come from your hairstyle. This will be a theme in this post, but you want it BIG. A large part of the pinup style is beautifully sculpted curls, and you’re here to show it off! A pinup pageant means even bigger hair.

Styling your hair up or down works equally well. But make sure that whatever you do, it’s teased and has enough hairspray to last through all the excitement. You never know if you are going to face wind, heat, rain, or a disastrous accident, so wear that ‘do like a helmet on your head!

Victory rolls are ALWAYS a good option as they are undeniably vintage, big, and show your skills at hairstyling. If you need a simple tutorial on the basics of victory rolls, I have one here. Rolls of any kind can be challenging, and if it comes down to it, a simple, well done hairstyle is better than a challenging hairstyle done sloppily.

I would recommend to choosing a matching hair accessory, whatever style you choose. No matter what vibe of outfit you’re going for, there will be something to go with it. Some of my favorites(with examples)include:

You can also have fun with decorative combs, hair clips. or bows. Anything goes! They all jazz up a hairstyle and create more interest. Don’t shy away from a flower half the size of your head or a large bow. It will look great from the judges’ table.

Makeup

The rule of thumb with makeup if you want to go bolder than you think! If you’re looking a bit like a clown up close you’re doing it correctly. The classic pinup look is a neutral brown eyeshadow, winged black liner, bold brows, and red lipstick. I’d follow this general formula, but you can mix it up to match your outfit or to emphasize what you want.

I will list my general process for pinup pageant makeup in order of how I do it. Maybe I should make a tutorial? But keep in mind that everyone has a different order and process for how they like to do it. There is no right or wrong, just preference, but if you aren’t huge into makeup, this will give you a baseline.

Quickie Makeup Tutorial

• Moisturize and apply SPF. (Yeah I am an esthetician, I had to put this on here. Sue me.) This will create a nice base for the rest of your makeup.
• Eyeshadow primer – this will keep your eyeshadow from creasing or coming off.
• Eyeshadow – as I mentioned earlier, ususally classic pinup means neutral colors, but you can totally do fun colors and glitter if you want to mix it up.
• Eyeliner – for pinup, I would always recommend black eyeliner! And wing it out, loud and proud.
• Face Primer – just to prep your skin to hold everything else on.
• Foundation – make sure to have the right color and blend down the neck.
• Bronzer – contour your face so that you have poppin cheekbones and definition fro far away.
• Blush – apply to the apples of your cheekbones and blend up to give you that rosy glow.
• Highlighter – optional, apply to your cheekbones to bring them out.
• Eyebrows – use your pencil, your powder, your pomade, your gel, or whatever you use to get your brows sharp and defined.
• Setting powder – cake your whole face! it will help it stay.
• Eyelashes – I would always recommend large false lashes! If you absolutely despise falsies, mascara will suffice.
• Setting spray – Urban Decay all-nighter setting spray is a God-send and will have your face last through the apocalypse!

Outfit

Now this is the meat and potatoes of a pinup pageant look! The main point of your dress(or skirt and top) should be to show off your beautiful figure and call attention to yourself. You don’t want anything that fits loosely or that fits like a trash bag. Generally you can go two different routes when choosing an outfit: either a swing dress(a big circle skirt), or a wiggle dress(a tight skirt). Both are great at showcasing your small waist and big everything else. There are many things that are super cute in person and every day life that don’t translate well on stage, so here’s a list of do’s and dont’s.

Do’s:

Do: Be creative! Take risks with your outfit and try to be different from the other contestants. This would be my biggest advice, because you will be in a sea of other girls all dressed in the same style. What can you wear that will separate you from the rest of them? For example, at Miss Valentines, I knew that everyone would be wearing pink and red, so I wore a white dress.

As you can see it was definitely different! I still used pink and red accessories so I fit the theme, but differentiating from the other contestants is your greatest weapon.

Do: Pick dresses with bold patterns and structured cuts. Bright colors are very pretty from the crowd! Again, you’ll want the judges to be able to see the pattern on your dress and also appreciate the fit of your dress which is harder to do if it’s loose and flowing.

Do: Play into the theme of the pageant. Most of them will have a theme for a charity they’re raising money for or anything else. If the pageant is sea themed, seashell hair clips are a cute touch. A patriotic pageant calls for red, white, and blue colors. If it’s a tiki theme use tropical flowers in your hair, and bamboo accessories. Whatever it is, you can take inspiration from the theme and use some fun touches to craft an amazing ensemble around.

Don’ts:

Don’t: Wear anything to cover up your figure. For example, cardigans are adorable but they tend to cover up the nice lines and curves you can get without one.

Don’t: Dress overly costume-y or kitschy. Obviously fitting the theme is great but you don’t need to have every little detail of your outfit covered in a pattern that illustrates the theme. Oftentimes it looks too crazy and doesn’t present a put together outfit. You can’t see all the cute tiny details from far away so forego those for larger accessories and items you can see from further away.

Don’t: Dress overly sexy. It isn’t that kind of competition! You want to show off your figure but showing booty, back, or excessive cleavage is just going to be distracting to the judges, and I promise you’re not going to get extra points. There is always the one girl in the competition that has the goods on display and she never wins.

Footwear

For shoes, I would always recommend to wear heels. They will elongate your whole body and help you to walk with better posture. Also, your calves in heels will be KILLER. Of course, don’t wear heels that will be difficult to walk in, because you don’t want to fall over onstage! You don’t want them too crazy high, but as high as you can handle is great.

Something I usually stick to is wearing wedges or heels that are thicker. They are a lot easier to walk in than their stiletto counterparts, and a huge plus is that it you are in an area with dirt and grass is that you won’t sink in.

I’ve interspersed some pictures of examples of some great heels! You can can go as elaborate or as simple as you want depending on your outfit. Shoes are a great opportunity to add a fun touch to your outfit by wearing some with glitter or a fun color. It just sets you apart in a good way!

A pro tip: Bring a pair flats with you! You don’t want your feet to be so sore it’s hard to walk, so you can wear your flats before the event, between rounds, and afterwards. They are lifesavers!

Undergarments

You may be wondering why I’m bringing up your underwear when I’ve previously told you it isn’t *that* kind of pageant. Well nobody is going to see your undies directly, but they will affect the fit of the rest of your clothes!

A push-up bra(or just a high quality, well fitting bra) will enhance your natural curves, and fill our your dress better. If you’re wearing a wiggle dress, some type of shapewear is a good idea, just to make sure everything is smoothed out and you don’t have any weird bulges. That would be in the form of a corset, a waspie, a waist cincher, or some spanx. The brand I adore is Rago and they specialize in creating vintage silhouettes.

If you’re wearing a swing dress, a petticoat is essential! Here are the ones I use. Swing dressed tend to hang loosely around your legs and a petticoat will fluff it out and make it a puffy, pretty poof. And of course, it will make it BIG! Which is the major rule of dressing for a pinup pageant.

Pantyhose & Tights

It’s the little details that make an outfit. Everyone will have a cute outfit, but it’s the finishing touches that set you apart from the other ladies. I also know from my years in dance that for some reason, bare legs just look a little weird onstage under the lights and in pictures.

Pantyhose will smooth everything out and make a nice uniform color. Another plus is that if you’re self conscious about leg hair and haven’t shaved, a good pair of pantyhose will cover it right up.

Bonus if you have a fun pair of stockings to offset the rest of your ensemble! Fishnets are sexy. A fun color draws attention if you want to show off your legs. My personal favorite is a pair of backseam tights. They’re gorgeous and a nice nod to the 1940’s!

Jewelry

Your jewelry is the cherry on top of your whole look. As stated before, the details are what makes or breaks your whole outfit. It can take your look from cute to AMAZING. Any dress can be made into a perfect ensemble with how you choose to accessorize. It just shows you are about the look and have that extra zeal the judges are looking for.

A solid bet is always vintage reproduction fakelite jewelry from brands like Splendette or Bow and Crossbones. Big earrings, bangles, brooches, and beaded necklaces are not only cute and show from onstage, but they’re undeniably vintage!

Bling is another must have! The more glitter and rhinestones, the better! You can go for cute costume jewelry to bring in the sparkle. One thing I tend to wear a lot is pearls because they’re my birthstone, and I love how they look on me.

Nails

Now, mind you, having your nails done isn’t something that’s going to make the difference between looking like a 50’s bombshell and a hobo. But it’s something extra and fun you can do to boost your confidence and help you feel extra hot! What pinup girl doesn’t like having her nails done?

Whether you get them professionally done with two inch acrylics or just swipe on your favorite polish color, it will help you to love your look even more. Of course, a bold color is prime and even better if you get glitter! Make sure to match your color to your outfit.

Props

These are ENTIRELY optional, especially if this is your first pageant and you’re just trying to get the hang of how things go! But it can be a fun addition and help you to stand out. Some fun props include a parasol, a fan, a purse, glasses, or even a hat! Fitting it to a the theme of the pageant is never a bad idea either.

Extras & Backups

There are some things I would recommend bringing just to have on hand, in case of a wardrobe malfunction or any other unfortunate situation. You never know if your tights are going to rip or if *gasp* you happen to show up in the same dress as another contestant.

I would suggest: hairspray, bobby pins, mascara, lash glue, lipstick, a second dress, a sewing kit, an extra pair of pantyhose, a pair of flats, and a big bottle of water! Another go to is a protein bar or some type of snack so you don’t get hangry between rounds.

A Special Note:

I know you may be reading this and thinking, “whoa, this is a lot!” If you dress vintage every day like I do, you may be a little bit less overwhelmed. But either way, do not fear. This is a super detailed post telling you every single thing you could do in an ideal situation. It’s certainly not all necessary.

This all makes everything sound very expensive, too. It definitely can be, but you can also put together a whole look for very cheap! You really don’t need a pricey dress to win. You can get dresses on Amazon. You can get flowers for your hair at the dollar store. You can even ask another more experienced pinup to borrow items from her! They are always willing to help. Don’t let money keep you out of the game.

And, darlings, that is it! There was a lot of detailed information in this post, so just remember this: make it big and noticeable, and make it something you personally feel confident in. A pinup pageant is all about confidence.

If you want to hear about my first pageant or my Red, White and Blue pageant, hit the links. In the near future I’ll also be back to give you tips and tricks on how to ACT at a pinup pageant. Dressing is only half the battle! Anyways, I’ll see you soon!

SURE LOVE YA! – Miss Aphrodite Darling

The post How to Create A Pinup Pageant Outfit appeared first on Miss Aphrodite Darling.