New Millennium Pin-Up Queen - Dita Von Teese

The origin of the pin up queen dates back as far as 1910 but I'm sure the beauties of that day and age were quite muted in regards to their photo shoot clothing choices.  The term 'pin-up' got it's name by G.I.'s in World War II who would cut pics of their fave starlet out of magazines and hang them on their locker walls. We've certainly evolved from the days when modesty was alive and well that's for sure!  So here we are in the new millennium as we have bid a sweet farewell to the vintage mavens such as Clara Bow & Gloria Swanson and ushered in the new breed of pin-up known as Dita Von Teese.

Dita Von Teese was born Heather Sweet in Rochester, Michigan in 1972.  As a child she was trained in classical ballet but as she came into adulthood, she became fascinated with the styles of the 1940's & became a pin-up model primarily in the realm of fetish modeling showcasing her extremely small 22 inch waist that she showcased in a magazine called 'Tighlacer', corseted down to 16 inches!  Her dance training ended up paying off as she later went on to incorporate it into her burlesque routines which she has now acclaimed fame for. 

In addition to being a retro pin-up doll, Von Teese is said to be solely responsible for reviving the art of 'burlesque'.  She has been compared to the likes of Sally Rand as her shows incorporate the vibe of the vintage 30's & 40's queens of burlesque.

Aside from doing pin-up and dancing, Dita is a big wig on the fashion scene being #1 on many best dressed lists. Christian Dior and Marc Jacobs are among her fave fash designers.  She has even strutted the catwalk for Jean Paul Gaultier in Paris 2006 for Fashion Week.

She has done for the art of pin-up what Madonna had done for women in pop music which is bringing a bold and edgy new perspective to the old art, in addition to paving a way for up and coming models but my question is..."Did it really need to be revamped?"  As for myself, I think 'not' as the vintage pin-ups queens from long ago will always be remembered for their sense of style and class.

Random Fact: 
Dita Von Teese was married briefly to shock rocker Marilyn Manson...EWWW!

pinuppassion.com , pearlsandpoison.buzznet.com , burlesqueguide.net , mirror.co.uk , hubpages.com

Fashion In Film Friday

Usually we do a film from past decades, but our 'Fashion In Film Friday' focus is going to be on the new movie that was just released this past April,  'Water For Elephants' with Reese Witherspoon and Twilight heart throb Rob Pattinson.  It's a love story set in the 1930's about a traveling circus.  

This flick is very 'old Hollywood' and not just on a cinematographic level.  The styles are right on and true to the era. The 30's were to some degree 'glam' and the movie 'Water For Elephants' features Reese in a bunch of silky, slinky dresses that are currently the inspiration for designs by Galliano & Dior.

Fashion trends tend to follow most major motion pictures and retailers are already anticipating the demand for this vintage 30's style! Zappos has even created a special edition scarf inspired by the one Marlena (Reese Witherspoon) wears in the movie. 

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'MoD' Monday

This week the word 'MOD' isn't referring to any retro fashion style, it's about 'MoD...Models Of Diversity.' 

Models Of Diversity is a non profit organization based out of London that advocates for the recognition of men and women of all colors, shapes, ethnicity's & abilities. They even sponsor modeling workshops for individuals with disabilities which is way cool!  They strive to fight against inequality and have a zero tolerance for the 'size 0' mentality that more often than not is the status quo mind set of the fashion world.

How often do we really see a true representation of anyone?  Magazines airbrush and crop and in real life catwalk models have to be stick figure thin to even get a gig!  'MoD' holds firm to the concept that 'not everyone is model potential' in the sense that the individual still has to have marketability, however, they reject the ideas of today's 'norm' that include a narrow range in regards to age, race, etc...   


Angel Sinclair, founder of 'Models Of Diversity' is herself a former model who began campaigning for model equality because she was appalled by what she was witnessing in regards to the way people were being treated if they didn't fit the mold. Although, I am all for this movement, from a realistic perspective I cannot foresee that there are going to be any size 20 models hired by Dior or Chanel to strut the catwalk anytime in the near future. The sad truth is we are a 'look oriented' society people! And it's only getting worse!  How many girls and women these days have issues relating to 'not being happy with themselves' in regards to their appearance?  How many have eating disorders because of it?

When you can listen to the news and hear of eight year olds undergoing plastic surgery in an attempt to counteract bullying you can pretty much assume that the idea of 100% equality on any level is pretty much a mute point!


As long as the media keeps exploiting the idea of 'perfection'...there will never be 'equality'!         


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