We all know how much I love Mode Merr and how the maiden voyage of their ultra sexy vamp dress is the only time I’ve seen Hot Latin Boy in a fit of Hot Latin Jealousy. So when I was invited to a Halloween party in DC with the theme of Undead Vintage, I popped over to Mode Merr.
Actually, before I realized Halloween was going to find me stateside alone, I was planning on wearing the Vamp Dress and being Natasha to HLB’s Boris.
I love the whole pinup girl shtick although it must be approached with fear and trembling because it can go costumey with a quickness and costumey, while fun, is never chic.
Unfortunately, Mode Merr didn’t have anything that rang my bell other than a perpetually sold-out sugar skull skirt with red pompom trim (c’mon Angela, do it for me!), so I did a little googling and found myself at pinupgirlclothing.com.
The first thing I noticed was PUG uses models of varying sizes and ethnicities to showcase their clothes, always a plus in my book.
I ordered three pieces:
Well, obviously.
I mean, what self-respecting Texas girl is going to deny herself a dress with yellow roses?
It couldn’t be more perfect if it came with a matching gun holster instead of a bolero. Oh, fun fact: you can sing all of Emily Dickinson’s poems to the tune of The Yellow Rose of Texas. Try it!
I’m especially excited about this dress as it reminds me of what Dolce & Gabbana did last year for their spring RTW, you know, with the eggplants and whatnot. Loved that collection.
Dolce & Gabbana eggplant dress. This was in either Vogue Espana or Vogue Mexico, I can’t remember because I had cholera then.
I also ordered the Doris top in black.
I’m always on the lookout for a good top that will highlight the gals without suggesting I have a career that involves picking up dollar bills using something other than my hand and this fits the bill perfectly.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure the photographer here is doing the lovely model Dani Diablita any favors as she seems to have been shot from a low angle, never a good thing in plus-size photography.
Actually, the plus-size photography is a bit problematic all the way through.
The chocolate brown Ava Dress is a case in point:
One got a location, great photography and Conde Nast-quality styling (she also happens to be an excellent model) and the other got a green screen and shot at the gut. But hey, it’s better than nothing and at least they’re making the effort.
I ordered the Ava dress in olive green and plum (naturally) despite some concerns about the quality of the satin. Satin can be a cruel mistress and in a few of the shots, some of the stitching looked lumpy. Still, the dresses are made in the USA (another thing I love about this company) so here’s hoping.
Have you ordered from PUG? Let me know, and I’ll do a review as soon as I get to try them on!
The yellow rose dress is divine.
Comment by Lisa from SoCal — October 10, 2012 @ 11:41 am
Oh my god, why would they shoot that poor girl so badly? And give her ugly clumpy black shoes with a brown dress? Brown and black together is very difficult (unless it’s jodphur based). Did they put the camera on the floor?!
That dress could be fab (very Nigella-esque – do you get Nigella in the US?)so look forward to seeing what you think.
Comment by Josie — October 10, 2012 @ 11:56 am
I’ve ordered from Pin Up Girl before and I love their clothes. I hope they work for you, too!
Comment by Linda Mercury — October 10, 2012 @ 12:11 pm
I ordered the cute Luscious Dress (with octopuses on the shoulders!) earlier this year, and it fit beautifully when it arrived. It was also surprsingly comfortable. That’s the only item of theirs I’ve tried, but I love it so much I’ve been planning to get myself a Christmas gift from them too.
Comment by Bridget — October 10, 2012 @ 1:39 pm
All of them?
***
After great pain, a formal feeling comes
The nerves sit ceremonious, like tombs
***
The bustle in a house
the morning after death
Is lovingest of industries
Enacted upon earth
***
I’ve seen a dying eye
Run round and round a room
In search of something, as it seemed,
Then cloudier become
Comment by Nonnymous — October 10, 2012 @ 2:13 pm
Well, actualy, Nonnymous, the last two work. But the first, not so much. It only works if you sing,
“…the nerves sit ceremonious, li-i-i-ike tombs.” Ha.
Comment by Leigh Ann — October 10, 2012 @ 2:37 pm
I run from time to time in the vintage and tiki communities, and while I personally have not ordered from them before, I have seen many of their dresses out and about; they look lovely.
Incidentally, a few days ago they had a major flame shoot-out on their Facebook page over a photo of model Rosie Mercado, ending in them banning a load of people and publishing this post.
Comment by Monica — October 10, 2012 @ 2:52 pm
@Nonymous: Wow. You must be fun at parties.
Comment by Miss Plumcake — October 10, 2012 @ 2:57 pm
Plummie, thanks for a succinct and really well documented case of how NOT to shoot a plus-size woman.
Hope you will send a copy of your post to pinupgirl and add it to your portfolio.
I’m on a rant over at Tom & Lorenzo’s fashion site about the desert that is ‘flatting clothing available to plus size women’ Heck, Christina Hendricks has trouble getting ‘free dresses’ and she is maybe a size 14
Comment by Thea — October 10, 2012 @ 3:54 pm
make that ‘flattering clothing, not flatting” really must proof read before hitting send
Comment by Thea — October 10, 2012 @ 3:54 pm
You can also mix Emily Dickenson with the theme song from Gilligan’s Island.
And the poor, pale model wearing the Dolce & Gabbana eggplant dress looks like she’s headed to a Halloween costume party — night of the living dead!
Comment by marvel — October 10, 2012 @ 4:32 pm
Plummy, dearest, if you’re shopping for a dress to wear as a Halloween costume, I think it’s okay if it’s a bit costume-y.
Lovely choices, though. I wish I could wear their stuff, but at 55, it just doesn’t work anymore.
Comment by Margo A — October 10, 2012 @ 10:00 pm
@MargoA:
I’m 52 and I wear a lot of that sort of stuff, and rarely does a week go by when I am not complimented on my clothes by both women and men, and of varying ages. It’s a matter of choosing the occasion and the styling to make it work in your life.
Comment by Sarah — October 11, 2012 @ 7:16 am
I would like all of the dresses, please. Being on a budget, I just snapped up one Marlene and one Burana dress from the sale section. Will report back!
Comment by SarahDances — October 11, 2012 @ 10:16 am
Oh darn you for getting me shopping for tops. I mean, I needed tops. But I didn’t need all the tops. But now they are in the mail.
Here’s my problem with pinup clothing: HAIR. I never know how to do mine. I have shoulder-length fine wavy-almost-but-not-quite curly hair with soft layers and even though I have a vintage hair style book, without having Bettie Page bangs, or bra-length straight glossy tresses, I never know what to do. And pinup clothing with loose modern hair looks silly. Like the gals who slap on a goth outfit for the club but without any makeup and with their hair just sitting there.
Comment by Elusis — October 11, 2012 @ 5:34 pm