We here at the thehepburnmovement strive to show the diversity of pinup/vintage culture every chance we get, to show that ANYONE and everyone can be a pinup regardless of your age, sexual orientation, or race. That despite the lack of representation in the media, we exist and are here to inspire others to step out into the spotlight. People from all kinds of nationalities and identities make up this community and we aim to show that with every post. We want to highlight the wide variety of pinup/vintage loving people because they come from all walks of life, and deserve to be seen. This weeks pinup is...
We met Monique thanks to the online vintage community on Instagram, we had been mutual followers for awhile and really admired her style and her relationship with her daughter. It wasn't until a few months ago, that it blossomed into friendship and we are so glad to have met her. Monique is a fiercely kind, outspoken, well dressed and all around incredible woman. She is not afraid to speak her mind, or offer insight on topics she deems important. She is an advocate of women's rights, strives to provide representation for minorities and an amazing role model. She's like the modern day equivalent of superwoman, as she dresses this way while being a full time mom. It is with great pleasure that we share her story with all of you today.
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When did you first get into the pinup/vintage life style ?
Growing up with a father who loved old movies and shows, I was drawn to the style very early on.
Watching I Love Lucy and Leave it to Beaver, although both shows were in black and white, I was drawn to the style of clothing, the furniture, the makeup, and just the era as a whole. The very first VHS movie that I personally owned was Grease. My 8 year old self would watch this movie every single day until the tape finally got stuck in my VHS Player. Slowly but surely, photos and posters of Marilyn Monroe would adorn my walls and school binder.
This gradual progression of love and obsession FINALLY came to a head when I was around 15 years old. I was sitting outside of a local pharmacy, waiting for my mom, when two girls passed by. They looked like they were both in their early twenties and were both dressed in full pinup attire. One was in a full skirt 1950’s style dress and the other in more 1940’s style clothing. Both had victory rolls in their hair, inky black cat eyeliner, and beautiful bold red lipstick. To top it all off they were both “Hispanic”. The neighborhood I grew up in, Barrio Logan in San Diego, is predominately Mexican so it safe to assume that they were in fact Mexican too! I can not even begin to explain what this moment meant for me. To know that an era and style I had grown to love so dearly could be worn out like regular clothing and look THAT amazing?! To see the positive reactions of people as they walked by, myself included. To know that as a young Chicana girl from the “hood”, I too, could dress this way! To see how beautiful they looked against the harshness of the concrete neighborhood. It was a pivotal moment in my life that I wish I could have captured. This moment lit a desire inside of me that would live on for many years. I knew someday, when I was confident enough in myself, I would dress just like them.
...I walked into my first pinup boutique... purchased my first swing dress and wiggle dress. The rest is history ;)
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Who is your biggest style inspiration ?
This may sound extremely corny BUT my 8 year old daughter is my biggest style inspiration. I started dressing up right after I had her so I feel like she’s played a big roll in the evolution of my wardrobe. For special occasions I try coordinate our outfits and she absolutely LOVES it. I know it won’t last forever, so I’ve been taking advantage of it for as long as I can...WHEN I can. Kids can be finicky. Lol.
I also realized recently that my style often mimics things she currently loves. She went through a bug phase and within that time I acquired a dragonfly dress and a couple butterfly dresses as well. Seeing her excitement over a dress in a favorite color, a dress that matches something she’s going to wear, or a dress that has a print of something she loves, really makes dressing this way even more special.
A lot of what I wear gets Maiya’s “two thumbs up” or her “Mom! You need that. You love flowers!” approval prior to purchasing. It feels great to know that this little human you’re in charge of raising is interested and excited about something that means so much to you. Plus, I’m secretly hoping that she’ll grow up loving the style and dress up with me.
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How does it feel to be a minority in the pinup community ?
Being raised in a strictly minority area and being introduced to the pinup culture directly from fellow minorities in my neighborhood... I was a bit surprised and offended when I realized how little representation POC have in the pinup community.
When I first started looking online for pinup style clothing, I noticed there weren’t many, if any, “ethic” models.
Now that the culture is continuously growing, it’s refreshing seeing all of these beautiful women representing all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
I’m just happy that I get to be a part of it and hope that someday I can be the inspiration for a young Mexican girl, like those beautiful and confident women were for me when I was 15.
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We hope you enjoyed this weeks "Any one can be a pinup post"; it was an honor to share Monique's story with all of you. He story is one that has inspired and moved us,we hope that it can inspire all of you as well to be true to yourselves. Follow your dreams, and dress in a way that makes you happy, you'll regret it everyday you don't.
If you have any comments, questions or even suggestions on who you'd like to see us feature next, feel free to comment below and we'll do our best to reply in a timely manner.
As always thanks for reading, may your days be filled with pretty dresses, dapper clothes & a lot of happiness.
Paola & Kyra xx
Aka"thehepburnmovement"
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