A Glamour Journey
I should start off by saying, Glamour is something new to me. And yet, it has always been intriguing.
Can you imagine it!? I can only assume you can. After all, it’s probably why you wandered into this little blog of mine. Let’s play a guessing game, shall we? What drew you to the world of Glamour? Was it the diamonds Marilyn Monroe wore as she sang “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend”? Was it the way Audrey Hepburn coyly looked into a camera? Or did a picture of Bettie Page inspire you to channel your inner vixen? Don’t worry! Whatever the reason, I bet you’ll enjoy your visit here!
As you read, Glamour is something new to me. And yet, not quite. Let me explain.
I remember being glued to the TV every Wednesday to watch America’s Next Top Model. Despite the recent events of today, Tyra Banks was, and still is, a fashion icon. Beyond her, there were these young girls who were embarking on an extravagant journey to become the best of the best. They were beautiful. And for a moment, I wanted to be them. But that wasn’t my path.
I was too shy of a girl. I didn’t like attention much and didn’t really speak unless spoken to. As for passion, I was, and still am, captivated by history. And let’s not even get started on art! By fifth grade, Toonami had captured my heart; something I can credit my brothers and friends with. I did keep up with ANTM though.
Then came junior high; where puberty decided to hit me like a bullet train. If I wasn’t taller than my classmates in elementary school, I was definitely taller than 95% of my school’s population (teachers included). My thighs were large and my chest was growing. Quickly, I realized I was different than most of the girls I went to school with. Somehow, I just knew, I couldn’t be like them. While they were concerned with who was dating who, I wanted to know when the next Call of Duty match was. Not very glamorous am I right? My mother tried very hard to get me to wear dresses. But I wanted to look like the music I listened to. Let me give you a hint. Linkin Park was definitely my favorite group at the time.
By the 9th grade, I was 5’10 and still towering over everybody. Now at an all-girls catholic school, my fashion sense took a nosedive. Because of my height, all the clothes I wore made me look larger than I was. On weekends, I stayed home a lot, so I didn’t care to have a look. It didn’t help that finding clothes to suit my age was difficult. Overall, my interest in appearances didn’t kick in until college.
Now that I was in a large and diverse environment, I wanted to fit in as much as I could. And as such, I found myself looking for a look. And for a while, things were good. But something was missing; a certain je ne sais quoi. I felt frumpy most of the time. I was more social so that meant more places to frequent. And one day I thought “all these clothes and nothing to wear!?”
I will say this dear reader. When you don’t know who you are, or where you want to be, your clothes reflect that. Worse, I was a mess. I started searching for a look and somehow, I ended up in pin-up.
“Clothes to shape a tall hourglass.” I would type into the google search engine. That’s where I found all these recommendations. Sophia Lauren dressed like this. You should try the wrap dress. Marilyn Monroe wore this. I studied these styles as much as I could, but I wasn’t confident. I guess I thought it was a look for desirable and naturally attractive women. But let me tell you something, even Marlene Dietrich was considered plain once upon a time.
I was enchanted by Eartha Kitt at a young age. Marvel’s Peggy Carter was quite the lady. The serenades of Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee made me nostalgic for an era long gone. There were videogames like Mafia and L.A. Noir that were appealing. Watching Grease with my mother whenever that came on (we no longer had our VHS player). And how could I forget the designs of Art Deco and Art Nouveau? Throw in a couple of period films, I was bound to come across the world of glamour, burlesque, and pin-up before I knew it.
Okay, so why the blog?
That is a good question. While I was fascinated by these things, I didn’t feel as though I belonged in such communities. And once I got over that hurdle, I didn’t feel like I knew enough. It dawned on me. “I’m definitely not the only one.” I want to share this passion of mine and make it easier for others to find their bearings.
