Pinup of the Month for June - Dottie Sin-Claire
Dottie Sin-Claire is sweet as pie and keen as mustard - she's the fastest Pinup to complete her interview questions so far! From Melbourne, Australia, Dottie is a shoe addict (well, who isn't!) and burlesque performer with a rather sassy side that she doesn't try to hide.
She has some great advice and we've really enjoyed her interview (and gorgeous pics from Vamp Studio).
How did you choose your Pinup name?
I watch a lot of RuPaul's Drag Race so I put a lot of pressure on myself to come up with an awesome alter-ego. At first it was going to be Baby Sinclair but I realised that's the name of the baby dinosaur on that Dinosaurs TV show. I didn't want to be a scaly little baby so I finally decided on Dottie Sin-Claire - Dottie because I'm an air-head, and Sin-Claire because I'm just a bit naughty and I'd like to be clairvoyant. That way I wouldn't have to waste so much time worrying about the future and could focus more on being a sassy, confident lady. Dottie Sin-Claire is also my burlesque name - I can't have too many personalities lest I break my brain-banana trying to keep up! Why do you love pinup?
I have adored vintage clothing and hairstyles for years. The pinup girl is a classic and timeless concept - the phenomenon will always exist in one shape or another. I love looking at pinups and being inspired by retro beauty and the quirky personalities in all the pictures. Pinups have gone from being vapid objects of male fantasy to empowering women, non-binary people, and men to embrace who they are and who they'd like to be (even if who you'd like to be is a male fantasy- that's okay, you do you!). Being a pinup makes you feel a bit cheeky and it feels wonderful to let that playfulness out in an environment where you're in control of your body and who sees what parts of it.
Would you like to share your favourite beauty tip?
Don't stick the mascara wand in your eye - it's painful and you'll be crying black for a solid hour. After that you're good - just wing it and don't be afraid to colour outside the lines. Tutorials are all well and good but finding your own style is even better. When I do my make-up I'm often inspire by the show 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' - if I don't know what's going on with my face, I either do 50/50 (a different style on either side), ask the audience ('guys, does this look good?'), or phone a friend ('Babe, I need you to do my make-up for me!'). I can really recommend having a little sister who is better at this than you are.
What’s your favourite aspect of the Pinup and Rockabilly subculture?
The body positivity is absolutely the best thing. There are no rules, just a whole lot of love for one another. Even when it's done competitively there is a sense of community and very little cattiness. It's just a bunch of people unifying through a love of classic beauty and putting modern-spins on tradition. There's always a different reason why someone chose to become part of the pinup world and a lot of the stories are really inspiring and fascinating. I think the culture is very feminist and I love that.
When did you know that pinup was the right thing for you?
After doing theatre and burlesque for a bit, pinup seemed like a fairly natural progression. It's only in the last few years that I've learnt to love myself and the body I have, and funnily enough it took showing a fair amount of flesh in front of complete strangers for me to realise it. When I did my first showgirl photoshoot recently it really awakened something in me - a desire to put myself out there and dare the world to accept it. Some people collect stamps. I'm a show-off at heart.
What advice would you like to give to new pinups?
Don't be afraid to look stupid. People always hold themselves back and say they're worried what others will think - but I believe it's a fear of facing who you are and what you think of yourself. If you try yourself on for size you might really enjoy what you find! In fact I can almost guarantee it. Oh, and you can never have too many shoes. Never. Favourite business shoutout!
I wanna give a huge shoutout to Maison Burlesque in Melbourne! They're primarily a burlesque dance school but they also hold regular pinup hair and make-up classes, as well as crafternoons where students learn to sew and sequin costumes. It is a beautiful place with many beautiful faces, each of them so talented and inspiring. The dance teachers (Dolores, Poppy, Jane, Bettie, and Domino) have taught me so much about confidence and class. I highly recommend The Vamp Studio for your pinup needs, it's the photography salon at Maison Burlesque that made the lovely photos you see in this interview.
Photographer: 42nd Street Photography
Styling: Poppy Cherry
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