Pin Me Up, Pin Me Down
You know what's weird? Shooting pinup photos on the terrace of a busy museum at 8am on a weekday while bewildered parents and children look on in bafflement.
Let me back up a little bit. Recently I've been trying to take photos a little more often, just so that if I get busy or an outfit doesn't work out or I don't feel like leaving the house on the weekend, I still have something to post about. It's kind of nice, doing that crazy adult thing where you prepare for stuff in advance instead of just winging it at the last minute.
One day last week I was working a later shift than normal, and I thought since I had some extra time in the morning I'd bring my camera and tripod with me and take some photos by the lake. After all, who's going to be out there at that time of the morning?
Turns out, everyone. Spandex clad bikers whizzing by me, parents and their children, people taking their dogs for a walk before work. On top of that, I hadn't really thought about what the angle of the sun would be like at that time of day, so pretty soon I had to give up on my plan of lovely lakeside photos and go in search of some shade.
I ended up at the Shedd Aquarium, one of a few large museums that border the lake. It was deserted when I got there, but as I set up and started shooting, people began to line up outside the doors. I was on a small side terrace next to the entrance, so while I wasn't terrible visible, I did end up with a bit of an audience after a while.
It was all parents and their small children, so I was never really uncomfortable with it, but I can only imagine how I would have felt a few years ago! I still think of myself as being a bit shy, but it's funny to realize just how far I've come in the past couple of years.
I've been planning this outfit for a while, and it was really fun to wear something so... pinup-y, in that Bettie Page/Pinup Girl Clothing kind of mode. Of course, I suppose if I was really committing to the look I'd have on a cute pair of heels, but life's too short to wear heels on a bike anymore.
The top is from The Oblong Box Shop; it was only about $20, the shipping was free, and I was surprised by how quickly it arrived. I love the detail with the criss-cross neckline, and the ruching is really flattering as well. Unfortunately it's polyester so you sweat like a mofo in it, and one of the straps started to come unstitched in the back, which to me means the workmanship is only so-so. Still, it makes my boobs look fantastic, so on balance I'd probably buy it again in another color.
Check out my sweet photoshop skills. Which one is coming unstiched?!?
Top: The Oblong Box Shop
Skirt: Chicwish
Brooch: Thrifted
Shoes, Sunglasses: Asos
