Each month, I will be asking all the important questions (and some less important ones) to a different inspirational person from within the pin up community. For May's Profile, I have spoken to the amazing Miss Betty Bee; published pin up and bee keeper. She's also one of my brand ambassadors! If you would like to take part in a future edition, please get in touch.
How would you define your style? I would say 1950s inspired pinup who loves a novelty print or themed outfit!
What drew you to that particular style? For me originally it was the fit of the clothes. I really struggled to find clothes that fitted and flattered my figure on the high street. I also hated the need to stay ‘in fashion’ and never really liked what I was wearing, I was just wearing it to fit in. The style of the dresses and the beautiful flower prints really drew me to the 1950s. I also followed Solanah Hernandez and Miss Victory Violet’s blog and found them both huge inspirations, I fell in love with their style.
What are some of your favourite brands? I do love my original vintage and the thrill of hunting down pieces you are after. Vintage wise I love Butchwax Vintage, she finds some incredible pieces and I’m lucky enough to own a few Butchwax pieces. For reproductions Vixen by Micheline Pitt is amazing, there’s not a piece I don’t love and it’s all really flattering and the pockets are insane. I also love Collectif, British Retro, Freddies of Pinewood and Pinup and Pearl obviously! Oh and Lulu Hun’s for shoes!
Who is your style icon? I’ve always loved Marilyn Monroe since I was young, she just oozed glamour to me and also I loved seeing the transformation of her style from when she was younger to movie star. Vintage Barbie is another style icon of mine, I have these cute little vintage Barbie fashion books, there’s an outfit for every occasion and they are all incredible.
Cats or dogs? Kitty Cats!
How long have you been into Pin Up/ Vintage style? I bought my first vintage dress probably 11 years ago but have made it my ‘everyday’ style for around the last 6/7 years.
What was your most memorable wardrobe mishap? I once got stuck in a pair of skinny jeans in Topshop’s changing rooms, genuinely couldn’t pull them up or down! After about 15mins of nervous giggling I managed to pull them off!
You now own a magic wardrobe- it’s the only way you can get clothes, they are all vintage and in perfect condition and it contains a never-ending supply of them. However, all the clothes must come from the same decade. What decade do you choose? If only this existed! I would have to pick the 1950s for me, I love the dresses and I’m a sucker for a 1950s coat.
What are some of your hobbies/interests outside of fashion? I’m a beekeeper, I absolutely love looking after my bees and find it quite relaxing. I’m an absolute geek and love to learn- I’m studying to complete my British Beekeeping Association exams at the moment. I also love walking and found some amazing new places to walk in lockdown. You also can’t beat a good serial killer documentary on Netflix!
Have you got any tips for someone just starting their pin up/vintage style journey? Don’t be afraid to try something different and stand out from the crowd. I went through a phase of worrying what people would think of what I was wearing and then I realised I wasn’t wearing it for them, I was wearing it for me. Also know your style can evolve and change- you don’t have to stick to a certain decade and you don’t have to dress full on vintage/ pinup 24/7, there are no rules. For me I always struggled with styling my hair, watch lots of tutorials (I like Cherry Dollface’s) and try them out, trust me none of us have got it perfect first time (or the 4th or 5th!) and it still doesn’t always go to plan! Invest in pieces like hair turbans and hair flowers as you can still have a pinup vibe if you don’t have time to do your hair and they can cover up a multitude of mistakes when it doesn’t go to plan.
What’s your favourite TV show? RuPauls Drag Race, loving the UK more than the US at the moment. Also Riverdale is my guilty pleasure.
And finally… tell us your favourite random fact. Bumblebees have smelly feet.
If you'd like to follow Miss Betty Bee on social media and discover more fantastic bee facts, you can find her at the links below:
Website: http://missbettybee.blogspot.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miss_betty_bee/