Modern Day Crooner - Irby Gascon

Retro girls love to swoon, swing and sway to classics such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and rockabilly king, Johnny Cash. Sadly, these greats are no longer with us, but the musical imprint they have left behind has opened the door to modern day rockers who can capture a bit of their essence. One person who conjures up the sounds of the past is singer, Irby Gascon. He can croon, he can rock and retro girls are sure to swoon when he belts out ballads from the 40s and 50s.

You can sometimes find Irby dressed as young Elvis cruising around Hollywood in a pink Cadillac giving tours of L.A.’s hotspots to visitors through Tribute Productions, the celebrity impersonator company that he shares with his lovely wife, Bella of MrsBellasDolls.com. Or maybe you’ll see him (you most definitely should see him) performing at the glamorous, 1920s style Cicada Club with his swing band, Zoot Suit Revue. He also performs parties, corporate events and red carpet affairs.  Irby is amazing. I hope one day he’ll record his beautiful voice to share with you here, but for now you’ll have to track him down at one of the local L.A. events. Lucky for you, he’s playing this weekend!

For more info on the event visit the EPNS Event Website

This Saturday, June 2nd from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m., Irby will be singing Blue Hawaii style in the San Fernando Valley at the Tarzana Cultural Center. Come out and enjoy a Rock-A-Hula Luau with us (yours truly will be there too!). Have drinks at the Tiki Bar, play games, participate in raffles and best of all Irby will be singing all evening. He’s performing as a huge favor to me, so take this chance to experience one of today’s best retro crooners and have some fun too!

To book Irby, contact him through www.TributeProductions.com
View Irby as Young Elvis on Facebook
Visit Bella at www.MrsBellasDolls.com
To see Irby this weekend, visit the EPNS Luau Event webpage

Why I Love PUG

As a retro loving girl, PinUpGirlClothing.com is an obvious choice for vintage inspired reproductions. Their styles range from bombshell-vavavoom to the charming girl-next-door. Their sizes fit sweet petites and the most voluptuous of vixens. Their fabrics are top quality and their clothes actually fit the provided measurements. Their shipping is lightning fast and their return policy is fair and quick. They are great. But these are not the only reasons why I admire PUG so much. Here’s a list of what makes PinUpGirlClothing a stand-out company:

Laura Byrnes - Supreme Overlord:  Laura Byrnes is the founder and creator of PUG. She has cultivated not just a retro clothing line, but an amazing brand. She has launched models into retro stardom and has given every girl who wears a PUG design that feeling of ultimate glamour, acceptance and beauty. She embraces and celebrates differences and truly provides something beautiful for everyone. And she does this with ease, openness and down-to-earth approachability. She abolishes stereotypes, speaks her mind and allows friends and fans of PUG to feel they are not only wearing something glamorous, but are a part of something glamorous. I don’t even know if she realizes she is doing this. She’s just that real. And it’s brilliant. Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned her photography. Amazing.

The PUG Models: Micheline Pitt, La Cholita, Masuimi Max, Doris MayDay... ring a bell? These gorgeous girls are the faces and backbone of PinUpGirlClothing. They are beautiful, they are talented and they are giving the modern bombshell a whole new meaning. What they aren’t: Just bodies for the clothes. They are personalities with big ideas that come to life through PUG. They are PUG yet they have also become their own brand, cultivating their own images and identities which have fostered and grown through this unique clothing line. There is no “cookie-cutter” PUG model. Their beauty varies in body shape, size, ethnicity, hair color and overall look. They are all different and they are all beautiful. There is a PUG girl for every shopper out there to imagine looking like. And again, it all seems so natural for this company as if none of it is planned. And it probably isn't. Or maybe it is. Either way, it works and works well.

Friendliness of PUG: The voice of PinUpGirlClothing is consistent and friendly. They truly embrace their fans and speak to them through their Facebook pages as if a friend is telling you what neat thing they just discovered. They are not just about constant self-promotion. They share interesting news with their customers. They promote their models and partners. They support other businesses. They even sometimes share their frustrations as an old pal venting after a bad day. Again, it’s very real, very relatable and they make the customer feel as if they are a part of something bigger. And then they take it one step further like their upcoming Day at Disneyland or meet-and-greets at various festivals. And let’s not forget their rockin’ yard sales. All of these events gives the retro girl a chance to be the PUG model for a day... Dress the part, wear the fabulous outfits, really do up the hair and make-up. And for some that’s just what is needed - an outting to put all this vintage glamour to good use. Afterwards fans will eagerly share their dolled up pictures in their PUG ensembles and PinUpGirl loves it.

Bottom Line: PinUpGirlClothing is much more than just a clothing line. They are a branded family of gorgeous, inspirational gals who have cultivated a glamorous club that the everyday-girl can join. Oh, and their clothing rocks too. ♥
www.PinUpGirlClothing.com

Travel Retro

If you want to take your retro experience one step further, why not plan a vacation around the kitsch, the cool and the swank of yesteryear? Travel Retro is a unique vacation destination website featuring the best of vintage Americana that has been revamped for today's modern traveler while preserving nostalgia from the 1940s, 50s and 60s. 

Travel Retro hunts for lost gems such as revived motor courts, vintage cabins and motels that were once vacation spots all throughout the American roadways. You can book and plan your travels right through their website for the ultimate retro experience. Their site and service is very unique and has a tremendous amount of interesting potential. I look forward to seeing their listings grow and their services expand. Their growing website will soon offer lodging, dining, attractions and a social blog for the retro enthusiast. Can you say pin-up girl road trip? ♥

www.TravelRetro.com

Glam in the Shower with Dry Divas

www.DryDivas.com

In the fifties women would sleep in curlers or spend a day at the beauty salon each week to get their signature hair-dos. To keep their look fresh and their curls in tact for the week ahead, shower caps were an essential part of the beauty regimen.

Flash forward... it’s 2012 and while most women don’t sleep in curlers anymore (although some retro girls still use them!) sometimes you want to keep your hair pristine for an extra day and that means skipping a wash. I squealed like a little girl when I saw these gorgeous shower caps by Dry Divas. Colorful patterns and a beautiful jeweled adornment makes showering a glamorous affair. And while they are meant for the bath, this just might be the perfect solution for maintaining dry hair while lounging in the pool or the relaxing for the day at the spa.

This is also ideal for my young daughter. She is blessed a mound of gorgeous hair that naturally looks like we put hot rollers in it and some days we skip the hassle of a wash. Dry Divas offer their caps in three sizes - Bouffant for women with long, thick hair; Ladies for us gals with cute, shorter dos; and Kids for, as they put it, darling little divas.  And for all you pin-up girls out there... how cute would these caps look in a photo shoot? I’m in love... they are different, adorable and oh-so retro. 

Pin-up Beauty Jessica Lynn Gahring

Makeup: Genn Shaughnessy
Photographer: Lorraine Murphy
www.pinupmakeover.com

I’m excited to have one of my favorite retro girls here today - the beautiful Jessica Lynn Gahring of the hit reality show, NY Ink on TLC. She’s a smart, funny, completely down-to-earth gal who loves vintage pin-up and old world glamour. She lights up NY Ink with her gorgeous style and sweet-meets-spunky personality. Here are some of Jessica’s best kept pin-up secrets for the modern retro girl!



RGG:  Hi Jessica! You have such a great style. Who are your glamour inspirations?

• JLG: I wouldn’t really say that my glamour inspirations were a specific “who” but more of a ‘what’. I am completely inspired by anything retro, vintage and glamour. I enjoy taking little pieces of a million different images and tying them together to create something that resembles a “Modern Pinup”. To be specific, I love soft curls in the hair, make up that says “I’m sexy enough to refuse you dinner if you don’t kiss me once you walk in the door from work”, clothes that cover enough of the female form but leave enough open to the imagination where a male can linger in thought at what may lay behind her concealed walls. I find glamour inspiration in classic films, pinup magazines and models, fashion blogs catered to the beautiful pinup and friends that I meet along the way... such as you, my beautiful vintage friend, Rosina! <3  

RGG: If you could go back in time and meet one famous bombshell, who would it be and what would you ask her?

• JLG: I feel like it goes without saying that I’d want to meet Marilyn and have endless deep conversations with her. I wouldn’t be content asking her just one question and my ability to converse with people would get her to open up comfortably with all of her deepest secrets (which of course I’d keep hush hush!). Specifically, I’d want to know how she dealt with that moment in time when she went from your everyday unknown pretty face to one that was recognized nationally. I would love to know what went through her mind in those moments and who she relied on for trust and inspiration.

RGG:  You have done pin-up modeling and you are on film all the time. Do you have any tips for getting comfortable in front of the camera?

Photo by Steve Prue

• JLG: There is no possible way to prepare yourself to become comfortable in front of the camera other than just becoming comfortable in front of the camera. You can practice those pinup faces in the mirror all evening long but when you start working with those photographers who have their own ideas of pinup beauty then you realize that it has to be a dual effort. I watch every episode of our show and make mental notes consisting of things like, “Ohhh, those pants are exceptionally flattering” or “Damn, I look great in that dress!” or “Do not EVER wear my hair like that again!” and then I just laugh at myself! You learn by trial and error and then improve upon that process. There is no true 360 degree mirror that gives you a complete sense of yourself like that of being on film and in front of the camera!

RGG:  Your outfits on NY Ink are gorgeous! Where do you find most of your ensembles?

• JLG: I compile my outfits from a number of locations, including my closest friends vintage businesses. However, my favorite pinup retailer is Pin Up Girl Clothing (www.pinupgirlclothing.com). They have a high-end pin up line that can be made professional or ‘dressed down’ for a naughtier look. The clothes are cut in all the right locations and are meant to flatter a curvy woman’s figure. Dear Pin Up Girl Clothing, I truly love you! <3

RGG: If you were stranded on an island, what is the one beauty item you could not live without?

• JLG: If I was stranded on an island I would never wear makeup! I’d give my face the chance to breathe and revel in the beauty of my island which I would of course rename “Dixie Island” (laughs). However, if I had to chose one item that I could not live without then it would most definitely be a bandanna. How else could I grab coconuts from the tree tops and keep my hair out of my face?! Bandannas are by far my favorite retro accessory (wig wearing or not!).

RGG: What is/are your favorite shade(s) of Red lipstick? (Every retro girl wants to know!)

• JLG: I am VERY picky about my favorite red lipsticks! I need my reds to have a hint of frost while also matching my skin tone. If the red is a matte then I apply a little bit of frost gloss just on my bottom lip to perk up the color. Currently, I have two (2) favorite reds and I choose which one I wear based on my clothing & wig choices. Enough of the tease, here are the color names: MAC VIVA GLAM III & MAC VIVA GLAM IV. Sadly, these are limited edition colors so I may have to eventually find others that grab my attention.  

RGG: I love listening to Marilyn Monroe and Anne Margaret when I’m getting ready for a night out on the town. What music do you listen to when you are channeling your inner bombshell?

• JLG: I absolutely love listening to strong female voices with a hint of rasp and blues living somewhere deep within there. To be honest, I could listen to Etta James, Imelda May and the blues side of Eric Clapton all day long. The sound is so deep and sultry that it makes me apply my lipsticks with even a hint of sexy (winks).

RGG: What is/are your favorite vintage/classic movie(s)?

• JLB: My top two (2) favorite classic films are Some Like It Hot (for it’s humorous story line) & It’s a Wonderful Life (for it’s strong focus on the devoted family)!

RGG: My personal style tends to resonate the early 60s. Do you have one particular decade that you draw your style from?

• JLG: I definitely draw a lot of my style tastes from the late 50s into the early 60s so I’m right there with you hot mama! <3

RGG: I won’t leave the house without my red lips and groomed eye-brows. What is your out-the-door must have?

• JLG: I can absolutely go without a bright red lip but I cannot go anywhere without my eyebrows groomed! My hair is so light blonde naturally that if I don’t pencil in my brows then they look as if they aren’t even there. All retro ladies know that a beautiful brow arch is cornerstone to that beautiful vintage look! I will leave the house with no other makeup on then just my brow pencil, eyeliner and mascara... but those are absolute must-haves!

RGG: Jessica, thank you so much for visiting with Retro Girl’s Guide today! You truly have a special spirit and beauty that shines both inside and out! XOXO

Jessica's beautiful artwork

• JLG: You are very welcome, Rosina! Thank you for having me! You know that I always jump at the opportunity to feel the beauty of your spirit, as well. Thank you again for my beautiful Ginger’s Jewelry Box ring and for naming that ring after me. I can’t tell you how many compliments I receive on that ring! Kisses to you, beautiful, and to all of those beautiful retro divas out there! XO

You can watch Jessica on NY Ink Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m. on TLC. Be sure to visit her website www.jessicalynngahring.com, Facebook page and follow @MsRetroDixie on Twitter.