Happy customer competition

You may be aware of the Happy Customers pages - testimonials and photographs. I've decided it's time to update the Happy Customers page (it was last updated 3 years ago!).

If you'd like to appear on the Happy Customers photo page, all you need to do is email me a photo of yourself wearing something you bought from Pin-Up Parade to helen@pinup-parade.com. Please let me know if you're ok with the photo appearing on Facebook as well in a Happy Customers folder as well as on the website.

"But Helen!" I hear you cry, "How the heck is that a competition?" Ahh... because you have until the 31st July to send a photo, and I'll draw one Happy (and also lucky...) Customer out of a hatbox and send them a voucher for £25 to spend at Pin-Up Parade.

So get snapping!

(Please note that Pin-Up Parade reserves the right not to use all photos received).

Postage price increases - sorry!

Dear all,

I don't usually write this blog but I feel I need to in order to explain the price increase I've had to initiate for my postage.

UK postage price structure changes
I used to charge £5 for the first item sent by Recorded delivery - I have increased it to £6. Royal Mail have changed their pricing structure and have removed the parcel post option that I used to use. It means that if a parcel is more than 3" thick, it suddenly becomes more expensive to post - £6.90 for first class, and about 70p less for second class. I haven't increased it up to £6.90, because I feel that an increase of nearly £2 would be unfair to my customers (a pity Royal Mail doesn't feel the same, quite frankly!). However, the additional price per item of £1 hasn't changed. It might mean, however, that if you choose Recorded Delivery and the item you have ordered is particularly bulky, it may be sent 2nd class, rather than by 1st.

I have increased Special Delivery to £8.50 (from £8). This service isn't affected by the strange size demands of Royal Mail, so you may want to spend a couple of pounds more to have a more secure, guaranteed delivery.

International postage prices
I have also had to increase international post prices a little too. Please see the Shop page for more information.

Alternatives
If you want me to send your order by a different method - Parcelforce, DHL or MyHermes, please let me know in the "Any special requests?" box and I will see what I can do for you.

MyHermes is a lot cheaper than Royal Mail and might be worth considering, but please do check their website as they charge more to insure anything over £25, which might not make it worth your while. It's a service where a courier comes to your shipping address in their car and will make three attemps to deliver it.

Collection: if you would like to collect your order in person (and save on postage prices entirely!), please email me helen@pinup-parade.com to arrange. I am based in the Birmingham area, and quite soon you should be able to pay by card in person (but not over the phone).


I'm really sorry that I'm having to increase my prices - however, it's unavoidable as my mark-up is already as low as I can make it, which means I'm unable to absorb the increase. With VAT running at 20%, it already cuts into the mark-up by making imports from the USA more expensive.

I am trying my best to keep going despite VAT and postage prices doing their best to hobble the most dedicated of small businesses. As you know, I try to get your orders out to you as soon as I can, and answer your queries in an hour or two of you making them - and these are things that these pesky costs can't get in the way of!

Anyway, I hope you won't be deterred from shopping with me!

Best wishes,
Helen.

New dress, new direction, new pomade!

I've got out of the habit of using this blog, as I've been using Facebook far more. As you can see... I haven't posted anything on here for over a year.

But I've decided to revive this blog to show you the new Swagger Joint dress - the Olivia, to announce a slightly new direction for Pin-Up Parade and also to run a competition. YES A COMPETITION!

So first of all, the Olivia. As you may know, Swagger Joint is Pin-Up Parade's very own dress label. You can't get these dresses online from anywhere else! They are designed by yours truly. I've named it after my friend Olivia, who in turn is named after Olivia de Havilland. The Olivia is a 1950's-style dress with full skirt, "kimono" sleeves, a high neckline and - very handy - two conceealed pockets at the front. It's a proper 1950s length, coming to about mid-calf on someone of average height, but can easily be adjusted if needs be. The skirt is lined with polycotton to help give shape.

It's made in three different fabrics - two cotton prints and one satin. Here's the lovely Stephanie Jay modelling them for your viewing pleasure:

Olivia dress in fan print cotton

Olivia dress in rose print cotton

Olivia dress in rose print cotton

Olivia dress in Chinese satin brocade

You can find all the Swagger Joint dresses exclusively at Pin-Up Parade (a selection of Olivia dresses are available at Forgotten Vintage in Birmingham's Great Western Arcade).

Outerwear? Underwear!
I've sold all manner of outerwear since opening Pin-Up Parade in 2007 - dresses, skirts, capri pants, trousers, T-shirts, bowling shirts, you name it. But I've not sold underwear until now. I'll be carrying a range of Rago shapewear: the light-weight girdle, the extra-firm girdle and the corselette. Here's Stephanie Jay in the lovely pink & black version of the extra-firm girdle.

If the size you need isn't in stock, please email me and I'll see what I can do.

Competition
By now, some of you are probably hoping that this competition involves the Olivia dress or a Rago girdle. Those will have to wait another time! Up for grabs is a tub of Steve Hooker's "Goldmine" hair pomade. Steve is a gnarly ol' rocker who has played guitar with all sorts of people - from Boz Boorer to Johnny Thunders, from Chuck Berry to Wilko Johnson. His wife, Elaine, runs Slick 50 barber shop in Southend, Essex, and they've developed a range of hair products. They're animal-friendly - only tested on hepcats!

With Christmas coming up, you may be scratching your head trying to think of gifts to get people - the Goldmine hair pomade makes a fab present for anyone who likes to put a bit of grease in their barnet. They usually sell for £6 from Steve Hooker's shop, but I've got two tubs of Goldmine pomade to give away. All you have to do is email me your answers to the following three questions:

1. What does "DA" mean when we talk about a "DA hairstyle"?
2. What's the name of the barber who claimed to have invented the DA?
3. If you go to the Yoyogi Park in Harajuku, Tokyo, you'll see a notorious group of leather-clad dancers with DA hairstyles. What do their call their club?

Please email your answers to helen@pinup-parade.com Closing date is Friday 7th December at 5pm, and the two winners will be announced on Sunday 9th December.

And to round things off... here's Stephanie Jay again, in the light-weight Rago girdle, wearing one of Steve Hooker's rock'n'roll T-shirts.

Model: Stephanie Jay www.stephaniejay.com
Photographer: Nick Halling www.nickhalling.co.uk

Viv & Avril - new Swagger Joint dresses!

As promised, the new Swagger Joint dresses, Viv and Avril, named after women from the covers of singles by top 80s indie band The Smiths. I've always loved the vintage photography used in The Smiths' cover art, so this is my tribute to them.

Viv
Named after Viv Nicholson, celebrity pools winner, who appeared on the cover of The Smiths' single "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" - there's nothing miserable about this fabulously spangly pencil dress made from bronze lurex with velvet collar and velvet covered buttons. The bodice of the dress is lined and it fastens with the three buttons at the front and the side zip. It features a belt made from the same fabric as the dress.

Avril
Named after Tiller Girl, actress and comedian Avril Angers, who appeared on the cover of The Smiths' single "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish", this is a fabulously luxurious circle dress made from 100% wool crepe. It has a wonderful sheen, a little stretch and drapes beautifully. The neckline has lovely 'tie' detail. The bodice of the dress is lined and it fastens with the side zip. It features a belt made from the same fabric as the dress.

They will be available for reservations soon! I just wanted to show you what I've been up to.... ;)

Prices: Viv £120, Avril £150.

(Model: Olivia Sparrow, Photographer: Eightball)

Let's help independent businesses

The riots and looting this week in my country have meant a traumatic time for us. I won't comment on the acts, but as someone who runs a small business, I really sympathise with the shop owners whose livelihoods have been threatened because of the damage and looting caused to their businesses.

Communities are looking to heal, and a way that we can all help, even in a little way, is to make a donation - if you can - to the small, independently run business which have been affected.

Keep Aaron Cutting has been set up to raise funds for 89-year old barber Aaron Biber, whose shop in Tottenham was destroyed.

"Aaron lost his wife last year. Born in Cable Street, he built up his businesses in Tottenham High Street over several decades and is a popular figure in the local community.

He arrived at his shop on Sunday morning to find the place smashed up, with windows broken and hairdryers looted. Even his kettle had been stolen.

Please donate to help get Aaron back on his feet and restore his faith in the community."

Save Siva's Shop is for Siva, who has run a convenience store in Hackney (the area of London where my grandfather was born and lived as a child) for 11 years. His shop was ransacked and he has no contents insurance.

"We are asking for as much as you can spare to help get this much loved Hackney businessman and his young family back on their feet.

This PayPal account is 100% genuine, and was set up by members of the local community around Clarence Road. We ask for your trust in donating and guarantee that all contributions will be handed directly to Siva."

Thank you.

Competition - win £20 to spend at Pin-Up Parade!

Pin-Up Parade is four years old this year. The galleries opened in May 2007, followed by the shop in September 2007.

To celebrate, I want you to choose a picture from the galleries to go on the front page. To enter, just email me helen@pinup-parade.com with your favourite photo from the selection below.

The photo with the most votes will appear on the front page of the website, and a draw from voters for the most popular photo will result with someone getting a £20 voucher to spend at Pin-Up Parade, and £20 for the winning model. The competition opens now! Closing date 1st November 2011.

Here's the nominees to choose from!

Fleur de Guerre

...and again...

Miss Cherrylicious

Miss Mink

Banbury Cross

Miss K

Sweetness

(photographer credits can be found in the galleries).

Retro Makeup by Lauren Rennells

Retro Makeup: Techniques for Applying the Vintage Look
by Lauren Rennells

If you've seen Lauren's first book, Vintage Hairstyling, then you'll know what to expect with her follow up on make-up. This is over 100 pages of tips and techniques which are invaluable. Even seasoned make-up wearers will find useful info in this great, full-colour book!

The book has a similar structure to Lauren's first, starting with basic tips and information on tools (the two pages on make-up brushes is great!), and very helpful photos showing six different women with different skintones, demonstrating what different red lipsticks look on them. There's info on how to create different brow and lip shapes and how to shade and highlight to change face shape. Then to specific make-up looks, each one accompanied by step-by-step photos and clear instructions. There is historical background, which helps explain the make-up looks of different periods.

This is a fantastic book! Just £17 from Pin-Up Parade.