A corset is an absolute necessity for a pin-up girl, especially a style that laces up the back. We love how the boning in this Classic Corset from Agent Provocateur gives the ultimate hourglass shape.

In most full-body photographs, you'll notice Bettie wore thigh highs with back seams almost exclusively. You won't want to skip out on this sexy, vintage look, so go for one of our favorite pairs a la Philippe Matignon.

We love this seductive twist on the classic opera glove - what better way to grasp a whip than with leather running from the fingertips to up above the elbows? This stunning pair from Aspinal of London is made with the finest Nappa leather.

Bettie Page knew how to seduce with a look, but even she liked to pick up an S&M toy in her photographs every once in awhile. Whether your poison is whips, chains or handcuffs, something like this Silver Tip Riding Crop by Kiki de Montparnasse will add a playful touch to your look.

A pin-up girl without red lipstick is like a martini without the olives, and we can't have none of that. Choose a shade that complements your skin tone best, but may we suggest MAC Lipstick in Lady Bug for a classic feel.

Click on each individual style below for more information and additional photos.

Bras by Myla
Denim by La Perla

Clockwise from top right:

Luxurious silk satin gets dolled-up with lace in a pretty pink hue. Myla Angelica Lace Trim Silk Corset, $214.86

A corset for the most modern of dames, throw a blazer overtop for a chic, it-girl vibe. Viktor & Rolf Black Tuxedo Corset, $525

RAWR! Show off your wild side with a sultry combination of animal print and lace. Topshop, $60

Give them a dose of ‘sweet in the front, sexy in the back’ in this ruffled satin corset, laced all the way up the back. Eternal Spirits Satin Ruffle Corset, $393.91

Risque in an avant-garde sense, this satin cut-out design will cause whiplash from heads turning too quickly. Nichole De Carle Last Testament Tuxedo Corset, $564

Leather, lace and ruffles created by the brilliant hands of Gaultier. Need we say more? Jean Paul Gaultier for La Perla Cuir & Dentelle Corset, $2,534

Classically laced up the back, a nude tulle lining provocatively shows through open net and floral French lace. Agent Provocateur Janey Corset, $790

What made you want to start designing?
I never thought I would pursue a career in fashion. I originally did not have formal and technical training, I didn’t go to FIT. I went to school for fine arts, so I always assumed I’d do something in that realm but didn’t know what that would be. But then I started making my own clothing and got some really great feedback. My pieces developed quick notoriety because of their eccentricity and experimental appeal. It led me to start branding the label and making custom dresses. I realized my passion and that creating clothing was my art. It is what I wanted to do, but I did not want to work traditionally and looked at clothing as wearable art. Although I taught myself about the fashion industry as a business, as far as being a designer, I am first and foremost an artist before anything else – an artist with a fashion business.

Photographer, Robin Souma. Models, Mollie Stein & Vincent Fanwick. Mollie in House wife dress

You started out reworking vintage clothing? Do you still take a lot of inspiration from vintage fashion for your line? Is the line still costumesque?

From what was once an ‘inspiration collection’ of crazy altered vintage clothing, a handful of these pieces were later reworked to create a RTW collection which is consistent with my conceptual ideas yet is more universally wearable. It creates an attainable outlet for girls to dress up in their everyday lives that I thought the fashion world was lacking. I am inspired by vintage but now use new fabrics that are re-orderable.

Photographer, Robin Souma. Model, Flor wearing the Doll Dress

In your bio, it says you pay a lot of attention to the “magic of childhood dress up.” Were you a super girly girl as a child or did you have some tomboy in you? Did you play with Barbies?

I did have Barbies, I loved them, but I wasn’t super girly. I always went against the grain. All of my girlfriends loved pink but I loved purple. But I like pink now and feel it can be extra cute and feminine, but in my collection, there are dark details too. I think it’s more about dress-up and reconnecting to the characters which inspire the dresses and the idea of adding fun to the wardrobe in everyday life. You can explore dress-up in a more grown-up and sophisticated way by wearing Lolli Popitt.

Photographer, Robin Souma. Model, Erin Lucas wearing the Eggplant Flora Fairy Dress

I love your housewife dresses! When you design your collections, do you keep specific people, like the housewife, in mind or are they imaginary, inspirational characters?

The housewife dress is just a satirical piece created for runway.  These dresses are kind of poking at society’s idealistic housewife since they are really short & sexy.

What are some of your other styles?

The Lolli Cupcake dresses are the brand’s trademark. They’re girlie, fun and cute, which all describe the line. We call the feathered dresses “Fairy Dresses.” The psychedelic pieces are 60s mod styles and the “Doll” pieces often have a lot of lace and embellishments.

Cupcake Dress and Doll Dress

Lolli Popitt is for “daring who like to stand out in a crowd.” Could you walk me through the ideal day-in-the-life of a Lolli girl? What does she do? Who does she meet?

If wearing one of our couture pieces, a Lolli girl should probably by prepared to meet and talk to anyone because she is bound to get attention. These dresses are conversation pieces, so she must be daring to wear them. But when wearing our RTW pieces, a perfect Lolli candidate is confident and just wants to have fun with her wardrobe.

When I wear the crazier stuff, I think I kind of become a performance artist. I think the clothes can bring out a personality that you may not have known you had.

So, you don’t always have to be a fashion risk-taker to wear Lolli Popitt? Does the Lolli Girl ever dress down?

Although the line is risky and avant-garde, that is not our entire collection. The line IS wearable. The really crazy stuff is just an over-the-top and accentuated take on our conceptual ideas. But the garments are wearable. They can also be worn every day without the commitment to that non-stop attention that our couture yields.

Black chantilly lace Doll Dress

I noticed a lot of your designs feature inner-wear as outer-wear – corsets, bras, bustiers. What inspired you to focus on this trend for Lolli Popitt?

The feathered bras are technically lingerie, but you can wear them out. You can wear them alone with jeans or a skirt, but I think they look best accompanying something. They are fancy and functional. They can be worn underneath a button down (revealing the feathers) as well as over a slip with a skirt to make them fancier. Musicians have worn them to red carpet events and in their music videos.

The lace lingerie shorts were originally created to go under the dresses that we put down the runway, but we then realized that they compliment the clothing really well.

Photographer, Robin Souma. Model, Erin Lucas wearing Feather Fairy bra &Crystal Knuckles jewelry

Where do you find inspiration? Who are your style icons? What other designers and artists do you look up to?

I was inspired by performance artists like Leigh Bowery, who literally was his art. He dressed-up eccentrically every day for all to see. Joanna Frueh, an artist/writer who studied the correlation between femininity, sexuality and  beauty in everyday life. Twiggy’s signature dresses have inspired my psychedelic pieces.

Recently, I have been dressing musician, Neon Hitch, an incredibly unique performer whose daring and organic style embodies the ideals of both of my lines, especially the Crystal Knuckles jewelry.

My aunt, Carole Feuerman, a well-known photo-realist sculptor, is one of my biggest idols. Learning from her has helped me see how I could create a foundation to turn art into a business.

Psychedelic Mod shorts & cut out bra set

Your Crystal Knuckles jewelry line looks amazing. How did you get started designing jewelry and what is the inspiration behind the pieces?

I’ve always collected crystals. My aunt would give me a crystal whenever I saw her while growing up. My initial collection was started using those stones, the ones that I had from my aunt. I owned several over-sized rings which I loved and thought that using natural crystals to create jewelry would be a really unique idea. In fact, in gemology you’re supposed to have a crystal on you at all times because they are said to bring healing and protective powers. The rings will be featured on Ideeli.com and we are currently in contact with Henri Bendel, Barney’s & Scoop NYC. I will keep you posted on what’s to come!

Amethyst - Photographer, Andrew Werner

Azurite/Malachite - Photographer, Andrew Werner

Artist Neon Hitch wearing Crystal Knuckles

Uma Thurman wearing Crystal Knuckles

You can learn more about Lolli Popitt here.

Photographer, Robin Souma. Model, Flor wearing the Doll Dress

Cupcake Dress and Doll Dress

Black chantilly lace Doll Dress

Photographer, Robin Souma. Model, Erin Lucas wearing Feather Fairy bra &Crystal Knuckles jewelry

Psychedelic Mod shorts & cut out bra set

Amethyst - Photographer, Andrew Werner

Azurite/Malachite - Photographer, Andrew Werner

Artist Neon Hitch wears Crystal Knuckles rings & Lolli Popitt clothes religiously

Uma Thurman wearing Crystal Knuckles

LINK LOVE: A Shaded View On Fashion

I love how corsets look on the body. They tighten the waist, accentuate the bust and give a nice curve to the top of the hips. The modern-day corset is sexy, playful and elegant. But the fashion side of this garment wasn’t always so pleasant. Since I am a huge history of costume nerd, I thought I’d share what corsets really used to mean for stylish women.

In the early 1800s, corsets were seen as undergarments of support for women and girls as young as four. Women were considered extremely fragile and corsets were thought to keep them standing upright. Organs became so deformed by the time girls hit their teens that they could not sit or stand properly without the aid of a boned corset. This is where Hollywood got the idea that women fainted often; but it wasn’t because of frailty but rather the inability to draw deep breaths of air. The higher a woman was in society, the tighter her garments were. Servants and working women didn’t wear them every day because their constraint made it hard to do even the mildest labor. And a loose corset was usually the sign of a promiscuous woman.

So ladies, enjoy the modern-day corset with much reverence for women of fashion past. At least when you hear the phrase “pain is beauty” today, it doesn’t mean a torso full of smashed organs.

PS: Although, we did recently write about the McQueen model (above) who fainted on the runway due to her tight corset.

A model presents a creation by British designer Alexander McQueen during the spring/summer 2009 ready-to-wear collection show in Paris, on October 03, 2008. AFP PHOTO FRANCOIS GUILLOT (Photo credit should read FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images)