Shooting retro is serious fun. And for us, documenting and celebrating the process is as important as achieving a good end result. We believe that the old-fashioned methods we deploy to shape the figure here at waist.it are safer and much more pleasant than some of the dangerous techniques deployed by some modern women today.
For example…
- Some women today inflict appalling harm on themselves with crash dieting. We are painfully aware of how badly eating disorders can affect people and we discourage all our models from indulging in any practices likely to result in these problems.
- Worse, some spend vast sums of money on painful and dangerous surgery to improve their figures. Cosmetic surgery is a horrible, messy business and not one we ever recommend or encourage.
And the serious fun way to do it…
We believe there are better, safer, more entertaining ways to shape your body and perhaps become more confident with it.
Serious fun – though perhaps a bit tighter round the waist than Taryn (right) expected – as Debbie laces her into an original Vollers corset. Debbie wears M&S corset top. Both models wear black M&S firm-control briefs to shape their bottoms and prevent their tummies protruding below their corsets.
The old fashioned figure enhancing methods we deploy here at waist.it such as good deportment, figure shaping exercises and firm corsetry are all relatively cheap, safe, reversible and most importantly, fun! It’s serious fun to do, and serious fun to film.
Our methods are safe and painless. Or, at worst, they’re relatively painless! 🙂
Granted, you may have a few aching muscles after your first shoot. Good deportment can take a little getting-used to. And some of the various shapewear you’ll want to try might make your tummy feel a little strange and squeezed-in, when you first wriggle into it.
However, you’ll love the way it looks. Regular girdle and corset wearers tell us that you soon become accustomed to feeling held in properly. Some say that they actually rather enjoy it because it makes them feel much more confident about their bodies. And whether you enjoy the sensation or just live with it for a few hours while the camera is pointing at you, good corsetry invariably looks good on film.
Our name “waist.it” is derived from the fact that we are interested in emphasising and/or reducing the waist. Consequently, our models get the opportunity to experiment with lots of old-fashioned figure-shaping garments such as control swimsuits, girdles and corsets, just as models would have done back in the 1950’s. They also learn about deportment and how to hold themselves in a way that looks good on camera.
We hope that our models experience what it might have been like working as a pin-up, 60+ years ago, and learn lots of tips that enhance their figures and have serious fun too.
The way young ladies were taught to stand.
Obviously these are useful skills for our retro style of photography. However, regular models tell us that they find these techniques come in handy when shooting with other photographers too. They can also have a value in certain other settings when your figure is on display, perhaps on the beach, at the gym or by the poolside.
Acquiring these skills is a very positive and immediate process and many models have commented that our methods have improved their self esteem and self image.
Chiara (right) shows her friend Carlie (left) how to make the best of her figure, by correcting her posture in front of a mirror
Achieving this retro shape is a lot of fun because you actually see the difference straight away. And it’s OK to make mistakes. Mistakes often produce the most memorable images – not to mention laughs!
If you are lucky enough to work with someone such as long term waist.it model Chiara, then you have the added benefit of all her tips and tricks – often delivered with a large helping of her crazy Italian sense of humour. Granted it can also be rather hard work too. But the harder you try, the better you look – so it really is worth it in the end.
Just like the models of yesteryear, Chiara always encourages new models to work on their posture. As she puts it, a good retro model should, “Always keep her shoulders back and tuck her tummy in, especially when there is a camera pointing at her – and she must always make it all look natural and easy of course!” 🙂
Regular models, such as Chiara and Debbie tell us that a shoot for waist.it is like a workout you don’t realise you are doing, because, “You really have to use your muscles to hold yourself properly, often for several hours at a time.”
Or, as Katy Perry famously said, “I’m really critical of my posture, it makes a big difference. And I try to suck my belly in. Everyone should do that whether you’re on a red carpet or not. Even if you’re just going out to dinner with your boyfriend you should try and suck it in.”
Fact is, these methods worked well for fifties pin-ups such as Bettie Page and Esther Williams. So it’s not surprising that the same methods seem to work so well for many of our young ladies too. Providing you don’t take any of it too seriously, then it’s all really rather good fun as well!
- To find out more about modelling for waist.it please study our Modelling FAQ.
- More information about how our models get the retro shape.