Pinup Girl Clothing used to be one of my go-to brands. But in the last couple years, I think my style has matured just a little and PUG still offers styles that are largely on the juvenile side. They’ve also raised their prices quite a bit, which is to be expected over time as inflation grows and manufacturing costs go up, except that their quality is also not what it used to be. So I find myself purchasing from them less and less.
However, recently there have been a spate of heavily discounted sales, and I ended up eyeing their wares once again, eventually buying some pants and tops. I even liked them enough that I bought duplicates of my selected items in other colors! I got the Laura Byrnes California High Waisted Long Trousers in red (and later in mustard) and the Long Sleeve Wrap Top in black (and later grey).
Now, while I like these garments a lot, they are not without some fit issues. Let’s start with the overall look:
And the back view:
I’m wearing size medium in each item, and I measure 37”-29”-41” and height 5’6”. I’m wearing a Comexim plunge bra in size 60J (which is about a UK 28GG).
The trousers are listed as fitting waist 28” – 30” and hips 38” – 40”. My hips are 41”, so I was concerned medium wouldn’t fit, but large was sold out so I had no choice. They are definitely a little snug in the thighs, but this fabric (97% cotton, 3% spandex) does loosen a bit with wear. I just try to avoid washing them very often. Additionally, I’m a little surprised by how short they are. With my long torso and short legs, most pants are way too long on me. Most stores’ “ankle” or “petite” length pants are actually normal length on me. But these stop right about at my ankle bone. So tall ladies beware! (Or plan on wearing them as cropped-length pants.)
The twill fabric is matte and has an ever so slightly rough texture. I think it would be an improvement if they were made of smoother sateen, but I guess this way they’re more casual.
Let’s see some close-ups of the details:
The wide waistband has a slight curve to it that, unfortunately, tends to float away from my body. I have another friend who’s a size XS, and she experiences the same floating issue, so it seems to be a regular occurrence. The back of the waistband is elasticated, which I love because it means there’s no gaping at the waist! Gaping is something I literally always experience with pants that aren’t specifically cut for a curvy figure, and this elastic completely solves the issue. The trousers feature decorative center seams up the front, but not on the back. And as you can see, there’s a back zipper and no butt pockets, but there are fairly deep on-seam pockets at the hips.
Now, my long torso is creating some issues. The length from crotch to waistband isn’t quite long enough for my body, so the waistband is sitting a few inches below my actual waist. This is causing the band to cut in right above my squishiest bits, causing a bit of a muffin topped mom-jean look. Additionally, the tightness of the band is essentially pulling the pants upward, giving me some really attractive camel toe. But luckily it’s not enough to cause discomfort and I don’t think it’s noticeable from a distance.
Despite all that criticism, I still really like these pants. Mom-butt notwithstanding, I think they do a good job flattening my tummy and I think they’re pretty slimming overall. I also like that they give that vintage high-waisted look without actually coming up that high on me. I’m really looking forward to wearing them cuffed with sandals this summer. Additionally, while the care tag says dry-clean only, I’ve twice washed them on the cold, gentle cycle of my washing machine and hung to dry, and so far they’ve been fine.
Bonus! I threw color catchers in the machine the first time I washed these, but there was barely any dye transfer—so no worries about separating these from other colors in the wash.
Moving on to the top, I was sure this shirt would be boob-friendly, and I wasn’t disappointed! It’s got gathering at the center of the cups, a wide waistband, and you can tie the bottom super tight while leaving plenty of space for your breasts.
Size medium is listed for bust 36” – 38” and waist 28” – 30”. Again I debated between ordering medium or large. I settled on medium because PUG shows a variety of models wearing this top, and I preferred the look with some cleavage. But if you’re full-busted and looking for a truly work-friendly top, then consider sizing up.
Like the trousers, it’s 97% cotton and 3% spandex, but this time it’s nice, smooth sateen. The fabric is fairly heavy, and there is basically no stretch. It’s allegedly dry-clean only again, but I’ll be washing in the machine on gentle.
I loooooove this top! I hope they release it in more colors or some prints. Interestingly, there are no shoulder seams yet it still looks nicely tailored. I was also very impressed that the shirt never slid around and the knot never loosened even a little throughout the whole day.
I do have a couple minor complaints, though. For one thing, it floats away from my chest a bit, which means taller people could conceivably peek down my blouse if they’re standing over me:
The other, bigger issue is that the sleeve openings are just ridiculously tight. My upper arms may be a little wobbly, but my forearms are very thin (9.5” around where this sleeve hits), so I’m really shocked by how annoyingly tight these sleeves are—especially since the upper arm portion is reasonably loose. I’m tempted to unpick the seam a couple inches and simply let it have an open notch.
Finally, it took a couple tries to figure out how to tie the shirt, so I made a little tutorial:
