Channeling 'Cry-baby': Wanda Woodward!

"Oh Wanda, you sure is pretty in them tight clothes, all painted up 
like trash! "


Now, I don't know if I've told you this before, but I'm absolutely obsessed with the 1990 movie 'Cry-baby'. But then, I don't think anyone can remain indifferent towards it after watching - the characters are so lively, the music so rockin', and all of the decor and situations so deliciously tacky that, face it - you either love it or hate it.

Now, I tend to analyze everything from a sartorial point, which is why I've decided to attempt to recreate the style of my favourite (or possibly all) the characters from this delightful John Waters classic. (If I'm beginning to sound like a stuck-up movie critic person, that's because in reality, I'm not half as nice as I seem on the Internet. I'm a pretentious asshole. Deal with it.)

My absolute favourite character would certainly be Wanda Woodward. She's basically the epitome of cool: with that constant 'too good for you' bitchface, her slow sultry way of moving around, and her few but remarkable phrases, she's hard to miss. "You wanna learn about America, Inga? In America, we like boys! We like hot boys! Boys with roaming hands and rushing fingers! "


Like some very gifted person once said before (sorry I don't remember who anymore) Wanda's style is basically bad-girl pinup. There are three very significant elements to her style, however, that should be accented: hair, specific clothes and POUT. ALL BEHOLD THE POWER OF THE ALL-MIGHTY WANDA POUT.

Everything depends on how far you're prepared to go, ranging from all-out cosplay/ideal portrayal to a casual interpretation of her style.

First off, if you really want to get that signature Wanda look, you'd better get your hair all voluminous and wild. I'm pretty sure hers is moderately curled in a classic pin-up style, partially ratted, perhaps with a few strands of fake hair. However, this is extreeemely time-consuming (true story from a gal who once spent an hour untangling her hair after ratting it wildly) and damaging to your hair; furthermore, you can't exactly do this every morning if you don't want to spend over an hour on your hair alone. Therefore, I'd suggest just a few spritzes of texturizing spray and - this is reeeally important - two barrettes pinning up the sides of your hair like Wanda's over here:

They will automatically give the rest of your hair a more voluminous look! Isn't that neat?

Next up are the clothes. The main thing to keep in mind is the color scheme (red, white, black) and the silhouette (extremely tight-fitting). I can think of two options for you, aspiring Wanda, on the spot. The first is a classic pin-up ensemble, the second is a lot more modern and tailored to our century, but believe me, it has the same smashing effect!

LINK

LINK

And the last element of Wanda is, as you know very well by now, THE POUT. Here, unfortunately, you're on your own: the pout cannot be taught, it can only be flaunted. I'm sad to say that although a certain degree of practice can help, it's generally hereditary, which is why so few of us rock the awesome POUT.

Anyway, that's all for now. Stay tuned for more cryin' babies! 

Toodloo,

Alice!