- Did you know they were still around?
The first Glamour Shots studio opened its doors in 1988 and then barely made it into the ’90s! Here’s a bunch of other facts to know about Glamour shots.
Velcro Closures
Before your pictures, you’d have to pick your fit, and they were usually velcro-ed. From the waist down, clients wore whatever they wore into the studio. On top, they would slip into a black tube top and then pick out their look, most of which were one-size-fits-all. “The illusion is pretty apparent when you’re waiting for your turn to be photographed. Patrons wander about, glamorously attired from the waist up, and wearing jeans, hiking boots, sweats or whatever they came in in from the waist down,” according to a Peoria Journal Star journalist. The black-tie looks had a certain something, too, and were made with a bolt of fabric and/or a shimmering scarf wrapped around the clients’ torso, to give the look of evening gowns.
Frat Guy Fun
Glamour Shots truly began back in the 1960s by University of Oklahoma student Jack Counts, Jr. when he began snapping photos at fraternity parties and selling them as trademarked Party Pics. Starting about 20 years later, to Hawaii where Counts saw a photo studio run by women putting out glamourous and affordable portraits of people. His idea was new and he decided to give women makeovers and a fashion shoot, just for them, and then turned around and gave them on-the-spot proofs.
The ’90s
After officially opening their doors in 1988, it’s hard to believe that the company barely made it into the 90s and in fact, almost went under just a few months later. In 1991, Counts said, “This was a new endeavor for us … The first six or eight months were difficult. We lost money and came close to closing.”
Never “Too” Much Hair
Someone from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said in 1993 that they once heard a stylist tell a client that there was, “No such thing as too much hair.” Some stylists said they allowed for “geographical variations” in hairstyles as not everyone wanted to showcase the higher-the-hair-the-closer-to-God look. Another stylist, however, said that she went through three or four industrial-sized bottles of hairspray a week.
Tonya Harding
The former (and disgraced) ice skater was a frequent customer to the Happy Valley location of Glamour Shots in Oregon’s Clakamas town Center. It was said she went there six or seven times. The manager stated that, “Tonya usually goes for a pretty natural look,” the manager said. “And she looks very, very good.”
Getting Dressed
There were all different looks for your photos and for a session, men and women could pick from six different categories of dress. This comes from a consultant’s guide according to the Hartford Courant. There were six that you could choose from with Spontaneous, “Can’t wait to be touched, Tailored, Elegant, Bold, and Other: Please describe.”
What did you think of all these facts about Glamour Shots? Watch for a part two and let me know what you thought in the comments!