Fourth annual Perryville pin-up event adds facial-hair competition for men

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Lipstick-laden ladies were the main attraction at the fourth annual Perryville pin-up contest, but this year's competition featured a new addition for men -- a mustache and beard competition.

The event, sponsored by Villainous Grounds in Perryville, saw its largest attendance to date with more than two dozen participants registering for the competition and about 150 spectators.

Mary Jo Bammel, owner of Villainous Grounds coffee and comics shop and event coordinator, said the event has helped bring new people to downtown.

Jackson pastor and beard contestant Ted Torreson brought his family to Perryville for the event and said he hopes to expand his ministry to Perryville in the future.

Torreson uses homemade beard balm and beard butter to groom his facial hair, which he began growing four years ago when he started his church, The Exchange Community.

Stephanie Lombardo, also known as Stella Noir, poses for a photo during the pin-up contest Saturday in downtown Perryville.Andrew J. Whitaker

"I'd like to thank God for giving men beards, and I'd like to thank my wife for not making me cut it," Torreson told judges.

Perryville native and Farmington, Missouri, firefighter Josh McAtee began growing his handlebar mustache 168 days before Saturday's competition, using beard oil for conditioner and mustache wax to shape his style.

Because of regulations by the National Fire Protection Association, a mustache is McAtee's only option for facial hair.

"We wear air masks when we go into a fire or anything like that, and having a beard blocks the seal for the masks," McAtee said.

McAtee took runner-up in the mustache competition, with Robert Lawson's imperial mustache taking the top prize.

The beard competition was divided into two categories -- longest beard and best beard.

Michael E. Coleman II won the longest beard competition with his 15-inch beard, and Jeremy Littleton won the best beard, which were judged on style and condition.

The family-friendly pin-up competition was judged on each participant's pose, poise, stage presence and the period-appropriateness of their outfit.

"Our ladies on the square take pride in keeping it a family-friendly event for us. It's about the pride and strength in being a female," Bammel said.

Many pin-up girls wore colorful floral and polka-dotted dresses with fancy hats and white gloves. Others chose a more bold style, inspired by vintage movie stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Betty Page.

Holding an American flag and a "We Can Do It!" sign, Heather Evans greeted the judges with a flexed bicep and took first place in the amateur pin-up division with her Rosie the Riveter outfit.

Evans said her inspiration for the outfit came from her respect for Rosie the Riveter as a symbol for feminine power and female empowerment during World War II.

Amber Spies took first place in the professional pin-up category with her red, white and blue-themed outfit.

In the competition, Spies expressed her admiration for American soldiers and her respect for actress Betty Grable as an inspiration to troops during the pin-up era.

"For me, for the fashion of the era, I go very classy. I think that there's something in being modest, but still being confident," Spies said.

bmatthews@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3652

Pertinent address:

Perryville, Mo.