Prison Chic: Are Hot Lock-up Looks A Thing?

Prisoners have a lot of time on their hands and they are very creative. As seen on the hit TV show, Orange is the New Black, prisoners find creative ways to pull off their own look. Some of these incredible prison secrets have been around for decades. Before Orange is the New Black, people rarely shared these secrets. The show has really given life to some of these lookup looks.

Perfectly Manicured Nails 
A fresh mani/pedi never goes out of style. Inmates use spray deodorant to remove polish and rolled sandpaper to make nail files. Most prison commissaries sell a nail polish or two. Adding glitter from greeting cards gives flare and allows each inmate create their own style. Otherwise, everyone has the same color nail polish.

Darling Do's Despite Limited Supplies
Despite little to work with, inmates pull off some pretty amazing hairstyles. Using Kool-Aid and lemon juice to highlight and dye their hair. Attempting new styles to the best of their ability, prison beauticians give haircuts to other brave inmates. Luckily, if the prison beauty shop does not cut it, rolling your hair around tampons adds curl. And, putting your hair in a French braid, before going to bed, while it is still wet, will create beautiful, beach waves in the morning.

Image via Flickr by Mark Strozier

Skin Deep Styles Inspired by Inmates
In the past, most people with numerous tattoos or “sleeve” pieces were service members or prisoners. Some of the most popular and recognizable tattoos were inspired by prison tattoos. Plus, prison artists have come a long way.

Jailbirds craft contraband tattoo guns out of smoke detectors, rubber bands, and ballpoint pens. prison tattoos were primitive, in the past. Today, it is difficult to tell the difference between jail and “free world” tattoos. Plus, more people are getting multiple tattoos and covering larger sections of their bodies, just like inmates.

Blush Lips, Contouring, and Beautifully Arched Eyebrows
Most prison mirrors reflect little more than a fuzzy outline. So, it is very difficult to do your own eyebrows, but inmates use dental floss or rubber bands to thread each other’s eyebrows. Instant coffee grounds are great for eye contouring, in lieu of eyeshadow. Without the luxury of lipstick, inmates discovered beets, Kool-Aid, and cherries are excellent lip stains and people on the outside are taking notice of these clever solutions.

Obnoxious Orange and "Visit Threads"
Prison uniforms come in many different colors these days. However, the classics like obnoxious orange and black and white striped never go out of style. People are not really wearing prison uniforms on the outside, although, many people appreciate a classic striped t-shirt, and prison jumpsuit orange has become very popular.

Another classic prison look is the crispy outfit or “visit threads.” Prisoners wear them only on special occasions and to visits, so they are not washed a lot. Finding a new uniform is rare. The prized outfits give prisoners a fresh look and allow them to “dress up” for visitors. Likewise, most free worlders have a few "visit threads" for special occasions.

Inmates can buy some fashion and beauty items from the weekly commissary. However, limited choices, high prices, low quality, and a lack of commissary funds cause many women to pass up the conventional luxuries for some old fashioned hard-knock life hacks. Before Orange Is the New Black, prison looks were not very popular outside of a prison. Now, they are becoming common knowledge, and some prefer using the less expensive prison looks.