Dita Von Teese Is Unrecognizable (and Blonde!) in 1991 Throwback Photo

Dita von Who?

On Thursday, famous burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese shared a throwback photo that requires a double — or triple — take. The 45-year-old performer, known for her stark black hair, bold red lipstick and porcelain skin, shared a flashback photo of herself from 1991 without many of her signature beauty looks.

In the photo she has her natural blonde(!) hair color worn in a chic updo with side-swept bangs, and is rocking a considerable tan. The only giveaway that this person in the photo is indeed Teese is her bustier-style romper and red lip.

She wrote in the caption that the photo was most likely taken “after a #rave party with my friend Mike Miller who appears to be giving me his best Betty Grable.” (For those unfamiliar, Grable was a famous actress and pin-up girl in the ’40s.)

The celebrated performer turned 45 last September and rang in her milestone birthday with a night out with a group of her closest friends. She’s also been very open about discussing her experience with ageism in the industry.

“I hate it when people say, ‘You look good for your age.’ It should be, ‘You look good.’ Period. Getting older is a good thing,” she wrote in InStyle last year.

She explained that any time she questions herself about whether or not she should still be performing in her 40s, she recalls Mamie Van Doren, a pin-up girl from the ’50s or Jennifer Lopez, now 49, “doing backflips in a G-string onstage in Vegas” and she says she thinks about “how she’s a few years older than me and up there in lingerie, looking amazing.”

“I truly do believe that we need to see and experience beauty and sensuality at all phases of life,” the performer said.