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The story of the Pinup girl
How did pinup begin?
The modern pinup girl emerged around the 1890s, when Charles Dana Gibson painted his famous Gibson Girl. She was an idealised woman with slightly wild, upswept hair and an exaggerated hourglass figure. From there, a culture developed in the early 20th century around these sensual ladies, always dressed but daring, with a touch of innocence! They appeared both as illustrations, such as the Gibson Girl, and in pictures and photographs of performers of the day.
The name pinup came about when the images were mass-produced as small cards or calendars to be hung up. These pinup images came in many forms: drawings, painted illustrations and, of course, photographs. The idea was for the image of a scantily clad woman to be so captivating that a man would want to put it on the wall—“pin it up”!
There were magazines devoted to this art, including Esquire in the USA (from 1933) and La Vie Parisienne in France. In the 1920s and 1930s, La Vie Parisienne was especially known for its erotic Art Deco and Art Nouveau girls.
Pinup and World War II
The term “pinup” was first used in 1941, and today pinup culture is inseparably associated with the look of the 1940s and 1950s.
World War II, of course, drove the development of this kind of innocent erotica. It was used both to recruit soldiers and boost morale, reminding those at the front what they were fighting for. Wartime images often featured women in patriotic colours and, for example, sailor outfits.
Calendars were produced, as were small pocket-sized booklets that could be sent to soldiers. Just how wholeheartedly the soldiers embraced this can be seen in so-called nose art, where American pilots painted pinups on the “noses” of their planes.
The Vargas Girl and Christel
Pinups were originally mostly illustrations, before photography became easier to print, and many illustrators specialised in creating beautiful, sensual, scantily clad women. Some became very famous, such as Alberto Vargas, whose “girls” became known as Vargas Girls. Vargas illustrated for both Esquire and Playboy, and his illustrations are known around the world. Today, the originals fetch high prices when they come up for auction.
But it wasn’t only men who illustrated these coquettish, scantily clad ladies; quite a few women worked in the field, including Zoë Mozert, who painted Jane Russell for the film poster for The Outlaw.
Here in Denmark, from the 1940s onwards, the famous Christel drew sweet, coquettish girls with long legs in shorts and high-waisted trousers, and a twinkle in their eyes.
Pinup and Hollywood
Because pinup pictures, with their sexual innuendo and undertones, became so popular, the same style began to be used for things like film posters. It wasn’t long before film stars themselves were promoting—or being promoted with—a little extra “sex sells”.
Rita Hayworth was already a well-known actress when she posed in a negligee for Life magazine in 1941. This cemented her status as a pinup and made her one of the most popular movie-star pinups among American soldiers during World War II. This did nothing to damage her image; quite the contrary, as her role as Gilda in 1946 helped make Rita Hayworth the icon she remains today.
Actress Betty Grable was just as famous. She had appeared in many films when, in 1943, she had the famous pinup photograph taken in which she wears a swimsuit, turns her back to the camera and cheekily glances over her shoulder. The photograph was even more sought after than Rita Hayworth’s among American soldiers, making Betty immensely popular as both a pinup and an actress.
Marilyn Monroe as a Pinup
But it worked both ways: some actresses first attracted attention through the pinup medium. The most famous of them all, Marilyn Monroe, not only caught the attention of film studios through pinup pictures, but also got her first experience in front of the camera this way. Bettie Page also got the opportunity to work as an actress through her pinup work, as did bathing beauty Esther Williams.
What is a vintage pinup look?
Typical pinup girls of the 1940s and 1950s can be seen in everything from swimwear to swing skirts. There are typically two types: a slightly more revealing version, usually in photographs, and a more playful version that plays on innocent naivety, typically an illustration—as when a skirt happens to be lifted a little too high.
The look usually focuses on short skirts, stockings, shorts or swimwear and lingerie. The top can easily be a fitted sweater or a shirt, as long as it is unbuttoned low or tied at the waist.
The hair is always perfectly styled, and makeup is important. Dark eyebrows and flirtatious eyes emphasised with eyeliner. Red lipstick and rosy “fresh” cheeks complete the look, of course. The pinup look of the 1940s and 1950s is more sun-kissed and playful than what we see today.
How do you style a classic pinup look?
Today, the pinup look is usually associated with a flawless porcelain complexion. Eyebrows are emphasised as they were in the 1940s and 1950s, and many people place great importance on creating a classic cat-eye “winged” eyeliner look. Classic red lips are a must, while blush is used more sparingly than in earlier pinup styles. For a perfect pinup look, hair should be styled, and it is also often dyed or bleached to create a strong contrast.
The clothes include high-waisted trousers, shorts and pencil skirts, styled, for example, with an off-the-shoulder top or a shirt tied at the waist. See below for styling tips.
Tops for creating a pinup look
Black off-the-shoulder ruffle top by Unique Vintage
White off-the-shoulder ruffle top by Unique Vintage
Black off-the-shoulder top by The Oblong Box
Pencil skirts for creating a pinup look
Classic red pencil skirt by The House Of Foxy
Classic black pencil skirt by The House Of Foxy
Classic navy blue pencil skirt by Daisy Dapper
Shorts for creating a pinup look
High-waisted red shorts by The House Of Foxy
High-waisted black shorts by The House Of Foxy
High-waisted navy blue shorts by The House Of Foxy
Trousers for creating a pinup look
Black wide-leg, high-waisted trousers by The House Of Foxy
Classic high-waisted jeans by Lady K Loves
Red wide-leg, high-waisted trousers by The House Of Foxy
Pinup-style swimwear
Swimsuit with polka dots in 1950s pinup style by Esther Williams
Bikini with cherries in 1950s pinup style by Esther Williams
Black swimsuit in 1950s pinup style by Esther Williams
What is a modern pinup girl?
The pinup revival is due, among other things, to the growing popularity of mid-century style in everything from interior design to art. The burlesque scene and its famous advocate, Dita von Teese, have also played a part. Then there’s the Rockabilly lifestyle, which revolves around 1950s culture. Perhaps our love of fashion images from the 1940s and 1950s also stems from the fact that, after a long time surrounded by ultra-thin style icons, we once again want to see a more diverse image—and preferably one that celebrates feminine curves, like the pinup culture does.
The pinup ideal is an hourglass figure, full of femininity and sensuality. The modern woman can identify with wanting to reclaim her femininity and love her body as it is—with curves to show off, rather than having to force herself onto a diet to fit into high-street clothes off the rack.
Pinups in frames
Pinups have gone from being a little risqué, something you put up with a thumbtack, to becoming part of our living rooms. With the whole retro fashion trend, and as we decorate our homes in mid-century style, many artists from the 1950s have also found their way onto our walls. This includes pinup art—here in Denmark, perhaps especially the Christel girls. We see that they have now been elevated: these beautiful women in bright colours are no longer simply “pinned up” on the wall, but displayed in frames in our living rooms, where they elegantly and playfully decorate the home and give it a little extra unique style. We love it at Mondo Kaos! ❤️
With love,
Team Mondo Kaos ♥
MONDO KAOS DIARIES
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