Pin-Up Girls have been a part of popular culture for over a century, and they continue to be a beloved and influential part of art, fashion and styling today. But what does this style mean, and how has it evolved through the years?
But what does it mean to be a pin-up girl? These two words “pin” & “up”, united comes to form the expression “hanging on the wall”. For this reason, all the photographs, postcards, calendars, illustrations which were hang on the wall, and had a suggestive, provocative posture, they were considered Pin-Ups.
A pin-up model, or pin-up girl is a model whose mass-produced images, illustrations and photographs have a wide appeal within the popular culture of a society. Pin-up models are usually glamour models, actresses, and fashion models whose images are intended for informal, aesthetic display, such as being pinned onto a wall.
The term pin-up was first attested to in English in 1941 and refers to an image, mainly of a woman, who, with a sensual, suggestive posture, or looking, or smiling in a mischievous yet innocent way, captures the attention of the viewer. This term appeared a long time ago and, although it may seem like a “nickname” for those people who used to be portrayed or illustrated in this way, the truth is that they were used regularly in magazines, newspaper, calendars, posters, etc. The counterpart of the pin-up girl is the male pin-up, also known as beefcake, including celebrated actors and athletes who appeal to girls, adolescents and women, such as the actor James Dean, the singer Jim Morrison.
The Origin of the Pin-Up Girls
To discover the origin of the pin-up girls, we have to go back to 1920 in the United States. At that time, women were very repressed, that is, if they did something that was outside the norm, they were frowned upon. And at that time there were women who wanted to break with those schemes and start empowering women. Thus, images and posters began to appear with girls who posed scantily clad, in a seductive, mischievous and something sexual as well. The target audience at that time, were young soldiers, since they considered that these types of scenes served to boost their morale, and that is why so many scenes are seen with these types of photos in movies.
During the 20s and 30s, these types of publications began to distribute in droves. First, among the American soldiers, but soon after its audience expanded. And it is that in the 40s and 50s pin-up girls were a booming fashion. In the 40s was when World War II broke out, and all the American soldiers carried pictures of pin-up girls because they had become a kind of patriotic symbol and a talisman to return home. In fact, they didn’t just hang them on their bedroom walls or in their lockers – they carried them everywhere, even on warplanes, because they were very important to them.
Already in the 50s, because there were so many images, illustrations etc, the market ended it up collapsing, and that what it did, began to be interesting. People saw them so much that they no longer attracted anyone’s attention and that is why some of those pin-up girls, began to work in other sectors, or even to dedicate themselves to the cinema, striptease, or magazines. Even more so when in the 60s, nudity or lack of clothing was no longer prohibited in the images.
The History of the Pin-Ups
Beginning in the early 19th century, pin-up modeling had theatrical origins – burlesque performers and actresses sometimes used photographic advertisement as business cards to advertise shows. These promotion and business cards could often be found backstage in almost every theater’s green room, pinned up or stuck into frames of the looking-glasses in the joints of the gas-burners, and sometimes, lying on the top of the sacred cast-case itself.
According to historian Maria Elena Buszek, “To understand both the complicated identity and subversive nature of the 19th century actress, one must also understand that the era’s views on women’s potential, were inextricably tied to their sexuality, which in turn was tied to their level of visibility in the public sphere – regardless of race, class or background, it was generally assumed that the more public the woman, the more public or available, her sexuality”. Being sexually fantasized, famous actresses in early-20th-century film were both drawn and photographed, and put on posters to be sold for personal use. Among the celebrities who were considered sex symbols, one of the most popular early pin-up girls was Betty Grable, whose poster was ubiquitous in the lockers of G.I.s during World War II.
In Europe, prior to the First World War, the likes of “Miss Fernande” (Fernande Barrey), were arguably the world’s first pin-ups in the modern sense. Miss Fernande displayed ample cleavage and full frontal nudity, and her pictures were cherished by soldiers on both side of the First World War conflict.
Other pin-ups were artwork depicting idealized versions of the beautiful or attractive women. An early example of the latter type the Gibson girl, a representation of the New Woman drawn by Charles Dana Gibson. Because the New Woman was symbolic of her new ideas about her sex, it was inevitable that she would also come to symbolize new ideas about sexuality. Unlike the photographed actresses and dancers generations earlier, art gave artists the freedom to draw women in many different ways. The 1932 Esquire “men’s” magazine featured many drawings and girlie cartoons but was most famous for its “Vargas Girls”. Prior to World War II, Vargas Girls were praised for their beauty and less focus was on their sexuality. However, during the war the drawings transformed into women playing dress-up in military drag and drawn in seductive manners, like that of a child playing with a doll. Vargas Girls became so popular that from 1942 to 1946, owing to a high volume of military demand, “9 million copies of the magazine-without adverts and free of charge was sent to American troops stationed overseas and in domestic bases”. The Vargas Girls were adapted as nose art on many World War II bomber and fighter aircraft – generally they were not seen negatively or as prostitutes, but mostly as inspiring female patriots that were helpful for good luck.
Among the other well-known artists specializing in the field were Earle K. Bergey, Enoch Bolles, Gil Elvgren, George Petty, Rolf Armstrong, Zoe Mozert, Duane Bryers and Art Frahm. Notable contemporary pin-up artists include Olivia De Berardinis, known for her pin-up art of Bettie Page.
Characteristics of Pin-Up girls
Being considered a Pin-Up girl in that era, was a compliment. But to be so, you had to represent a series of characteristics which defined those girls. These are the following:
Being a Pin-Up girl meant breaking with the norm, and not caring about doing it, or what people may say. Therefore, you had to be a very self-confident woman, with high self esteem and who did not mind seducing, being daring, spicy, even naughty, always with elegance and glamour, since what differentiated them from other types of women is that they do not fall into vulgarity. In other words, they left the honey on their lips when hinting and suggesting, but without going any further.
Waves, loops, and even toupees were a trademark of pin-up girls. In addition to the colors in the hair, although this was not usual. In fact, there were brunettes and blondes, but redheads used to attract the attention of many, because of that unusual color. Also, they used to decorate their hair with bows, ribbons, and other accessories to give touches of color, especially when it was more “normal”.
Pin-Up girls used to use little, and almost always based on bringing luminosity to the face and the parts of their body that were seen. Where they most sought to enhance their charms, was in the lips and eyes. For this, they used as a favorite the black color in their eyes, with long delineations in the lines of the eyes, and they outlined the eyebrows very well, and increasing the eyelashes. As for the lips, the most common color was red.
Or the lack of it. And it is that as the years passed, the “uncover” was being a characteristic of these images. In the ‘20s, traditional dresses showed parts of the female body, but without going further. However, from the ‘40s things changed, especially the use of illustrations where the artists let their imagination fly a bit, by recreating scantily-clad women (not without them, but short and tight). Nor were the real photographs left behind, since they showed independent, powerful, and self-confident girls, but light clothes. In fact, these photos came to be used to “give away” to their fans, or as a form or presentation for possible jobs.
Contemporary Pin-Up girls
Although pin-up modelling is associated with World War II and in the 1950s, it developed into a subculture which can be seen represented in the styles of some celebrities and public figures. The American singer Lana Del Ray, whose style is comparable to that of the classic pin-up model, has performed a song called “Pin-Up Galore”. Beyonce has recorded a song titled “Why Don’t You Love Me”, which pays tribute to the American pin-up queen of the 1950s Betty Page. The burlesque performer Dita Von Teese is often referred to as a modern pin-up. Von Teese has appeared in a biographical film about Bettie Page, “Bettie Page Reveals All”, in which Von Teese helps to define pin-up. Katy Perry makes use of the ideas associated with pin-up modelling, and has included these in music videos and costumes. Also, Christina Aguilera in the video clip of the song “Candyman” borrows the pin-up style and clothing at the 1950s.
Τhe history and origin of Pin-Up girls is a fascinating and enduring part of popular culture. From their humble beginnings in the 1890s, to their current status as a beloved and long-lasting style, pin-ups have captured the hearts and minds of people around the globe. Whether you are a fan of a classic glamour of the 1940s and 1950s, or the more modern and edgy look of today, there is a pin-up style out there for everyone.
Bibliography:
www.wikipedia.org
www.justlikeapinup.com
www.creativosonline.org