Charming Pin-Up Girls: Distinctive Features
Sexy, sophisticated, mesmerizing. the very image of a pin-up girl appears before people. Pin-up girls were the adoration of many men in the 20th century, but modern men are not averse to admiring the beauty of pin-ups. Today we will discuss the history and features of the emergence of the pin-up style.
Contents of the article:
The history of the first pin-up pictures
The history of pin-up began in what is now the United States in the 19th century. The founder of the pin-up style was the American artist K. D. Gibson. It was this man who began to draw the “ideal” girl, whom almost the whole world imitated. This artist’s girl was initially considered the ideal of female beauty. Such figures with a full chest, waist and beautiful wide hips were known as “hourglass”. In addition, the women in Gibson”s illustrations were always fashionable, had voluminous hair and a rebellious character.
Besides Gibson, another American artist, G. Christie, tried to create his own feminine ideal of beauty, presenting an elegant woman with a perfectly round face and a chiseled figure. A little later, the above-mentioned artists joined forces to create Pin-Up Girl magazine, which remains unchanged to this day. Later, pin-up girls began to be used for advertising purposes, and more explicit images appeared, which attracted a larger audience. Even the most famous brands, such as Coca-Cola, used famous girls in their advertising.
Strict censorship in the early 20th century meant that fully nude photographs of pin-up girls could not be published in advertising or magazines. It was then that Gibson and Christie”s followers came up with a brilliant idea. Various artists depicted girls with a hint of eroticism, which only stimulated and fueled the imagination of the male audience.
Girls began to be drawn in light, sexy dresses that exposed their legs, which were accidentally blown away by the wind or the dress got caught on objects. Straps dropped from dresses and bodices, compromising poses and rebellious makeup became the hallmarks of the pin-up style. During the war years, the popularity of the pin-up girl reached its zenith in the second half of the 20th century. Real models began to pose for artists in magazine calendars and pictures. Marilyn Monroe has become one of the most popular and famous pin-up models. Marilyn”s figure was considered the ideal of beauty, every woman in the world imitated her, and men secretly dreamed of her through pin-up images. After strict post-war censorship was lifted, pin-up beauties began to appear in more revealing outfits, such as swimsuits, sheer shirts, or going completely nude. Millions of magazines and calendars featuring nude pin-up girls began to be published and quickly sold out.
Read also: The image of a girl in the USSR — what is it like? We start with the 20s and 30s who are the best girls in the USSR? A catchphrase thanks to the nostalgia of the early 2000s. Talking about certain Soviet standards and criteria of beauty does not work.
The pin-up style does not lose its relevance today. Many popular brands still use them for advertising purposes. Pin-up style photo shoots are also very popular among both Hollywood stars and ordinary girls.
Distinctive features of a pin-up
To understand what makes the pin-up style unique, it is necessary to take a closer look at its function. Clothing in the pin-up style is extremely diverse: sundresses, dresses, shirts, shorts and bodysuits. The main principle of clothing is to emphasize femininity and natural sexuality, while highlighting all the advantages of a woman. Therefore, clothes should fit tightly to the body and emphasize mainly the girl’s chest and hips. At the same time, clothing colors and prints play an important role. Above all, this style showcases bright red, blue, yellow, polka dot, plaid or floral prints. Pin-up makeup should not be too flashy, but it should contain bright accents. First of all, with the help of black arrows and lips, as well as scarlet or burgundy shadows, pin-ups highlight their eyes. As a rule, pin-up hairstyles are large, bouncy curls or buns of hair gathered into a neat hairstyle. In most cases, the hairstyle is complemented with accessories, such as a beautiful polka dot headband or a bright scarf.
More revealing pin-up styles may feature high-waisted swimsuits, bodysuits, corsets and sheer negligees, while the main attributes are halter stockings and elegant high-heeled shoes. Soviet pin-ups The pin-up style also gained popularity in Russia. Indeed, Soviet pin-ups differ from the American image. At the end of the 20th century, Soviet artist V. Balikin invented his own pin-up style. At first, Balikin created a kind of props, which for the first time combined the beauty of Soviet posters and pin-ups. The posters turned out to be ironic, but at the same time they perfectly corresponded to the image of Soviet women. Balikin depicted the working life of Soviet men and women, a typical Soviet situation, accompanied by deadly beauty.
Despite the fact that Soviet society was initially extremely negative and condemned such posters, the artist did not stop drawing and came up with more and more interesting posters. The result of all the work of the national artist was the recognition of his work by society and the participation of his portraits and posters in national exhibitions and festivals.
Modern pin up
Today, many designers are returning to the pin-up style, suggesting that modern girls will once again wear vintage, elegant dresses that highlight their body shape.
Modern style differs from that of the previous century in that it encourages women to dress less revealingly, as in 20th century America, and instead to wear more feminine and discreet dresses. Modern pin-ups also do not exclude wearing shorts, trousers and denim overalls. At the same time, a modern girl does not have to have a spectacular figure like Marilyn Monroe. They just need to properly highlight their figure so that everything looks harmonious and seductive.
Where to apply pin up style?
Today, the style is mostly seen in photo shoots, but pin-ups can be used for a variety of purposes.
- Pin-up for fancy dress parties. When planning a masquerade evening, you can try yourself in the image of a deadly beauty and please everyone around you, especially men.
- Role-playing games. Initially, poster beauties were printed to please the male gaze, so pin-up images can be safely used for role-playing games with men. Any man will definitely like the image of a passionate and bright girl.
- For first dates. If a woman wants to make a memorable impression on a first date and be remembered by men, try a pin-up look.
To summarize, the pin-up style is the most passionate and feminine image that men remember and, as such, increases their interest in beauty.
Russian pin-up 2. posters with humor in the style of the 50s.
