History of the Prodigious Pin-Up Girl

Let’s get one thing straight about pin-up girls: we aren’t the kind of women you catcall or proposition for a good time. We may exude sex appeal, but we do so with poise and elegance that commands the utmost respect. Pin-up is an art form that has been drawing attention to the figures, strength and independence of women since the early 1800s. Let’s take a look at how we San Diego pin-up models got our start with the suffragist movement.

The early 19th century paved the way for female independence, thanks in large part to the suffragettes. These women didn’t just fight for the right to vote; they were also averse to social norms of the time, including clothing. The most important example of this was

the choice to wear bloomers over dresses and skirts.

When ladies ditched the skirts, they began to show off their delicate waists and full hips. While we continue to wear skirts and dresses today, this bold move made it more acceptable for women to show off their curvaceous figures. It may have also spurred the Burlesque movement later that century.

As Burlesque dancers became more prominent in the late 19th century, so did their photographic advertisements. These clever entrepreneurs learned early on that sex appeal sells, and they taught a thing or two to salesmen who used these same ladies to advertise products on their calendars. Thus, the calendar girl was born. Busty, curvy women poised beautifully above advertisements for everyday consumer goods became the norm, and it’s a marketing technique we still use today. But it wasn’t until the birth of the Gibson Girl that pin-up attained its signature style: the aloof and unattainable beauty.

The Gibson Girl was the creation of Life magazine

illustrator, Charles Dana Gibson, who based this curvy beauty on his wife’s family. She was the dark-haired, voluptuous beauty men could only hope to have on their arms.

This aesthetic became the ideal for American men and women alike, and it wasn’t long before other magazines produced Gibson copycats such as the Fisher and Christy Girls. By the 20th century, this independent beauty would take on a new look for a greater cause.

When World War I was in full swing, pin-up became one of the most effective means of recruitment. Busty women in sailor suits and army helmets decorated windows and walls, luring men to enlist.

Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t put their life on the line with a bunch of gorgeous women calling their manhood into question? I assume that’s why this campaign was so successful. What can I say? Women love a man in uniform.

After the war, women cleaved to the independence they gained from the last decade. The ‘20s ushered in a new brand of pin-up girl: the flapper with bobbed hair and hiked skirts. While the aesthetic took a turn, the attitude remained the same.

It wasn’t until the next world war that the world would see a resurgence of the buxom beauty reminiscent of the Gibson Girl.

By the 1940s and ‘50s, shapely and independent women like Bettie Page started paving the way for future women like Bernie Dexter, who would embody the look and attitude we recognize as the pin-up girl of today.

While there was a bisect in the 1950s that bred gentleman’s magazines like Playboy, pin-up has preserved the idea of the aloof and unattainable beauty.

Us women come in many shapes, sizes, ethnic and lifestyle backgrounds, but we share a common goal: to preserve the grace and elegance of the pin-ups before us while providing our own unique flare to this long-standing art form. But don’t take my word for it. Check out the Hellcat Honeys of San Diego today to learn how my fellow Hellcats have embraced and modified this empowering aesthetic.

Much love,

Lucy Locket xoxo