Pin-Ups : A Trend for the Holidays and Beyond…
Retro beauty is a hot trend among beauty makers. Names like Bettie Page, Dita Von Teese and Alberto Vargas have become commonplace and the looks they inspire have carved out a sought after, solid category for the industry. Move over Waif. Step aside Rap Diva. The Pin-Up girl has returned.
The roots of the “modern” pin-up can be traced to the Gibson Girl in America. Illustrator Charles Dana Gibson portrayed the feminine ideal in the late 19th/early 20th centuries through his pen and ink drawings. This early standard paved the way for American beauty for decades to come. Several key elements combinedto form this alluring creature, including: 1) a tall and slender body, with generous bosom and hips 2) the “hourglass” figure of corseted fashions 3)youthful features and 4) confident, sexy, and a sometimes teasing demeanor.
Calendars were the most common form of pin-up material at the turn of the century. By the 1920’s Hollywood began branding their leading stars with pin-up style photography, and from the 1930’s artists like Alberto Vargas immortalized the modern pinup in mainstream magazines such as Esquire, Cosmopolitan, and the Saturday Evening Post. Art Deco drawings of the pin up girl were considered to be fine enough for these mainstream periodicals, but as the decades went on the style changed to becoming more risqué and provocative, ultimately landing Playboy the steady outlet for Vargas illustrations.
WWII G.I.s took untold numbers of pinup art overseas with them, most notably photographs of Rita Hayworth and Betty Grable. American pin-up infiltrated the battle grounds in the barracks, painted on the noses of war planes, and as calendars and booklets produced as morale boosters.
With the introduction of explicit men’s magazines (Penthouse showed pubic hair in the 1970’s), pin-up art, by comparison, seemed quaint and sentimental. The market demand for material was easily satisfied through ever more daring and explicit photography as illustration started to wither. However there are many photo studios and artists returning to a simpler, happier depiction of alluring American beauty.
Doing an internet search for pin-up photography will return page after page of studios across the country that specialize in turning fans of pin-up girls into actual pin-up girls.
In Atlanta we caught up with Kellyn Willey, owner of PinUpGIrl! Cosmetics in order to learn more about the Atlanta pin-up client.
“A Pin-Up girl is seen as any confident woman with a fantastic personality that emulates true grace, sophistication, intelligence, humor and beauty. Some iconic Pin-Up girls that first come to mind are sensational talents like Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, Josephine Baker and Sophia Loren. Any one of any age, ethnicity and body type can be their own Pin-Up. It just takes a few ounces of courage, the ability to laugh at yourself and leave the creation of your perfect Pin-up styling to us.
Our typical customer is a wide-spectrum of individuals: from teenagers and 20 somethings who want to celebrate the iconic imagery they see in current celebrity trends to women in their senior years reminiscing of the glamour of the post WWII era. Every client we have is very different from the last. Some clients are our neighbors, while some fly in from Miami, Philadelphia, St. Louis and even the Bahamas. There is a service for every client, no matter their budget. We are known for being an affordable outlet for both women and men who are looking for an uncommon occasion that allows them to witness a positive transformation in their composure and self esteem, which can also be given as a one-of-a-kind gift for a special someone.
Pictured here is our newest Pin-up, Renee, before and after her incredible transformation. Renee is a freelance writer, mother of two and stellar housewife. She found us through our myspace page just a few weeks ago, booked a hair and makeup appointment and has been apart of our PinUpGirl family ever since. Her look is evocative of the dazzling glamour of early 1960s seen in Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Ann-Margaret and recently the female cast of “Mad Men”.”
Hair, Makeup & Photography by: PinUpGirl! Cosmetics
Jewels provided by: VINTAGEsparkles by VONschmalhausen www.vonschmalhausen.com
PinUpGirl! Cosmetics is now located in Historic Grant Park in between Liberty Tattoo and Solstice Café with over 1,500 sq ft of delightfully vintage-inspired apparel, jewelry, accessories and gifts along with our famous services of Pin-up style photo shoots and makeup applications. www.pinupgirlcos.com 566 A Blvd SE, Atlanta GA 30312 404|688|7468.
Resources:www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/pinupart
more info and reading:
Atlanta Burlesque:
http://syrensofthesouth.weebly.com/
http://www.blastoffburlesque.com/
A good Atlanta Burlesque Blog:http://atlantaburlesque.blogspot.com/
Pin up Info:
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