Blush dresses and white socks, or poster girls
A blushed pea dress, white socks, hair arranged in fickle curls and a dazzling smile peeking out from behind red lips - the image of pin-up girls is still extremely recognizable, and some ladies choose to use it in modern times as well. It all started in the 1940s and 1950s. At that time, a trend was created that took over all of America. The term pin-up girls was used to describe glamorous women who were styled in a certain way. Bettie Page is considered the precursor and one of the most famous representatives of the pin-up trend. Her wide smile and flirtatious look brought her enormous popularity, which was not diminished even by numerous scandals and problems in her personal life. The name pin-up itself is derived from English and directly translated means to pin up, to hang. It is related to the way the image of women was used. Initially, images of pin-up girls were printed especially on posters, which men then hung in their homes or workplaces. Over time, the graphics appeared not only on posters anymore, but also on postcards, calendars and even on... the beaks of American bombers. Pin-up girls were supposed to cheer the soldiers into battle during World War II. One of the icons of pin-up style became Marilyn Monroe.
What is pin-up style all about?
Pin-up style is all about celebrating femininity. In the 1940s and 1950s, the ideal was an hourglass-shaped figure, but with the right tricks also ladies with a different body shape could look like the so-called cover girls. The basis was slimming underwear, which helped achieve the proportions dreamed of. An important role was played by the then fashionable bardot, which emphasized the bust. Among clothes, flared dresses reigned supreme, which were often combined with tight sweaters. Among the popular patterns were peas, cherries, as well as all kinds of navy motifs. With time, more and more ladies also opted for pencil skirts and dresses. In the archival materials you can also come across numerous photos from beach sessions. Here one-piece outfits with short shorts dominated. An indispensable attribute of every beach girl was a large straw hat. Many thematic sessions were also created. Ladies played the roles of nurses or cowgirls, among others. Nowadays, some ladies decide to smuggle the fashions of those years into everyday life. In stores you can increasingly see a wide selection of flared skirts and dresses. Their effect is further enhanced by tulle petticoats, which add volume to the whole.
Essential accessories
In pin-up style, accessories and makeup and hairstyle play a very important role. In the makeup, the focus is on strong accents. The eyes are emphasized with black lines and heavily inked eyelashes. In turn, the lips are highlighted with red lipstick. The whole look is complemented by rosy cheeks, which add some lightness. Pin-up girls were also distinguished by their hairstyles. The most common were wide curls, which were either pinned up at the sides or created a fancy fringe. Accessories included eye-catching bows or headbands. Knowing these details, you can easily recreate the pin-up style or create a subtle reference to it. It is not necessary to decide on the entire styling, for example, red lips, a distinctive hairstyle and a red shirt tied under the breasts will suffice. In turn, when paired with a flared dress, lush curls can be replaced by straight hair. An interesting reference to the fashion of those years are pins, which can be pinned both to the clothes and to the bag. When it's a bit cooler outside, stylish socks are a good option. Socks or knee-high socks with a bow can be worn with both sports shoes and heels. It all depends on what effect we want to achieve.
