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Corsets, sheer robes, silk, cotton, flowers and polka dots and everything nice! That’s what pinup unmentionables are made of. For your pleasure and education, here’s a peep at pinup lingerie- then and now.
There was an age, when you could catch a pinup in regular, every day panties. White cotton shorts that would peep out from a scandalously flowing skirt. With the rise of girlie magazines, came a demand for more risque cheesecake. Artists, happily obliged and today there is a huge collection of drawings of the day’s finest lingerie and fantasy wear.
Your Basic Shorts and Matching Br
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It is said that up until the grand opening of Frederick's of Hollywood, in Hollywood, panties were merely a device for body hygiene. Pinup artists, however, present an idealized picture of the 30’s, as well as the 40’s and 50’s. The simplest was an all-covering, high-waist, brief-cut panties, that would cover the garter belt (a must have for any self-respecting-stockings-wearing woman). Usually paired off with a matching bra, sporting embroidery and flower patterns, usually made of silk, lace or satin.
The briefs are usually associated with “the working girl”. She’s in the middle of work, she’s ironing her skirt, or getting dressed for her busy day. It’s an old-school design, and rarely redone today, even though briefs have been back in style for a while, now. Apart from this Olivia De Berardinis homage to Betty Page, I couldn’t find modern briefs. Today’s artists seem to prefer fantasy lingerie, but I’ll get to that later.Polka Dots
Nothing spells retro like polka dots. Even though a thorough look through online pinup archives will show that they are considerably rare. Small polka dots would appear on dresses, while the big ones were reserved for the bathing suits. It’s very rare to see polka dots on under-garments, possibly because their playfulness- too much cute, not enough sexy. That would probably be the reason why you won’t see them on most of today’s pinups. But don’t despair, I’ve managed to find a contemporary artist who does polka dots.This is Carlos Cartagena’s work and he does many old-school homages to the pinup greats.
See Through Robes and Night Gowns
The greatest thing since Wonder Bread: The see through robe. Many pinups sport the see through robe and there seems to be no special characteristic needed. Whether coy and seductive or stumped and in distress - you gotta have a see-through robe.
Although an item that still sells well, the see through robes didn’t quite make the neo-pinup evolution. The see-through night gown went through some changes, too.
It is a rarity among contemporary artists - not the fabric of choice. But more on that later. I did find that Greg Hildebrandt of the Hildebrandt Brothers has a specific love of draping fabrics, and many a sheer robes pass through his art.
The Corset
The Corset is a Long lost relic of feminine oppression, yet women all over the world love them. (After they took out the wale-bone, who wouldn’t! ;) ) The fetish factor has been attached to the corset, ever since it stopped being an every-day item. It’s been popular throughout the history of pinups and due to the contemporary scene of BDSM it has been rediscovered with a vengeance. While the old pinup masters poked fun at the corset, the contemporary artists take them very seriously.
The Little Black Teddy
Coco Chanel had The Little Black Dress, pinups have The Little Black Teddy. No matter if you’re 1930’s or 2000’s this is a staple of your pinup couture. It seems you can track this piece all the way back to the 30’s, with lacy trimmings and find it today, made of shiny latex and paired with dominatrix boots.
Fantasy and Fetish
It’s interesting to see the evolution of the sexual fantasy. Eighty to Sixty years ago, when transportation was a little slower, there were wild fantasies of exotic races and cultures. Hula skirts, belly dancers and Native American feathers were all the rage.
In today’s cyber village, it seems the common fantasy of the Dominatrix has become the norm. Fantasy-art elements join this image and in many cases the pinup isn’t human, at all. A marvelous array of perfectly built, extremely realistic, fantastic pinups, are the new fantasy. Lingerie is no longer lingerie, as the situation of the woman in her reality is unclear.
As for more “down-to-earth” fantasies, to this day the maid is apparently a big hit. The little homemaker with the little apron- a stellar and the bunny has ruled since playboy came along. The most modern addition is the school-girl.Featured Artists by Order of Appearance:
Vaughan Alden Bass
Rolf Armstrong
Art Frahm
Olivia De Berardinis
Gil Elvgren
Erich Sokol - The picture was taken by me from the book Playboy: 50 Years: The Cartoons.
Alberto Vargas
Carlos Cartagena
Bill Ward
Bill Medcalf
Bill Randall
Robert Skemp
Marcus Gray
Greg Hildebrandt
Paul Corfield
Billy De Vorss
Donald Rust
Peter Driben
Hajime Sorayama
Hubert De Lartigue
Earl MacPherson
Enoch Bolles
Al Buell
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4 comments:
What an AWESOME blog you have!!
great collection of pictures! as always, a tasty and educational pinup educational history lesson.
wonderful!
kudos.
Thanks Poetryman!
It's my pleasure :)
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