Modern pin up – Hello, Sailor!

I had to show you these photos because they are the perfect example of a modern take on classic pin up art done right! The photoshoot is called “Hello, Sailor!” for obvious reasons and showcases the Widfox 2013 summer collection.

Designer and photographer Kimberly Gordon clearly had in mind the iconic image of the 50s pin up girl when she created these wonderful images: “I’ve always been a big fan of pin-up art, it’s so extremely American and the history behind the pin-up girl is so interesting. I grew up collecting cheesecake books, I starred as Sandy in the school production of Grease, I listened to Elvis constantly and memorized every oldie I could get my hands on.”

The model they used is probably the best part: Valerie Van Der Graaf looks like an extremely attractive mix of the ultimate pin-up girl and a teasing Lolita with a bubbly personality that shows through in the photos. I’m also really digging the styling; it’s so sexy with a hint of daunting naivete that screams - “she’s not innocent”! All the accessories are wonderful, but then again, I have never seen any garters, suspenders, stockings, over the knee socks or exotic flower garlands I didn't like!

 

 Photos

I hope you will enjoy these as much as I did! What do you think? 
 

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The Real Pin Ups (Gil Elvgren)

Remember how I told you something about my favorite pin up artist - Gil Elvgren - and showed you some of his work here? Well, today is time for part two of that article.

You have to know he used real models for his paintings; he actually felt they were the core of an amazing drawing and had his own criteria for choosing the right girl for a certain project.

Around 1944 Gil was approached by Brown&Bigelow who offered him 1000$ for each pin up and he started to work for them; he had to draw twenty calendar girls each year (they had to be as diverse as possible, from southern belles to sultry east coast beauties).

Elvgren was looking for girls that were new to the modeling business, fresh faced and most importantly full of personality and energy (with mobile and expressive features).

This might sound pretty lecherous, even creepy, but he used to say that his ideal model was a “fifteen-year-ancient face οn a twenty-year-ancient body.” That being said many οf hіѕ models (Kim Novak, Donna Reed, Myrna Loy, Barbara Hale, Arlene Dahl, Myrna Hansen) wеnt οn tο hаνе successful movie careers аftеr posing fοr thе artist.

I’ve dug up some amazing collages with the photos of the girls he used for his drawings and the end result. Elvgren was an enthusiastic photographer and shot hіѕ own model set-ups.

It’s like an old school, vintage Photoshop that I’m sure you’re going to love – you can see what he added or eliminated to create his jaw-dropping and timeless pin ups. I have to say that even the vintage touch-ups are better and more tasteful than the ones we experience in the present. Am I right?

One οf Elvgren’s favorite models wаѕ Janet Rae. He used her a lot especially after moving to

Florida!

 

 This photo is a recent one (2009) - actress Carla Gugino photographed by Matthew Rolston for Vanity Fair - and shows, once again, the everlasting influence of Gil Elvgren work. This is a modern photographic interpretation of Gil's 1964 painting that you can see next!

“Your Move” by Gil Elvgren 1964 

Photos: Source and Source and Source

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Pin up art - Gillette (Gil) Elvgren

I’m a big admirer of old school pin up art, I love some of the 30s to 80s pin up artists, not so much the contemporary ones as they tend to over sexualize and cheapen their work (there are some exception, of course, that I’m going to discuss in the future).

My absolute favorite is by far the amazing Gil Elvgren (1914 – 1980). He was a classical American illustrator with a successful career in advertising (he painted for Coca Cola, General Electric, Ford and many other iconic brands) and numerous published magazine drawings. He studied art at the Minneapolis Art Institute and became one of the most important pin up artists of the twentieth century (in my humble opinion he was the best).

His work is not limited to pin up art, but he is best known for them, especially if we’re talking about the pieces he made for Brown & Bigelow (a legendary firm in the field of calendars and advertising).

Today his original paintings are high commodities; they sell for thousands of dollars and are highly sought-after by collectors and art lovers.

As for his pin up girls, he had an unique eye for the idealized woman figure – never a femme fatale, never vulgar or cheap, his classic pin up was more of the girl next door pictured as a mix of sweet and seductive, caught unaware in a potential embarrassing or funny situation: the wind, plants, small dogs, elevator doors, fences all conspire in rising her skirts and revealing her beautiful, long legs and undergarments.

He also had an exquisite taste in fashion, his girls are always wearing amazing dresses and skirts in the style of the era. Elvgren's pin up girl is happy and natural and I’ll bet you’ll smile reading the witty titles he gives to most of his drawings.

Here are some of my favorites, I have plenty more and I’ll show you them in future articles.

“Hoops My Dear”, 1956

“All Set”, 1956

 

“Jill Needs Jack”, 1950

 “Up In The Air”, 1965

 Cover Up”, 1955

 “He Thinks I’m Too Good To Be True”, 1947

 “Welcome Traveler”, 1955

 “Rare Edition”, 1962

"Pot Luck", 1961

 "Lucky Dog”, 1958

"I've Been Spotted" 1947

 "What’s Up”, 1957

Photo credit

Aren't these just perfect? Looking at them makes me want to wear a beautiful party dress everywhere I go!

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Forever Pin UP

The pin up style has made a comeback in this last decade. Even if the modern pin up girl is different from the “vintage pin up” girl this style has regained the popularity it had in the 50s.

Basically the pin up girls were models, actresses and celebrities who were considered sex symbols and took pictures that had a great appeal and were mass produced becoming part of the popular culture. These pictures could be cut out of magazines, postcards, calendars, posters and could be PINned UP (hence the name) on the walls.

 

 

 

Other pin-ups were artwork, often depicting idealized versions of what some thought a particularly beautiful or attractive woman should look like – kind of an ideal women of each decade.

Surely the pin up girls is not what she used to be but she still has her charms even if she changed her look and lifestyle: she may now have some tattoos, heavier make-up, maybe a motorcycle, who knows, she can actually be a burlesque dancer.:))).

 

Speaking of, you may wonder why has this style emerged as a trend in the recent years? Oh well, everything in this world has something to do with the all mighty www so it’s no wonder one of the factors was the popularity of Suicide Girls, an erotica website that features tattooed and pierced "alternative" models sometimes styled in 1950s-inspired pin-up looks.

Then Bettie Page, one of the most notorious pin-ups, was suddenly hot again mostly due to the biographical movie The Notorious Bettie Page from 2005. At the same time Dita Von Teese and burlesque were l’attraction du jour so you can see know how many little factors can snow ball at the same time and revive or even create a new trend. That's also how an old trend can become relevant again.

 

 

 

 

Photos: 1, 2

So, do you PIN UP? Love this style or not that much?

Soundtrack: Azi ascut Jason Mraz - Butterfly!

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