Pinups of the 50’s didn’t just spring out
of midair. These images reflect their times.
(as all art does.) So I set out to find
authentic images that will shed light on
pinup art.
Those Cool Cats
The 50’s, like any time in history, weren’t
as carefree as you may imagine. Most people
worked hard, African Americans were
struggling and really, the only ones exuding
that familiar Happy Days/Grease carefree
glamor were the teenagers of white suburbia.
They were fashionable and fun-loving and like
many post-modern generations after them, they
were to be icons who reflect their times
(missing some historical facts in the process
).
The Girls
Girls were mostly
prim and proper. Not much like those
nasty girls who showed their garters on
the girly calendars. Long skirts that
reach under the knee and a buttoned up
blouse. The bold ones would sport a
tight sweater (obviously not that tight
by todays standards) and some lipstick.
The hair, usually parted at the side
with a look that was done with curlers.
Bathing suits were one-piece and glasses
were as eccentric as they ever got.
The Guys
If you’re not
frightened to death yet, then the
clean-cut boys will have you running for
the hills. Influenced by Jimmy Dean,
Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley, these
boys laid the grease thick and combed
the hair back. The cool cats would curl
a bit to the front and grow out the
sideburns (first true sign of
rebellion). The shirts usually buttoned
and pants were high, but when Levi’s
came in, they’d fold’em up and show
some... urm... socks?
Their Parents
If you thought these kids were a little
square, try their stuffy parents. A suit and
tie for dad at work, leaving the tie at home
for casual occasions. and a flowery dress for
mom. If mom did work (it began with World War
II) then a white button blouse and a skirt
below the knees was the thing. Although pants
did start to appear. If you truly compare the
kid’s images to the parents, you’ll see the
differences are almost none-existent. Compare
that with the generational gap of the punk
era, or today’s Emo-kids: it’s a whole
different scale of defiance.
African Americans
The fifties were
years of struggle for the African
Americans, but there were already black
entertainers, long before that, and
there for- it’s safe to assume- icons of
style. And while they were second rate
citizens in America, their own American
identity was forming and with it a black
culture. Of course it leaned on white
culture, and as the image shows, the men
wear suits and the women have the
curlers and side-part hair.
This image of the children shows that there
wasn’t any real difference in style: sweaters
poodle skirts for the girls and button-down
shirts for the boys. By this image you could
be fooled into thinking there’s no difference
between these kids and the kids in the
begining of the article.
The Rich
The rich also had a
big part of the iconic look of the
1950’s, as they brought in the glamor of
Hollywood (but that is an entirely
different article). The high-heels,
fancy furs and perfect make up indicate
these women’s status in society.
Hope you enjoyed my little time capsule,
Tags: Pinup Look, 1950's, African Americans, status in society, prim and proper, Fifties teenagers, glamor of Hollywood, 50's girls, Greasers, Levi's, Rebellious teens, teenagers of white
suburbia
