The Pin-Up Predicament

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Remember recently when I was taking about vintage snobbery? Well today I may end up sounding a bit snobby myself, though that is not my intent! I love the pin-up aesthetic! I think people who dress in an exclusively pin-up inspired style are just as awesome as any other vintage loving gal. Still, does it bother me when the general public thinks anything vintage = pin-up? Yes!

Not all pin-up is really vintage, and not all vintage is pin-up (by far!). The two are different, the average housewife didn't have huge victory rolls, a sheer apron, and little more than sky high heels on while she was cooking dinner every night. More likely she had her hair tied in a scarf and a house-dress on under her more practical apron. Not that "pin-up" or "housewife" were the only two styles available either, but I think you get the point. The average woman of the 30's, 40's, 50's probably wasn't a pin-up.

Pin-up inspired retro styles are the ones most replicated today. People call vintage hair styles "pin-up hair". Repro brands always tend to have the sexy sarong dress and cherries-on-black-or-white dress that easily scream pin-up. It seems like pin-up is the most accessible kind of vintage, the kind of retro style people can understand at a moments glance. There is nothing wrong with this of course! Pin-up styles tend to be glam, over the top, and gorgeous, but what about the rest of vintage?

Vintage tends to feel glamorous no matter how overtly "sexy" it is. There is just something about it! I think pin-up styles can be a kind of gateway drug to a full on vintage fashion obsession. It starts innocently enough with a little red lipstick and before you know it your hunting after a particular border print skirt, awkwardly smelling bracelets in public to test if they're Bakelite, and scrolling endlessly through Ebay for old sears catalogs!

Still, perhaps I have some deep seeded prejudice against pin-up. As much as I admire the fun aesthetic, I can't forget that it was once primarily created for the male gaze. I mean seriously, that pin-up up there ^ , the blonde wearing next to nothing nothing and hanging over the stove? Every man's dream right, blonde sexpot making him dinner. It's kinda revolting to a modern feminist. Pin-up is undeniably sexy, sometimes very naughty and sometimes more innocent. Some girls flash a little leg, others are nude. The fact that pin up images were originally published broadly in men's magazines is enough to turn me a bit off.

Still, time has past, and 60+ years on, the pin up has been re-made. Many modern pin up models, and burlesque stars too, have a majority female fan base. Us ladies are re-claiming the very imagery that was once used against us. There is a sort of badassery to putting on a frilly dress, patent leather high heels, and still flat out refusing to make anyone's dinner. (Disclaimer: If you enjoy making your spouse dinner, this is not me hatin' on you, it's the classic stereotype I don't like, not you). I could go on forever! Though I think the topic of feminism vs. retro style is one I will save for another time, because I care deeply about both.

That pin-ups are seen as inherently sexual does pose a conundrum for me though. When someone says to me "cool pin-up look!" I usually take it as a compliment, but I also hope that my vintage style doesn't mean I get automatically associated with pin-up in a broader context. I don't want to be anyone's pin-up, I dress in vintage styles for myself, not for the male gaze. I wonder if because the three things (retro => pin-up => sexy) are linked if it is a bit unavoidable. There are times I go for a more pin-up look, but even then I am doing it for me, because it is a look I enjoy. Does that make me a bad feminist? I don't think so. Dressing however we want is a bold new thing in the realm of being a woman. Or am I overthinking everything?

Where do you stand? Do you find pin-up girls inspiring? Do you aspire to a more pin-up look or to something akin to a more average Jo (Jane!) vintage kinda-look?

I for one wish repro brands would give us everyday vintage lovers a little more well-- love! I want basic solid color 40's dresses in practical modest cuts, actual real separates like wool skirts and simple blouses, 1930's anything! I mean every brand offers the polka dot halter dress, but where are all the real wardrobe staples? I assume because many girls want to have one pin-up style dress in their closet even if they normally wear modern clothes, it is a better bet financially for repro brands to cater to the larger customer base. Us everyday vintage gals are perhaps not the biggest slice of the market.

Comments are welcome, like I said, I could go on about this stuff forever! I know some people hate the word feminist and by association this post may be a bit controversial, but I like to think this is a safe space for discussion! I found some other interesting reads on the same subject and have linked them below :)

The Politics of Pin Up and the Image of Femininity 

7 Reasons Pinup Fashion Is Actually Feminist Even If The Time It Originated In Was Not

War Goddess: The Varga Girls, WII and Feminisim