Comment by Devyn Beth on November 8, 2012 at 7:45pm

I've always love the style of the 40s and 50s.... when I was just a little girl my favorite movies were  The Wizard of Oz, Blue Hawaii (Elvis!!,)  and Grease.  In Jr. High, when everyone else was listening to Nirvana I was listening to the oldie's station.   My body shape is way more Marilyn than it is any super model of today, and the pinup style just fits me better.. body and soul! 

Comment by Tahitia Belle Fille on November 12, 2012 at 8:48pm

First of all, this is an AMAZING idea for a blog post, thank you so much for starting it. Second, that is an absolutely beautiful picture of Mr. Moore's "Freedie Girl" figurine, your boyfriend really sounds like a great and thoughtful guy to have gotten you something that represents such a beautiful memory from your childhood.

I honestly can't say that I know about Mr. Moore, but just by looking at his figurine it's easy to see that he was a talented artist, and I can really see how his style and his fellow artists at Disney could leave such an impression on his fans :)

Now as for my original influence... well the oldest influence that I can remember would have to be none other than Ms. Betty Boop! She is just a little doll who enjoys being a girly girl, wiggling, giggling and having the time of her life in the process. I used to have really short hair when I was younger, and I really loved how adorable hers looked growing up, and she always had the best outfits to wear getting no shortage of whistles in the process.

Even today just watching one of her old cartoons (especially her PRE-Hays Code cartoons) always makes me smile even when I'm feeling down. Betty you are a doll even after all these years :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZIoJtoxCmE

A more recent pinup inspiration would definitely have to be Mr. Gil Elvgren, a pinup girl's favourite pinup artist. He always found a way to draw women in flattering, whimsical and stunningly beautiful ways. Their hair was always done, their outfits were always gorgeous, and they had personalities that somehow just leapt off of the canvas.

I mean, how could you NOT want to be one of the women in his illustrations? Whether they're sliding down their staircase railing, getting your dress caught in a laundry press or standing up a swing like you're just a big kid at heart :)

Comment by Erica Monique Bass on November 14, 2012 at 1:10pm

My Original influence was YOU! I saw you wearing the Lizbeth in red dress (yep, the one in my profile picture) after my bf bought it for me while I was recuperating in the hospital. 

I appreciated the contributions that Eartha Kitt and Dorothy Dandridge did for the black community and the silver screen but I never really focused on their look until after I received the Lizbeth dress and saw the photo of you in it. It was then that I started to research black pinups :)

Comment by Lindsey Durden on November 14, 2012 at 1:32pm

I think my love for the 50's was always inside me waiting to come out. I was obsessed with Grease when I was 7 or 8 and watched it everyday when I cam home from school. And I always loved listening to my grandparents oldies tapes. Then when I was 14 I fell in love with Elvis. And that was it. I loved the way the girls looked who he were in his movies and who he was photograhed with in the 50's. I wanted to look like one of "Elvis's girls". So I started looking for vintage clothing and that's when I discovered the rockabilly/pin-up scene. That was when I was 16, I'm 20 now and I finally feel like I've perfected my look and found my style. But I can still see those original influences.

Comment by Mary Hoover on November 14, 2012 at 4:21pm

Being raised by my grandmother helped to influence my love of the 40's and 50's style. Her closet was filled with the latest fashion of that era. It also didn't hurt that she happened to be a sales girl at the local Buffums in Long Beach during that time as well... the woman knew how to dress! Although she had long retired after I came to live with her, it was the highlight of my youth to play dress up with all her clothes, shoes and fashion accessories! Disney definitely added to my love of the female figure, as well as the old Hollywood movies I grew up watching, and the musicians of the era as well. It was an era where a woman was a woman, the clothes were fashionable yet flattering... & sexy but still classy. The vintage look will always be a staple in my wardrobe. When I found PUG, I knew I found a keeper. Thank you for keeping this 40 something mother of 3 fashionable & sexy... my husband thanks you also!  ;)

Comment by Michelle Pia on November 14, 2012 at 5:01pm

I Love these blogs and reading what people share :) I have to say Miss Piggy influenced me alot as a child toward fashion. I was on a muppet marathon this weekend, and noticing just how stylish Miss Piggy always was in the films, My grandmother was also an influence as a child she would always love to do my hair in pretty and older fashions.  She would also love to teach all the grandchildren  to dance usually to older music. I remember once we were dancing to "rock around the clock". My mom also influenced me in fashion as a child she owned a Boutique of women's and children's clothing. I remember being in a fashion show she held at her store as a little girl. My bestie in college her grandmother grew up with Ava Gardner in North Carolina. Yes the Ava Gardner and I remember visiting my friend and seeing Ava pic's from growing up. It was really nice to see the history. Also lately I've become more aware of my great aunt Gloria Romero I have in the Philippines who is an actress there. I have a lovely picture of her my mom and aunt together that I cherish. I've discovered her pictures from the 50's and seeing her style and knowing she is a relative of mine is very nice and inspiring. She is still alive today. Here is a link to some current and older pics of her https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gloria-Romero/102048996273?sk=photos... I would love to have a shoot someday inspired with her in mind.

Comment by Coca on November 16, 2012 at 4:03pm

My initial introduction to "pinups" came from a grandmother and great aunt. I always had "issues" aka "curves" that required everything to be taken in at the waist, especially if it was a dress. I remember one time I "complained" to my grandmother about my waist being the smallest part of my upper body. Well my great aunt over heard the conversation and said that my grandmother had a killer body like Lena Horne when she was my age. My grandmother laughed about it but stated her body was no where near mine. She said I had fuller breast, slimmer legs, longer torso, the perfect bootie, round hips, killer thighs and much, much taller than what she was (she was barely 5" and I'm 5'8").  She went on to introduce me to Lena, Dorothy, Eartha and Marilyn. She told me she remember women used to wear girdles, stuff their bras etc to have curvier bodies like these women. She said men would say they wanted a woman with a "Coca Cola body"- meaning at the time the Coca Cola bottle had a curvy shape like a woman's body. She called me "Coca" from that day forward. In seeing these gorgeous women, it truly helped me to open my eyes on embracing my natural curves, that I have been blessed with. 

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