Red Lips, War Jobs, and Pin-Up Power: A Brief History of Boudoir Photography – Part 2

What’s more iconic than a Pin-Up girl with bright red lipstick, soft curls, and a curve-hugging outfit? In this post, we’re diving into the history of the Pin-Up look and how it continues to inspire today’s boudoir photography. Before we hit the WWII era, let’s rewind to the late 1800s.

Last week we explored the controversy of the French Postcards that were popular collectors items in the 1800s and into the early 1900s. Back then, burlesque performers also made photo cards to promote their shows, and they’d pin them up backstage or collectors would pin them up to display on their walls (Joanne Meyerowitz, 42-44). That’s actually where the word “pin-up” came from!

At the same time, photography started bleeding into other areas advertising and pop culture. Cigarette companies slipped boudoir-style photos of actresses into their packaging for people to collect. The images were examples of the how photography quickly intertwined, art, advertisement, mass consumption culture, and the rise of celebrities (Rebekah Burgess Abramovich). Much like the postcards, these little collectable photographs displayed women in revealing and form fitting outfits and would often feature well known actresses and performers.

The Vargas Girls

During WWI and WWII, Pin-Up girls became icons of hope and beauty for soldiers overseas. Their images reminded troops of home, love, and life beyond war. While photographs of celebrities and actresses were popular, some wildly circulated images weren’t always real photos! Some of most famous Pin-Up images were illustrations by Alberto Vargas (1896-1982).

The style of “the Vargas Girl pinup, with her long legs, narrow waist, and 'sumptuous' figure, was a major military morale booster” (St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture ). The Vargas Girl, often featured in Esquire magazine, were “so popular that from 1942 to 1946, owing to a high volume of military demand, 9 million copies of the magazine-without adverts and free of charge was sent to American troops stationed overseas and in domestic bases" (Buszek, 210). The styles of the Vargas Girls inspired much of what we image when we think of a Pin-Up girl with the bold lip, curled hair, and poses that showed off long legs and slender waists. This style also influenced images painted on war planes during World War II, a trend that is known as "nose art."

"It's Our War Too!" - Victory Jobs during WWII

The U.S. government used images of women in posters and propaganda during both World Wars to spread important information and recruit both men and women into wartime roles (The Seamstress of Bloomsbury). The posters used for war recruitment were definitely more tame than the Vargas Girls shown in Esquire, but the glamorous styling of the women shown similar to Pin-Up with full faces of makeup, even while advertising very unglamorous jobs.

While American women weren’t fighting with rifles the frontlines, they played important roles at home and in support units like the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), Women’s Airfare Service Pilots (WASP), Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES), the Red Cross, and many other similar groups. Boudoir beauty met real-world strength as women filled jobs in factories, farms, and offices. Posters showed women in glam makeup and stylish clothes, even while welding or working machinery.

These “victory jobs” came with challenges, but also new opportunities. The posters featuring beautiful Pin-Up styled girls, “suggested that underneath that rough welding mask lay a carefully coiffed woman whose femininity remained intact despite the national upheaval” (Delano, 45-46). Women were crossing into traditionally male roles, so ads and propaganda tried to remind the public that these women were still feminine.

Images of women were also used to discourage men from dangerous behavior while away from home during the war. The U.S. Government needed to ensure soliders would not casually share sensitive infomration that could turn deadly in the wrong hands and keep them healthy enough to continue to fight. Posters would encourage men to be cautious of what they shared, especially while in the company a beautiful young woman, and to think twice of sexual escapades that could lead to the spread of STD's. These posters showed women with more exaggerated and heavy makeup and very form fitting clothing that left little to the imagination.

The glamorous Pin-Up could be both a source of hope and inspiration but also a warning of the dangers of illicet behavior and the sexually liberated woman. Women during this time had to navigate the fine line of expressing feminine beauty, a sense of self, and newfound independence without getting label as a harlot or loose woman that threatened the rules and expectations of women in American society (Delano, 43-50).

Red Lips and Victory Curls

During a time of restrictions and rations to preserve essential material for use in the war, the War Production Board (WPB) did not restrict many cosmetic items (Delano, 43). Cosmetics, especially red lipstick, were considered an essential item and stayed on the shelves during the war. Germany and the USSR were even criticized by the U.S. media for the lack of availability of cosmetics, during the war. It was touted as a sign of the weakness of the enemy countries and the "superiority" of the United States (Delano, 47-50). A tube of bright red lipstick became a sign of patriotism and strength for American women.

Not even hairstyles were untouched by the World Wars. Starlet Veronica Lake had been known for her long waves that dramatically fell over one eye. Many women imitated Lake’s signature hairstyle, but long loose hair was a safety hazard when working in a factory. During WWII, the US government by produced guides, featuring Veronica Lake,  on hair styling for safety in war production jobs. This helped to popularize and glamorize “industrial fashion” that “set the style of a war way of life” ("Hair Style for Safety WWII"). Instead of long flowing tresses, the war-time styles featured updos, victory curls, and tied up in scarves. Stylish and out of the way while putting in a shift at the munitions factory!

Why the Pin-Up Style Still Inspires Boudoir Photography

Some criticize the Pin-Up style as just another way women were sexually objectified throughout history. But for many women, it represents strength, confidence, and self-expression. The bold, glamorous, and sensual Pin-Up look reminds us of a time when women were stepping into more independent roles, joining the workforce, taking on war jobs, and becoming more visible in public life during the 20th century. It was a style that captured both femininity and power at a pivotal moment in history.

The Pin-Up style still inspires boudoir photoshoots today. So many women bring that vintage vibe into their boudoir portraits with bold red lips, classic victory curls, or 1940s-style lingerie. Whether you're booking a boudoir shoot with a modern twist or going full retro glam, it's all about celebrating strength and beauty. At Belle Marie Boudoir, we love honoring those powerful women from history who balanced hard work with glamour, and we’re here to help you do the same.

Belle Marie Boudoir: Empowerment in Every Session

The pin-up era showed that women could take ownership of their image, confident, strong, and unapologetically themselves. That same spirit continues today through modern boudoir photography. At Belle Marie Boudoir, we see this every day.

We’re an all-female team based in Minnesota who believe in the power of boudoir. Some of our clients arrive nervous about boudoir sessions at first, but by the end, they’re glowing with confidence. We’ve photographed clients from every background, age, and experience level, and each session tells its own story.

A boudoir shoot can be deeply healing. Whether it’s after a tough season, a big life change, or simply because you want to celebrate who you are, it’s an empowering experience. Our studio offers full boudoir photography makeup, wardrobe guidance, and gentle support every step of the way. We’re proud to offer Minnesota boudoir photography that uplifts and empowers.

Boudoir today is so much more than just sexy pictures, it’s a celebration of self-worth, resilience, and beauty in every form.

We’ll laugh with you, we’ll cry with you, and we promise you’ll leave with photos that remind you just how beautiful and powerful you truly are.

If you made it to the end, thanks for sticking with me! The history of women during WWI and WWII is a topic I spent a lot of time studying during grad school, so I get a little excited when I get to bring it up. Just be glad I didn't make you all read my Master's Thesis: "On War and Home Front:" Portrayals of Soviet Women in American Written Media from World War II Into The Early Cold War. While I promise that it's more interesting than it sounds, I'll spare you this time!

If you haven't already read part 1 or 2 you can check those out here!

Part 1: Boudoir Didn’t Start with Instagram: A Brief History of Boudoir Photography

Part 3: From Playboy to Personal Empowerment: A Brief History of Boudoir Photography

Works Cited

Abramovich, Rebekah Burgess. “Becoming the Advertisement: Daisy Murdoch as ‘Cupid’ on 1880s Tobacco Cards.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 29 July 2014, www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/becoming-the-advertisement-daisy-murdoch.

Buszek, Maria Elena. Pin-up Grrrls: Feminism, Sexuality, Popular Culture. Duke University Press, 2007.

Delano, Page Dougherty. “Making up for war: Sexuality and citizenship in wartime culture.” Feminist Studies, vol. 26, no. 1, 2000, p. 33, https://doi.org/10.2307/3178592.

“Hair Style for Safety WWII.” YouTube, YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgpvKXLTwr8. Accessed 20 Sept. 2025.

Meyerowitz, Joanne. “Women, cheesecake, and borderline material: Responses to Girlie Pictures in the mid-twentieth-century U.S.” Journal of Women’s History, vol. 8, no. 3, Sept. 1996, pp. 9–35, https://doi.org/10.1353/jowh.2010.0424.

St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, Encyclopedia.com, 18 Sept. 2025, www.encyclopedia.com/media/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/varga-girl.

The Seamstress of Bloomsbury. “Beauty, Glamour, and the Pin-up Girls of the 1940s.” The Seamstress of Bloomsbury, theseamstressofbloomsbury.co.uk/blogs/seamstress-blog/beauty-glamour-and-the-pin-up-girls-of-the-1940s. Accessed 18 Sept. 2025.