20 Wildly Popular 1950s Pin Up Models
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What is a 1950s Pinup girl, and the most popular 1950s Pin up models, including Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, Kim Novak, Brigitte Bardot, and more!
This post is all about 1950s Pin up Models
Who is the most famous pinup girl?
The most enduring pin up girl to this day has been Marilyn Monroe, but during the 1950s, Betty Grable and Betty Page were extremely popular.
What is a 1950s pin up girl?
Pin-up girls is a term that came from a girl who’s likeness was so popular in print magazines and posters that people around the country would “pin-up” her image.
Young people all over the country would pin up their favorite models, actresses, singers on their walls, a bit similar to a college dorm today.
During World war 2, it was common for the men to have printed out images that they would pin up to look at.
In the 1950s it wasn’t as easy as saving a digital image, you had to have part of a poster or magazine to save or “pin up.”
In the 1950s it was “in” to have a curvy, hourglass figure, as you’ll see reflected on most of the pin up girls below.
One of the keys to getting that coveted curvy figure in the 1950s was by using the 1950s bullet bra.
Related posts:
1950s Vintage Lingerie: Retro Bras & Pin Up Underwear
Who was the most popular pin up girl in World War 2?
The most popular pin up girl in World War 2 was Betty Grable.
The iconic image of her looking over her shoulder, standing in a white swimsuit and heels was plastered all over by American soldiers.
Her famous “million dollar legs” are the focus of the image, as she reportedly had her legs insured for a million dollars.
For more on the most popular pinup girls during WWII:
The Golden Age of the Pinup – Pin-up Girl History and Style
#1 Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe hardly needs an introduction.
The American model and actress is still one of the most recognizable faces today.
She was famous for her movies and her romance life, especially when she began dating Kennedy, president of the united states.
Her early and dramatic death cemented her popularity.
Fun fact:
Marilyn Monroe was considered a replacement for Betty Grable who was beginning to get older, as a blonde bombshell persona to attract people to the movies.
“A wise girl knows her limits, a smart girl knows that she has none.” -Vogue.co.uk
Other posts you might like:
15 Sexy Marilyn Monroe Bikini Outfits | Your Sizzling Retro Swimwear Guide
#2 Betty Grable
Betty Grable was an American model, singer, dancer, and actress.
She starred in 42 films and was one of the highest paid women at the time.
She was reportedly the top pin up girl of WWII thanks to this swimsuit photo.
She even insured her legs, and credits her legs for a lot of her success.
“There are two reasons why I’m in show business, and I’m standing on both of them.” -Brainyquote.com
#3 Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot is a French dancer, actress, and model.
She acted in 47 films over her career before retiring in the 70s.
She was famous for being a sex symbol in the 1950s-1970s and her influence on fashion remains today.
She helped popularize the bikini swimsuit in the 1950s and is known for having that effortless french style.
#4. Diana Dors
Diana Dors was an English actress and singer, known for her resemblance to Marilyn Monroe as well as her risque modeling and films.
Again, similar to Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, and Jayne Mansfield, she was cast as the “blonde bombshell” type.
She spent some years making films in Britain, and some time in Hollywood, before returning again to Britain, then back to the US, and back to the UK again.
#4. Anita Ekberg
Anita Eckberg was a Swedish model turned actress who starred in both European and American films.
Known for, guess what, her curvy figure, and her most famous film La Dolce Vita.
“I’m very much bigger than I was, so what? It’s not really fatness, it’s development.” – IMDB
#6. Gloria Grahame
Gloria Grahame was an American actress, popular for playing the role of sassy femme fatales in film noirs.
Watch for some great fashion in her film noir films including In a Lonely Place opposite Humphrey Bogart.
Other posts you might like:
In a Lonely Place | Gloria Grahams Stunning Femme Fatale Style
#7. Gina Lollobrigida
Gina Lollobrigida was an Italian model and actress.
Not to be confused with Sophia Loren, Gina was popular in her own right.
Notable is her film opposite Sean Connery, Woman of Straw, also watch for some snazzy 1960s fashion worn by Gina throughout the film.
#8. Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren is an Italian actress famous for her curvy figure and her movies.
The height of her movie career was in the 1950s-70s.
She was one of the most popular stars of Hollywood’s golden age, and one of the few still alive today.
“Sex appeal is fifty percent what you’ve got and fifty percent what people think you’ve got.” -Brainyquote.com
#9. Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield was an American actress and model and singer.
Another “blonde bombshell” type, she had a short career where she was very popular throughout the 1950s.
Sadly, she died in a car crash at the young age of 34.
“We eat a lot of lean meat and fresh vegetables.. You are what you eat, you know. When I’m 100 I’ll still be doing pin-ups.” -Jaynemansfield.com
10. Kim Novak
Kim Novak is an American actress popular throughout the 1950s and 60s.
Her most famous film, Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, was actually not considered a success at the time of it’s release.
It is now considered one of Hitchcock’s best movies.
“I tried so hard with movies like Vertigo and Middle of the Night and others. I felt those would show me that it’s only a matter of time before I’d find the right one to reach out and touch people.” -Brainyquote.com
Other posts you might like:
Kim Novak’s Wardrobe in Vertigo Makes Her the Ultimate Hitchcock Blonde
#11. Bettie Page
Bettie Page was an American model, famous for her risque photos, known as the “queen of pin-ups.”
“I never kept up with the fashions. I believed in wearing what I thought looked good on me.” -IMDB
#12. Mamie Van Doren
Mamie Von Doren is an American actress and singer.
She was often compared to Marilyn Monroe, the “blonde bombshell” type, and the movie studios hoped she would have the same popularity.
She also dated the eccentric movie producer Howard Hughes who helped get her into her starting roles.
“It is possible that blondes also prefer gentlemen.” -Brainyquote.com
#13. Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner was an American actress famous throughout the 1950s and 60s for her movies and her romance, (she was married to Frank Sinatra for 5 years.)
Some of her notable movies include: The Killers, opposite Burt Lancaster, The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Barefoot Contessa.
“When I lose my temper, honey, you can’t find it any place.” -IMDB
Other posts you might like:
Ava Gardner Style – Her Glamorous 1950s Fashion in the Barefoot Contessa
#14. Yvonne De Carlo
Yvonne De Carlo was a Canadian American actress, dancer, and singer.
One of her famous roles was in the Ten Commandments opposite Charlton Heston.
“I guess I lead a double life, and I must admit I’m happy with both.” -Brainyquote.com
#15. Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall was an American actress known for her movies as well as her legendary romance with fellow actor Humphrey Bogart.
The two starred in 4 movies together, must-see movies for fans of film noir and 1940s fashion.
“I am not a has-been. I am a will be.” -Brainyquote.com
Other posts you might like:
Lauren Bacall Style: 15 Spectacular Looks to Inspire Your Wardrobe
#16. Suzy Parker
Suzy Parker was an American actress and model who appeared on dozens of magazine covers.
At the height of her career, she made the most money then for a model, equivalent to a million dollars a year today.
#17. Carroll Baker
Carroll Baker is an American actress who made the majority of her movies throughout the 1950s-1970s before formally retiring from acting in 2003.
#18. Allison Hayes
Allison Hayes was an American actress and model.
The bulk of her career was in movies throughout the 1950s and 1960s and is probably the most famous today for her role in the horror film Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, which now has a cult following.
#19. Elizabeth Taylor
Famous for her looks, her movies, her husbands, and her jewelry, Elizabeth Taylor was a British and American actress.
She was one of the most popular actresses throughout the 1950s and 60s and was the highest paid movie star in the 1960s.
“My mother says I didn’t open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was an engagement ring. I was hooked.” – IMDB
Other posts you might like:
Lessons in Glamour: The Elizabeth Taylor Style Guide
#20. Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Dandridge was an American actress and singer, as well as the first African-American to be nominated for an academy award.
She started out her career as a nightclub singer before beginning in film in the 1940s, then returning to nightclubs again the 1950s.
This post was all about popular 1950s Pin Up Models
Who is your favorite pin up model of the 1950s?
Other posts you might like:
The Ultimate Guide to 1950s Fashion for Women
How to Dress like the 50s with Jeans
Marilyn Monroe Niagara – Her Sizzling 1950s Fashion
How to Rock the Vintage Swimwear Aesthetic like an Old Hollywood Glam Star
Inspired by this post? Pin the image below to your 1950s Pin up Models board. 🙂
