Working in my Bettie Page swimwear

We really spent the last week working or tails off to bring you some incredible film and photos.

I’m really in love with this Bettie page reproduction swimming suit. I actually purchased it from Playful Promises in 2 different patterns.

Did you know that Betty page was quite a creative lady? Not only was she creative with her body in the form of modeling and dance. Although she was not really known as a great dancer, in fact she was kind of known as a bad dancer, or so I am told from my Burlesque mother Tempest storm, who used to work with Betty page in Irving Claw films, but even though she was considered a “bad dancer”, (I disagree, I think she was an adorable dancer) many of her movements are still used in Burlesque and pinup today. Isn’t that wild? In fact there’s a whole entire athletic movement built around Bettie Page movements. If you go to bettiepagefitness.com you will find modern work out videos to purchase that are a tribute to Betty page herself. As well as all kinds of Betty page related fitness items. She definitely had her own style, flair, attitude and it came across vividly on screen and in print. I think her personality is what really made her movements so relatable and cute yes she still came across like a sexy bombshell. She could do both, she could be cute and sexy but why not throw in funny as well, for the ultimate trifecta of sensuality in burlesque and pinup.

Now, Burlesque and pinup are two very different things. Pinup is still modeling for a camera. No dance is required but modeling in itself is its own form of art. While dancers freely express themselves in a moment that’s created to be felt with an audience, a pinup model is not necessarily granted that same creative freedom because they have a focus on turning out perfect pictures one after another in sequential order. They certainly were free to dance in front of a camera but there is no audience to celebrate those movements with them. I find modeling to be much more mechanical than dance, Though I obviously enjoy modeling because I do a lot of it. I love the freedom dance allows me. Even when I am modeling for pinup, I’m usually still in movement or dancing for those photos and Jeremy will catch those special moments and bring them to you. I do not enjoy pinup modeling as much as dance because it can be so mechanical for me. In order for me to model in any fashion there has to be dance of some sort involved. Normally I set a 30 second timer in my head and run through a range of Burlesque movements within that 30 seconds, reset, do the same thing again over and over.

At the time Bettie was modeling for stag magazines , people would write in, usually having seen an ad in the back, mail in money to Irving claw (or whoever) and they would send photographs of whichever model they chose in the moment and let me tell you it was quite a profitable business!

In order to make this business lucrative for herself, Betty would get very creative with her swimwear and stage bikinis. She made almost all of them. She would hand stitch bikinis that were not like anyone else’s to draw attention to herself. In fact this drew so much attention that women all over the world started mimicking her bikini styles. In fact, Frederick’s of Hollywood was inspired by her bikini styles, all kinds of lingerie brands were profiting off of Betties creativity.

Not only was she an incredible model but she attended Peabody College, majored in English, was active in theatre and worked on a school magazine before receiving her B.A. in 1944.

This academic drive surely helped her focus on designing her swimwear. As a designer myself I can attest that designing swimwear, bikinis or costumes is certainly a technical feet. She had so many creative concepts, including this style I’m wearing in this photo. One of the bathing suits that she created for herself looked much like this one. Playful promises wisely decided to carry the Bettie Page lingerie brand which includes swimwear. You can find all kinds of Betty page style swimwear and lingerie on playful promisses.com. Anyhow I thought I would just enlighten you with a little story about one of my favorite performers this morning. But he always had an incredible smile, a thick curvy figure, in every photo she look like she truly wanted to be there and she looked like her attention was all on you. She was such an incredible model that she made you feel her warmth and excitement through those photos. She was playful and intoxicating all at once. Can you think of any modern day models that exude the same magic in a photo? I’m sure you can because so many modern day models have intentionally or unintentionally been inspired by Betties famous poses over the years.

As beautiful and bubbly and inspirational as Bettie was, she struggled with her demons. Her later life was tumultuous. In the end, depression, mood disorders and mental I’ll took its toll on her. It said that Miss Bettie Page became deeply involved in the evangelical Christian faith after she left the world of pinup, striptease and burlesque. It is my humble opinion that her affiliation with evangelical Christian church caused her a great deal of mental distress. Remember that I grew up in a Christian cult and I understand the pressures that are put on women in an evangelical Christian society. She spent many years of her life institutionalized because of her mental state. I’m convinced she never received the proper mental health care because of the time she lived in. Mental health care is some thing that we’re just beginning to understand in a humane sense.

Sadly, this is something that happens all too often in the striptease and sex work world. Often times these incredible queens of the past enjoyed momentary glamour, attention and riches but in the end, are left with little to nothing for their retirement. No resources or money, and most likely, not the men who once doted over them. It is important for me to point out that, This is not always the case but it certainly proved to be true with Bettie and a few other Burlesque queens that I have known throughout the years. This is why we try our best to look out for each other in these industries. The incomparable Bettie Page was wild and wonderful with a vivacious celebration of life that burned brightly in her eyes during her incredible career. Even with all of that beauty, talent and joy that came through so clearly in photographs, she was not without flaws and imperfections, just like any precious gem.

Rest in Passion Miss Bettie. Thank you for your heartfelt contribution to pinup, burlesque and striptease. We love you.

Bettie Page 1923- 2008

Check out Bettie in one of her home made bikinis here

https://youtu.be/URmHgDzWJI4