1940s

1940s Style Pinup

This 1940s dress was such fun to photograph! It has red buttons down the front and an abstract polka dot pattern. I put a smart black hat on the model. Like many dresses of the era, it was unlined and meant to be worn over a slip or under=dress. We borrowed a rolling red wooden storage box as the only prop with this simple set. I love the model’s exaggerated “cheesecake pinup” expressions! She did her own makeup and hair, too.

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Modeling a 1930s or 1940s satin dressing gown

This was a decadent vintage satin dressing gown, complete with a matching 3/4 length over-robe. It totally has the vibe of a classic Old Hollywood movie star, and the model got quite serious and moody wearing it. It's amazing how wearing different...
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Icecream cone high heels pinup PhotoShoot

Icecream cone high heels pinup PhotoShoot

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I had such a fun time photographing Dixie Dupree, a pinup model in St. Louis, styled in her vintage pink dress and her whimsical homemade ice cream cone high heels! This modern pinup photoshoot captured the playful essence of vintage glamour, nodding to a time when fashion was fun, quirky, and full of personality. The session—a collaboration with Sherrie from Studio 281 Photography—celebrated the timeless charm of mid-century style and the creativity of retro-inspired photography.

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1940s street suit on Anita

1940s street suit on Anita

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This stunning golden yellow wool skirt suit is a pristine example of early 1940s wartime fashion. Photographed as part of my project documenting the clothing collection at the Carondelet Historical Society in St. Louis, this “1942 street suit” embodies the practicality and elegance of WWII-era style. Captured on South Broadway, a historic area in St. Louis that thrived in the 1940s, the ensemble reflects the era’s tailored designs, featuring padded shoulders, a modest skirt length, and careful attention to detail. Styled with vintage nylon stockings, pearls, gloves, and a period-perfect hat, this outfit brings history to life in an authentic setting.

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1940s ads for St. Louis Businesses

1940s ads for St. Louis Businesses

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These 4 pages of the 1943 St. Louis Municipal Opera Program were a little less blatantly patriotic, but such a preponderance overall of beer advertisements and funeral parlors! In today’s modern theater program, you might find one advertisement for a Mausoleum, but not so many… it reminds me that 1943 was the thick of World War II when peoples’ husbands, sons, fathers and friends were coming home in body bags or not at all.

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1940s theater program advertisements

1940s theater program advertisements

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Here are 4 more pages out of the 25th Anniversary Program for the 1943 season at the St. Louis Municipal Opera (The Muny). The St. Louis Municipal Opera was started in 1918, and 1943 was the 25th (Silver Anniversary) Season. Included is an advertisement for the musical romance “Rosalie”, an ad for Hunter Meat Food Products (out of East St. Louis Illinois), Philip Morris Cigarettes, Alpen Brau Beer (and KMOX) promotional advertisement, and an ad for Nu Grape Soda (bottled locally by American Soda Water Co.).

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1940s Style Pinup

1940s Style Pinup

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This 1940s dress was such fun to photograph! It has red buttons down the front and an abstract polka dot pattern. I put a smart black hat on the model. Like many dresses of the era, it was unlined and meant to be worn over a slip or under=dress. We borrowed a rolling red wooden storage box as the only prop with this simple set. I love the model’s exaggerated “cheesecake pinup” expressions! She did her own makeup and hair, too.

read more

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