Pinup art has always been about more than just a single “perfect” feature. It’s a playful snapshot of what each era chooses to spotlight, from hemlines to necklines and everything in between. This 1953 CheeseCake Pinup Magazine piece on bustlines and derrières gives us a wonderfully cheeky window into how beauty trends shifted across the first half of the 20th century—especially through the figure of Jane Russell and the promotion of her film The Outlaw.
Jane Russell, The Outlaw, and a Very Famous Bustline
The original piece begins with two short blurbs about Jane Russell’s bustline and the way her curves were used to promote Howard Hughes’s film The Outlaw. The campaign was nothing if not bold.
According to the magazine, the studio sent out five‑foot‑tall pinups of Jane Russell—larger‑than‑life images designed to grab immediate attention in newspaper offices and theaters alike. On top of that, an amazing $1,500,000 was spent on promotion, a staggering figure for the time and a clear sign that Jane’s image was as important as the movie itself.
Despite all the hype, The Outlaw:
- Was not granted a “purity seal” (a mark of moral approval that many films sought), yet
- Still grossed six million dollars, proving that controversy and curves were powerful box-office tools.
This combination—lavish promotion, moral pushback, and a heavy focus on Jane’s cleavage—made her bustline one of the most talked‑about features in mid‑century pinup and movie history. The article uses this as a jumping‑off point to talk about how the spotlight has constantly moved around the female form.
The Ever‑Turning Wheel of Beauty: From Bust to Legs to Derrière
One of the most charming parts of the 1953 article is its reflection on how beauty trends in pinup culture are cyclical, not fixed. As the magazine puts it, the “latest emphasis” in 1953 was on the derrière:
“It’s the inevitable cycle…. in 1910 it was the bust, and cleavage went down to the limit. In the 1920s the sex emphasis was on the legs. In the 1930s it veered to the back and posterior. In the 1940s it concentrated on the bust again. And now we are back to the bottom.”
This neat little timeline captures half a century of shifting focus:
- 1910s – The Bust:
Cleavage “went down to the limit,” with attention centered high on the torso. Blouses and bodices emphasized the chest, and the bustline felt like the star of the show. - 1920s – The Legs:
The 1920s flapper era flipped things—shorter skirts, more prominent legs, and a sense of movement and freedom. In pinups and popular imagery, legs became the main attraction. - 1930s – The Back and Posterior:
As hemlines and silhouettes evolved, the gaze moved to the back and posterior, with gowns and poses that highlighted curves from behind. - 1940s – Back to the Bust:
The wartime and immediate postwar period swung the focus back up to the bustline, giving us that classic full‑figured, sweater‑girl and pinup look again. - 1950s (as of 1953) – The Derrière:
By the time this article was written, the magazine confidently claimed: “now we are back to the bottom.” The derrière had taken center stage, closing the loop and proving how “inevitable” these cycles can be.
Rather than treating any one feature as the ultimate standard, the piece treats it all with a wink: each decade simply “takes its turn” deciding what’s most in vogue.
“A Collection of Loveliness”: The Spirit Behind the Pinup
To tie all of this together, the article quotes a wonderfully romantic line:
“Woman is such a collection of loveliness that man cannot embrace all her charms at one time…”
It’s a poetic way of saying that no single feature can define feminine beauty. The fascination with bustlines, legs, backs, or bottoms is less about a rigid ideal and more about where the cultural spotlight happens to land at a given moment.
This idea fits perfectly with the lighthearted, slightly teasing tone of classic cheesecake images. Rather than cold standards, these are playful celebrations: a bustline here, a well‑turned ankle there, a mischievous smile or a flirtatious pose somewhere in between.
How This Fits Into the Bigger Picture of Pinup History
The magazine doesn’t just stop at busts and derrières. It connects these observations to a broader history of pinups, humor, and media—from the 19th century up into the television age.
The Origins of “Cheesecake” Pinups
In a related piece, the magazine explores how the term “cheesecake” pinup originated, discussing:
- The origins of the word “cheesecake” as it came to be used for photos of attractive women
- The first pinup model and cheesecake photograph
- The broader history of American pinup
That article situates cheesecake pinups as part of a growing visual language in American media, where playful, suggestive images became a cultural staple rather than a passing fad.
Pinups and Humor: From Hoopskirts to Bathing Suits
Another related feature, “To Man, Woman is Basically Funny – history of pinups in humor,” looks at how sexual innuendo and female figures have long been used in cartoons and jokes.
One of the earliest examples it notes is an 1860s cartoon:
- A gust of wind blows up a woman’s dress
- It reveals her hoopskirt underneath and—gasp—the “sexyness” of her ankles
What’s charming here is how modest the reveal is by modern standards, yet how risqué it was meant to feel at the time. From showing ankles in the 1860s to showcasing bustlines and derrières in the 1950s, the underlying theme remains the same: a playful tension between what’s shown, what’s hidden, and what’s suggested.
Television and the 1950s Pinup Phenomenon
By the early 1950s, television was reshaping the pinup phenomenon in new ways. Another related article, “The Bust Line May be Best Line in TV,” explores how this new medium changed what audiences saw—and what they expected.
That piece:
- Remarks on Faye Emerson’s low‑cut gowns in the late 1940s, which drew attention (and commentary) on television
- Describes how styles then turned away from excess, with both bustlines and hemlines being raised
- References the Breen Office’s revision in 1951, noting how changing guidelines influenced what was considered acceptable on screen
Taken together, these articles show that pinup imagery didn’t exist in a vacuum. It evolved alongside new technologies (like TV), new moral standards, and new ways of packaging glamour and allure.
Why These Cycles Still Matter
Even though this magazine piece dates from 1953, its core idea—that beauty trends move in cycles—still feels very current. Different eras emphasize different “it” features, but the larger pattern remains: culture never stops playing with what it chooses to highlight.
The original article captures that with a light, teasing touch:
- Jane Russell’s bustline and The Outlaw show how one feature can dominate headlines and marketing.
- The decade‑by‑decade cycle from bust to legs to back to bust to bottom tracks how taste keeps shifting.
- The reminder that woman is a “collection of loveliness” gently undercuts the idea that any one part could ever tell the whole story.
In other words, pinup history isn’t just about curves—it’s about context, culture, and the ever‑changing way we frame and celebrate them.
… because…
““Woman is such a collection of loveliness that man cannot embrace all her charms at one time…”.
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