From their scarlet lips to their wasp waists, pin-up girls have long been purveyors of the American dream girl (via History by Day). For men in the trenches of World War I or bomber planes of World Waw II, pin-ups represented symbols of what they fought for. According to pin-up art expert Louis K. Meisel, in an interview with Collectors Weekly, “These were the girls that the boys who fought in World War II and the Korean War came back to marry.” It’s no coincidence that the most successful pin-up girls learned to walk the line between innocence, grace, and sensuality with ease.

But pin-up culture hasn’t remained locked in a time capsule, and the study of this genre represents a “burgeoning field,” according to the Journal of Popular Culture. Although men once devoured images of wholesome, innocent, and naïve women who incited lust without acknowledging it, today’s crowd is attracted to a different vision of femininity. Today’s pin-ups are resourceful, tough, and intelligent, like Gina Carano, Milla Jovovich, Kate Beckinsale, and Angelina Jolie, per Jezebel.

Although perhaps counterintuitive, many pin-up models report that modeling has helped them overcome body image struggles. Today’s standards of beauty prove more inclusive, with women of every shape and size represented. The same goes for those boasting tattoos and piercings. Naomi Elster writes in Medium, “Older women and plus-size women are proudly displayed beside younger, skinnier versions of beauty, and seeing women so obviously feeling confident and happy in their photographs is incredibly heartening.”

Despite its military origins, pin-up art isn’t for the male gaze alone (via Collectors Weekly). Women appreciate (and even emulate) pin-up girl fashion. In “Pin-Up Grrrls: Feminism, Sexuality, Popular Culture,” Maria Elena Buszak argues that “from its birth, the pinup has served as an image that pointedly eliminates the explicit representation of a sexual act by eliminating the presence of men (and generally, other women) and strategically covering the genital area.”

Pin-up images also represent a celebration of feminine beauty and allure, which many models see as primary to their obsession with this artform. Indeed, many of the primary connoisseurs of pin-up art today are women, per Jezebel. And, according to the Journal of Popular Culture, three of the most talented artists of the pin-up Golden Age were women: Joyce Ballantyne, Pearl Frush, and Zoe Mozert. They helped set an exclusive standard of beauty as pin-up artists. Joyce Ballantyne and Zoe Mozert even used themselves as models, arguing no man could know the female form like a woman.

These women proved trailblazers in a male-dominated arena. They actively shaped their masterpieces, and Louis K. Meisel argues the feminine gaze is easily recognized in their work. In an interview with Collectors Weekly, he explains, “I would say that the women portray very beautiful, idealized women, but the images are less erotic.” Like these female artists, today’s pin-up girls control their identities and how they get represented.

Anyone can pursue pin-up or alternative modeling, according to Pinup Girl Style. The same goes for those interested in being burlesque performers. But you’ll need to invest serious time, dedication, and work into carving out a niche. What does it take to make it in this field? According to Minot Little, writing for Punkabilly Clothing, forging a successful career requires persistence and long-term dedication. It’s not something that’s going to happen overnight.

Pin-up models also know how to get the look, whether a signature pose, tattoo, beauty mark, or hair color. The best pin-up girls build a niche around what makes them unique. Pin-up girls also realize how important studying the history of the genre is. That way, they have a firm grasp of the best poses to use and the looks they wish to cultivate. Experienced models recommend finding a pin-up or alt model to emulate and then studying how she became successful. That way, young models can capitalize on the lessons already learned by their predecessors.

Alt and pin-up girl models must also prove adept at doing their own hair and makeup. And they need to build a stellar collection of beautiful vintage clothing by cultivating a love of “browsing the cuts of the dresses, the flowing fabrics, the adorable heels” (via Geekade). Pin-up gurus also urge potential models to cultivate a strong sense of self-worth and confidence, two qualities that the best models possess in droves.

When you hear the term “pin-up girl,” who comes to mind? Many people think of Bettie Page, the “Queen of the Pin-ups,” and Dita Von Teese. These two iconic women proved wildly successful, but they also represent exceptions to the rule, per Pinup Girl Style. Dita Von Teese has done everything from burlesque to exotic dancing and adult movies. Nevertheless, for some, her biggest claim to fame was marrying Marilyn Manson.

As for Bettie Page? While she enjoys immortality as a pop culture icon, the real-life woman lived a less-than-idyllic life. She started modeling at age 27 and quit seven years later when, according to Factinate, “she felt that she was getting too old.” After her modeling career ended, she suffered from mental illness and had several failed marriages. She vanished entirely from the spotlight, refusing to let photographers take her picture. She wanted the public to remember her at the height of her beauty. But remarkably, she made one final appearance at the 50th anniversary of Playboy in December 2003, entering with Anna Nicole Smith (via CNN).

Nevertheless, Page set a high standard to follow. She embraced everything that a pin-up girl could be. According to the Los Angeles Times, Hugh Heffner described Bettie Page’s appeal as “a combination of wholesome innocence and fetish-oriented poses that is at once retro and very modern.” And Page even has a planet named after her: 184784 Bettiepage (via NASA), a testimony to her stellar fame.

The best pin-up models understand that perception matters, and they pursue this field because they love it, per Pinup Girl Style. They have control over how they’re seen and what image they ultimately wish to cultivate. Angela Fernot articulates it this way on Geekade: “Almost everyone wants to be noticed or recognized. This is one of the ways that I choose to do so. I choose to play a role that is sexy, revealing, and far more provocative than I am in real life.”

The vintage fashion sphere also places a strong emphasis on differentiation and being one’s self rather than trying to conform to a pre-set mold. Sure, the girls might pose in 1950s garb befitting a Valium-popping mom, but many have a tattoo sleeve or two to accompany it. According to Medium, “The lack of an age limit, encouragement of quirky individuality, and embracing of diverse body types have all been used to argue that pinup fashion is feminist.”

But what about those individuals that decry objectification? Pin-up girls, by their very career choices, acknowledge the subject is far from a black-and-white issue. Instead, human sexuality is a nuanced topic based on lived experiences. In her book “Erotic Faculties,” Joanna Frueh offers a simple solution to the controversy, arguing, “As long as I am an erotic subject, I am not averse to being an erotic object.”