Hilda, 1950s Pinup Girl, Makes Us Very Happy

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

The phrase "pinup girl" often conjures up images of hourglass figures and vintage fashion. But how often are the pin-ups we see actually plus-size women?
Not often enough. That's why we're so excited that Hilda, originally drawn in the 1950s by illustrator Duane Bryers, resurfaced on the Internet this week.
According to the blog Messy Nessy Chic, Hilda is a vintage icon who was "one of history’s longest running calendar queens" alongside Marilyn Monroe and others.
“She’s a creation out of my head. I had various models over the years, but some of my best Hilda paintings I’ve ever done were done without a model,” Bryers said in an interview with illustrator Les Toil.
Click through the slideshow below for some of our favorite Hilda images, courtesy of Brown & Bigelow.

SLIDESHOW