You probably do not know her – yet – and you haven’t even heard her name, but she was a very controversial cartoon character in the 1950s. Long before our journey to empowerment and fight for body positivity, the curvy pin-up girl, Hilda, was living her life joyfully, enjoying her curves to the fullest. By living I mean… living in a cartoon… yes, Hilda is a cartoon character, created by the illustrator Duane Bryers and was born in the 1950s.
She was really very popular back then – the first plus size pin-up girl – and made her way through calendars up to the 1980s. If you think that the body ideal of the 1950s and even 1960s was Marilyn Monroe with her pointy breasts, narrow waist but generous hips, Hilda was not such an extreme example, although she definitely is one of the main representatives for body positivity and a different type of beauty and female ideal.
In the 1980s the world was looking for a more skinnier body ideal and in the 1990s the “heroine chic” was the new fashion so that is why probably Hilda wasn’t “fashionable” anymore. Although, women like Hilda were alive and well all over the world. Now, with the rebirth of women and when women are regaining their power, Hilda is back and the world is remembering her and honors this adventurous, bold and daring girl!
She was always wearing very feminine and stylish dresses, gorgeous bikinis and sometimes even going nude! Running, playing in the fields, swimming, doing gymnastics, climbing, fishing and staying in one hand, Hilda is the embodiment of fun and loving yourself, your body and this beautiful life!
