Be Like Bettie Page!
Listen to Your Inner Aphrodite
You can be like Bettie Page — fun, pretty and sexy. All you have to do is listen to your inner Aphrodite and embrace your own brand of beauty and sex appeal.
Bettie Page dominated the men’s magazines of the midcentury as a pinup model. With her raven hair, perfect figure and “girl next door” smile, she managed to look both sexy and friendly.
Bettie Page’s photos were rediscovered in the 1980s, by artists and fashion trendsetters. She remains a pinup icon today for Rockabilly, retro and vintage fans. You can adopt her tricks and be like Bettie Page if you listen to your inner Aphrodite.
Have a Signature Style
Bettie Page is best known for her bangs. As a young girl, she wore her black hair one length. One day, Jerry Tibbs, her first Camera Club photographer, told her she had a “high protruding forehead” and suggested the bangs. She cut them and never changed her look.
Aphrodite was a favorite topic for painters and sculptors. Typically shown with long blonde hair, in mythology she actually had the ability to appear as the ideal woman of your fantasies. She never blends in with the crowd or tries to hide her beauty or talents. Have a similar attitude and be fearless in developing your signature style
“The desire to know and be known is what Aphrodite generates.”
-Jean Shinoda Bolen, MD, Goddesses in Everywoman
You might not want to be like Bettie Page and never update your hairdo. Modern stylists caution women against getting stuck in a hair rut. However, you can create a personal look through jewelry choices. For example, you could always wear a quirky piece to show your irreverent spark. Choosing oversized earrings and necklaces, only wearing natural stones, or hand-crafted items are other options.
Another idea could be to wear an animal reference, either in leopard print, pins, or accessories. Bettie loved her leopard print, and who can forget her famous cheetah photo shoot by Bunny Yeager at Africa USA, a jungle-style petting zoo in Boca Raton, Florida.
“Identify a signature item. Repetition is reputation. For me, it’s the red lipstick and red nails.”
-Aliza Light, Cosmopolitan
Fashions that reference the 1940s, 50s and 60s, are popular today because they embrace femininity and tend to look flattering on all body types. Vintage clothing, whether purchased from specialty stores or picked at Goodwill, is a great source for a unique look.
Get out Into Nature to Free Your Wild Side
Bettie Page loved posing for pictures outside. You can see the joy radiating off her face in the images of her on the beach, farm and fields. Artie Shaw shared a story of a Camera Club photoshoot.
“I loved going outside with her and shooting her against a tree, or out in a cornfield, or on the beach. One cold spring day when we were on Fire Island, there were three (models) huddled under a blanket while Bettie was in the water splashing around. She must have been freezing her tushy off, but when you look at the photos, there is no indication.”
Aphrodite was born from the foam on the ocean. Like her, Bettie wasn’t worried about getting sand on her skin or salt water in her hair. Enthusiasm for nature is infectious and a huge part of anyone’s charm because it shows that you are grounded and relaxed. Let your hair down, take your shoes off and get dirty in nature.
“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”
-Khalil Gibran, The Prophet
Be “a Natural” Seductress
Bettie Page had that “girl next door” quality that made the audience feel like sex should be fun and playful. Naturals keep their childish enthusiasm and energy. They appear to be open and not beaten down by the world. They are playful, brazen and have a lighthearted spirit.
“People are drawn to those who expect a lot out of life…Wild independence has a provocative effect on us.”
-Robert Greene, The Art of Seduction
Bettie Page knew how to flirt with the camera. She said her secret was to pretend that it was a man. With pointed toes and graceful arm and hand lines, Bettie paid attention to how she posed. She let her body look relaxed and languid. Let your body language communicate openness and friendliness. Don’t cross your arms, or lock your knees — be like Bettie Page.
Aphrodite was known as a “lover of laughter” and filled with irresistible charm. An Aphrodite woman focuses on the person she is with and makes him/her feel special. She isn’t distracted but pays her company the honor of undivided attention. Her smile and attentiveness makes others feel golden. Naturals aren’t wild and out of control but playful and fun. Everyone loves to be around someone with a positive attitude that is quick to laugh. Make optimism part of your personal style.
Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously
Bettie Page modeled for Irving Klaw in fetish photos. She said it was just another form of acting, and she enjoyed playing a character. The money was great and it gave her the freedom to spend her time doing what she loved, sleeping in, attending acting classes and playing in nature.
“It was all a part of the posing, and posing was a very natural thing to me. I got a kick out of it.”
-Bettie Page
Nowadays it feels like someone is always looking for an excuse to be offended. A light-hearted attitude and a “live and let live” philosophy could go a long way to making you attractive and fun to be around. An Aphrodite woman, in particular, with her natural sexuality and sensuous nature, is often judged by both men and women. Own your inner goddess and ignore the critics.
“Guilt and judgmental attitudes erect obstacles to enjoying either love making or art making. Such obstacles arise when people fee a prohibition against pleasure, play, and other ‘nonproductive’ activities, as well as against sex.”
-Jean Shinoda Bolen, MD Goddesses in Everywoman
Stay Fit and Eat a Healthy Diet
Nothing is more attractive than vibrant health. It is the key to becoming an ageless goddess. Bettie Page briefly gained weight in the 1940s when she was depressed about her poor performance on a Hollywood screen test. However, she soon snapped out of it and dropped twenty pounds. From that time on she ate only fresh, natural foods. She never drank alcohol or smoked.
“I was very much involved in the health club at the Central Park Hotel on Sixth Avenue. I would go at least three times a week and work out in the gym using the machines. I would also go swimming a lot.”
-Bettie Page
She had a naturally small waist and terrific figure, but Bettie had the self-discipline to keep herself in shape. She never relied on the diet drugs that so many stars of that time period used.
Be Smart and Pretty
Bettie graduated salutatorian of her school. She only missed valedictorian because she ditched an art class and lowered her G.P.A. She attended teaching college, but did not enjoy the profession. She said it was too hard to discipline the high school boys because they ogled her too much.
An avid reader, Bettie Page loved horror and detective stories the best. She continued her education by taking acting classes. She learned the Stanislavsky method from Herbert Berghof in New York. Although she never made it as an actress, she credits the classes with making her a better model.
Aphrodite is not only the goddess of love and sex, but also of beauty. The act of creating art requires the focus of a lover. According to Jean Shinoda Bolen, MD, this is called the “Aphrodite consciousness” and it is the ability to attend to the details of the project, while keeping the big picture in mind. It is a relaxed type of concentration. Bring Aphrodite consciousness to your writing, art, photography or other passions. Commit to lifelong learning.
“Traits such as language, humor, and intelligence evolved in both sexes, because they were sexually attractive to both sexes,”
-Professor Miller, evolutionary psychologist
Never be afraid to let your intelligence shine. Be a lifelong reader, it will make your conversations interesting and lively. Feed your curiosity with a variety of sources and keep your mind open to new ideas and perspectives. Remember, intelligence is sexy.
Conclusion
We can’t all be blessed with her natural figure, but we can adopt her tricks to be like Bettie Page. Have a signature style. Be friendly and open with a light hearted attitude. Follow a healthy exercise and eating regime. Go outside and commune with nature. Develop your brain through reading and life-long learning.
All these strategies will make you happier and nothing is more attractive than joy.
Enjoy reading about Bettie Page and Aphrodite? You’ll love my novel. Bettie Page: Aphrodite Rising. Available in print and eBook from Amazon and most other retailers.
