By Todd B. Gruel
Upon my first meeting with the Capital City Dolls, a unique local pinup collective dedicated to empowering people through positive body images, I was promptly offered a glass of pink sparkling wine. If I recall correctly, the drink was served in a tumbler — a perfect portrait of the Dolls themselves. Apparently these pinups don’t mess around with thin-stemmed glassware.
I’m greeted by members from the Doll’s core group: Ruby T. Gray, founder and president; Kitty Kennedy, manager of marketing and outreach; Sophia La Muerte, treasurer; and Chery Shimmer, hair and makeup extraordinaire. The majority of the 12-member group reside in or around Olympia. Structurally, the Dolls currently exist as a club – although they plan on attaining nonprofit status soon.
I initially assumed that the Dolls merely posed with old cars. But I quickly gleaned that their work knows no bounds. They’ve recently collaborated with the Emerald City Beardos (a Seattle-based beard and mustache club) and volunteered for a Poker Run with the Armed Forces of America Motorcycle Club (JBLM Chapter). In the near future they plan on producing original performances mixing vaudeville, burlesque, and comedy.
Ruby T. Gray, the CEO and president of the Capital City Dolls, is also the Doll’s official photographer. Ruby has been shooting photos since she was 18 years old. She previously attended Brooks Institute of photography, and she’s the owner of JaneilB Photography. With her background in photography, she was the catalyst for the Capital City Dolls. Her inspiration for the club came as a dream one day. Noticing the absence of pinup culture in Olympia, she began selling pinup packages to her customers. These packages must have been popular enough to inspire a separate project: Project Pinup, which eventually evolved into the Capital City Dolls.
And these Dolls are ambitious. Since January 2015, they’ve made it into eight publications and graced four covers. Not bad for a group that’s only been active since 2014.
The Dolls are truly a diverse group. Their modeling experiences range from casual to serious. Their fashion muses span from Old Hollywood glamour to the modish styles of Twiggy. And their locations differ, too. While most of the Dolls live in Olympia, two Dolls live in Bellevue, one lives in Tacoma, and another is from Buckley. It’s quite clear that there’s no restriction for those committed to a cause they believe in.
I couldn’t help asking, as a sensitive male in an era of social justice, if they’ve received any criticism about the suggestive nature of some of their pictures. Have people condemned them for sexualizing the female body, for reducing it to an object that provokes the male gaze?
Surprisingly, the majority of criticism they’ve received has less to do with what they do with their bodies and more to do with the nature of their bodies themselves. The problems they face frequently involve body shaming. Because their bodies don’t recap the status quo (i.e. what typical models look like) their productions raise challenges for some.
But the Dolls don’t model for vanity or posterity. They model for the democratization of beauty; they model to create a change in our culture right NOW. Or to give it to you straight – as the Dolls might prefer it – they have bodies that they’re proud of and, therefore, will wear what they choose to wear.
Through the Dolls’ daring lead, we are driven to take action. But it’s not the type of action that begins with lobbyists and ends with attrition. Theirs is a battle without casualties, a battle where the territories are undisputed: our own bodies. Through their lead, we are awakened to our birthright to look good – and feel good – regardless of our garments. The Capital City Dolls believe that “every body is beautiful with or without clothes.” Please note: this body is not gender-specific. The Dolls also feature male models. Everyone is welcome here.
Their emphasis on people, rather than the status quo, roots our self-worth in who we are for ourselves rather than what we should be for others. This means that we are all perfect the way we are despite those pesky human differentials like age, weight, race, mental health, sexual orientation, or other variables. For the Capital City Dolls, there are no such things as perfect sizes. There are just people; we are all just people. At the end of the day, the Dolls just want to be treated with the same love and respect that they afford others.
As I get up from the sofa to say farewell, their words smack like wine from a weighted glass. If the club’s ranks weren’t filled, I’d sign up today. Fortunately for us, we can all still take pride in the bodies we’re born with. Cheers to the Capital City Dolls for the moral direction: you can be a sturdy glass and yet serve it up sweet.
If you’re interested in meeting the Capital City Dolls, they’ll be modeling at a meet-and-greet, selling signed-prints at Fair Game Family Bar & Grill, on July 18. There will be a raffle with plenty of prizes — including free pinup packages (meaning the Dolls will snap pictures of you with a pinup of your choice). Just in case you can’t make it, you can savor this statement instead: “To be a pinup is to be an exceptional type of person. To be fierce and free in nature and beautiful in spirit. Sturdy, strong, and independent, a Doll doesn’t need the stability of anyone but themself.”
Feel free to follow the Capital City Dolls on Facebook. You can also reach Ruby T. Gray directly via email.
