Sunday, January 13, 2013

PBC Hall of Fame - Carol Imhof (1970)

One of my very favorite classic Playmates is the incredibly angelic Carol Imhof, Miss December 1970. Still one of the iconic Miss Decembers in Playboy's history, Carol holds a special place in my heart, as well as the heart of countless other Playmate fans.
Carol
Miss December 1970

Carol was not my pick for PMOY in 1971, but that's only because she was matched up by the beautiful Jen Liano, also a PBC Hall member. However, in any other year in the decade, Carol would have taken things by storm.

Carol really carried the torch and set the standard for women in the '70's, and was a perfect cap to the 1960's era of ladies. Unlike Miss Liano, Carol is more of an archetype of the era, more voluptuous and curvy while still maintaining the short and stout frame that was the norm. These weren't the overly polished women of today, but they still resembled Hollywood glamour like they just don't do nowadays.

Indeed, everything about Carol straddles the line between high-end starlet and everyday girl down the street. Her face, to this day, is the stuff of legends. Her eyes alone should be in my hall of fame, always filling a photo with a bright beacon and becoming the central focus of any shot. Carol's angelic look was transcendent, and makes you sit back and think. Since today we overvalue the shock value of some taut, fake breasts and closely exposed genitalia, we miss out on true starpower like we see with Miss Imhof. This is a relic of a bygone era, to be celebrated.
  • Face: A+
    Carol's face is still one of the greatest in Playboy history, along with greats such as Cynthia Myers and Jennifer Liano. Her spectacularly deep eyes and subtle innocence make her one of the most endearing and beloved Playmates in history.
  • Body: A-
    Having the curvaceous and buxom frame of Playmates in the late 1960's, Carol's follows the trend, with large, tangible breasts that are shot gorgeously throughout her pictorial. Almost perfectly shaped and never too large, they complement an otherwise nicely tapered physique.
  • Talent: A
    A glance here, a flashing of the lashes there, a flutter of the hair or a serene and inviting look. Carol's style is classic and timeless, with understated beauty and passive posing executed wonderfully.
  • Pictorial: A+
    As I said above, Carol's passive posing style plays to her strengths perfectly here. She never does too much to break the relaxed atmosphere of her photo set, and never gets in the way of her own innate beauty. She doesn't have to try too hard to look spectacular.
  • Centerfold: B+
  • Overall: A+
    Reminiscing about beauties of the early days of Playboy is a pleasure, and looking back at women like Carol are the reasons why. While what we find attractive has truly changed, with models' bodies and posing styles evolving constantly, one thing is certain: beauty sells. In that vein, Carol produced, and brought home some seriously sexy shots while just being herself. It's a mentality that many a model nowadays can learn from - keeping it simple can speak volumes.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

My parents actually lived next door to Carol back when she was a bunny!!!!!

Anonymous said...

carol is just plain awesome.