Cigarette girl (person)

Cigarette girl in European and American context generally refers to a person that sells or provides cigarettes from a tray held by a neck strap. They may also carry cigars, and many novelty items like lighted roses, candy, snacks, chewing gum, lighted jewelry, and lighted yo-yo's on their trays.

The most common uniform is a red and black short saloon-style skirt above the knee dress accompanied with a matching pillbox hat, but different colors and styles are possible. Another title for a cigarette girl is candy girls.

Aside from serving cigarettes and other novelties, the attractive girls acted as eye candy and were often employed to flirt with male customers as well. Cigarette girls usually consented with this request with the hopes of getting tips from wealthy businessmen.

The modern image of cigarette girl developed in the 1920s with the urbanization of America. Though largely not seen outside of speakeasies and supper clubs, cigarettes girls were frequently shown in Hollywood films and soon became well-established among the general public. With the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, speakeasies across America closed and cigarettes girls soon found employment in more popular business destinations.

Cigarette girls were a common sight in restaurants, clubs, bars, airports and casinos during the 1930s and 1940s in the United States. From the end of World War II into the 1950s, cigarette girls further expanded into sporting events and in the lobbies of theaters and music halls during intermissions.

With the rise of cigarette machines in the mid-1950s, however, venue owners no longer needed to seek out cigarettes girls who worked for a paycheck and the girls largely vanished from the public eye. There were still some casinos and other night club establishments that still use cigarette girls today, especially in Las Vegas.

The 1924 film, The Cigarette Girl from Mossel'prom, featured a heroine who worked as a street-corner vendor. The cigarette girl of the night club also became a staple figure of film and theatre.

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