Sexier at Home: 1980s Playmates

When December 1982 Playmate Charlotte Kemp (above) moved to Chicago to pursue modeling, she worried she would have trouble adjusting to the city’s fast pace. But she learned she could still take it slow—as demonstrated in Pompeo Posar’s photo of a relaxing bubble bath. Kemp enjoyed playing sports, cooking, flying and socializing—especially with her boyfriend, Chicago Bears defensive back Gary Fencik, and her best friend and roommate, October 1975 Playmate Jill De Vries.

Feeling blue about spending so much time inside? Try bringing the beauty of the outdoors into your home. Flowers have been shown to improve people’s moods, and they’re pretty easy on the eyes too—just like March 1982 Playmate Karen Witter, photographed above by Arny Freytag. Witter’s love for nature was wide-ranging, but her favorite place to be was by the sea. When she decided to transfer to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, instead of flying there, she sailed—it took 16 days.

Playboy’s September 1987 Playmate Gwen Hajek might have had more experience hanging wallpaper, selling insurance and surveying for fire risk—all jobs she had held—than she did modeling, but that didn’t stop her from setting her sights on posing for PLAYBOY. After the Louisiana-born beauty graduated from high school, she did test shots for Playboy until she finally landed the gig. If the walls of your apartment seem lackluster of late, consider a Hajek-inspired refresh; in the photo above, she shows photographer Arny Freytag how to get the job done.

When boredom strikes, it never hurts to reenact the classic sock-sliding scene from Risky Business. May 1988 Playmate Diane Lee, photographed here by Stephen Wayda and Richard Fegley, is certainly well equipped to pull the move off given her background in music and dance. After conquering the world of music (she performed a flute solo with the Seattle Philharmonic when she was in seventh grade), Lee decided to do the same with dance. Lee earned a bachelor’s in modern dance from the University of Utah before she began touring full-time with a dance troupe.

When PLAYBOY readers saw Julie Peterson in Playboy’s February 1986 feature Women of Alaska, they wrote to the editors begging them to make her a Playmate. In February 1987 their wish was granted. In the above outtake by photographer Arny Freytag, the avid weightlifter and horseback rider grabs the mail. She also gives us an idea for quarantine: Pick up a pen and paper and drop a line to someone you love—and make sure to use a mask when mailing it!

Lourdes Ann Kananimanu Estores, also known as our June 1982 Playmate, flashes a million-dollar smile at photographer Ken Marcus in this outtake from her PLAYBOY pictorial. Estores grew up on a small island (Haleiwa, Hawaii) in a big family (she has 19 siblings), so friendliness is just part of her nature. That friendliness helped Estores catch the eye of PLAYBOY editors when they were casting the August 1980 pictorial The Girls of Hawaii, and later when they decided to make her a Centerfold. If you’re a fellow extrovert itching to socialize, hop onto your porch or balcony and get to know your neighbors a bit better.

We have a feeling December 1981 Playmate Patricia Farinelli, posing above for Ken Marcus, isn’t reaching for a cookbook. The first-generation Italian American knew all her favorite recipes by heart, having learned them from her mom, Clementina. Farinelli, a Los Angeles native, once dated Burt Reynolds and compiled a cherished photo album, the contents of which were so dear to her she considered locking in a safe. If you find a book worth sharing during quarantine, start a virtual book club with your literature-savvy friends.

May 1986 Playmate Christine Richters certainly lived on the wild side when it came to fashion choices. When asked about the least fashionable outfit she had ever worn, she told PLAYBOY, “Rolled-up blue jeans, cut-off T-shirt, with bare feet.” Photographed here by Arny Freytag, Richters shows off her bold style, poolside. So grab a funky bikini and hit the pool with a cool drink—or just whip up a margarita and put on some Jimmy Buffett to achieve a similar effect.

If your spirits need lifting, bust out your favorite tunes. May 1981 Playmate Gina Goldberg, who considered music a “turn-on,” named Stevie Wonder, the Beatles, Billy Joel, Janis Joplin, Donna Summer, Barbra Streisand and the Bee Gees as some of her favorites. The Finnish Playmate, whose past jobs included performing with a Swedish dance company and flipping burgers at McDonalds, posed for Arny Freytag.

Working from home? Make sure to get your home office setup just right! For her September 1982 pictorial, Playmate Connie Brighton showed off her Miami office digs for photographer Richard Fegley. In addition to her work as a singer, dancer, actress and model, Brighton also worked as VP of Spero International Co., Inc., an entertainment promotion business that she and her husband, Ian Spero, co-founded.