Ruth may not have *invented* it, but she certainly *popularized* it in the US! In the early days of aviation (and up until now), women pilots faced a lot of obstacles due to their gender. They all dealt with those obstacles in different ways, with some women flouting makeup and fashion in favor of utility. Other like Ruth Elder dealt with these obstacles by demonstrating her femininity in societally acceptable ways. She would play to the cameras, emphasizing her conventional beauty to open doors