Pinup power
Vargas Girls promote volunteerism with new calendar
A group of women from the region are channeling singer Neil Sedaka’s “Calendar Girl” to raise money for charity.
The Vargas Girls, whose members range in age from the 20s to 60s, are paying tribute to the art of pinup.
Their latest endeavor is a 2026 calendar. Funds raised will go toward various charitable efforts. The members come together for community service to benefit causes such as veterans, animal welfare and senior citizens with photo shoots, reenactments and social events.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever done it,” said Rachel Willson, Vargas Girls co-founder, of the calendar. “This gave everybody the chance to accentuate what they thought was a positive part of their body and hide things that they didn’t want seen. It was a lot of fun.”
For the calendar, each of the women selected a “Hilda” image, reminiscent of the pinup created in the 1950s by Duane Byers.
“She was kind of a robust, voluptuous, kind of a heavy-set pinup,” said co-founder Stephen Beckman, who handles the group’s photography and is Willson’s fiance. “She was a very distinguishable character. We wanted to do something fun. We always do something different with pinups, because pinup is such an empowering genre. Each lady in the group went out and found the image that inspired them the most. We recreated it with photography, and that’s the basis of the calendar.”
Some of the money raised will go toward visits to senior living facilities in which the women dress in their pinup attire.
“What we have found through our reenactment work is many times when someone sees the girls all dressed up they come up and say it reminds them of their grandmother or their mother,” Beckman said. “We think that would be something that is very inspiring, something that can create a positive message in those venues. It’s really about giving back. Traditionally, it was about raising money. One of the things that Rachel has inspired the group to focus on is true volunteerism, giving of yourself to help somebody.”
Orders are being taken for the calendar, which became available beginning Wednesday for $25. Willson said presales have been going well.
“I think we’re going to have to order some more here real soon,” she said
The Perry Township resident said she first became involved with pinup in 2020.
“A friend of mine was having a contest at the Roscoe American Legion,” she said. “I always had an interest in pinup. I was fascinated by how beautiful the women looked and how confident they were. I borrowed an outfit and participated in the contest and ended up winning. So, of course, I was hooked. All of that gave me the boost of confidence I was looking for at that time. It made me feel good.”
Willson was inspired to start her own group dedicated to her mission of volunteerism.
Their name was chosen as a nod to Alberto Vargas, the creator of iconic World War II pinups for Esquire magazine known as “Vargas Girls.” Between 1940 and 1946, Vargas produced 180 paintings for the magazine.
The current group includes 10 members from Southwestern Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. Willson said there’s always room for new members. Anyone interested can connect through social media or the website at vargasgirlspinup.com.
Each member has a pinup name. Willson’s name is Miss Row Row, a reference to the Mon Valley Rowing Club, where she was once a member. “Miss Row Row” has won numerous pinup crowns and has been published in numerous pinup magazines.
“When ladies choose their names, we tell them to make it about their personality,” she said.
Other Vargas Girls include Miss Firecracker, Amber Atomic and Miss Spitfire.
Many members have won pinup contests and appeared on magazine covers.
‘It’s really an amazing and creative outlet for these ladies,” Beckman said. “To watch women of all shapes and sizes and all kinds of age groups and watch them blossom. You see women afraid of getting in the camera a couple of years ago, I can’t keep them away from the camera. It’s like a big sisterhood. There are certain women who don’t feel beautiful about themselves. This gives them confidence and makes them feel better.”
The calendar is available for purchase at events where the Vargas Girls are appearing, on the group’s website, vegasgirlspinup.com, or their Facebook page.