The ‘Varga Girl’ was introduced by artist Alberto Vargas in 1940 and quickly became a monthly staple of the original men’s guide to style and all things decadent, Esquire Magazine.
During World War II, U.S. servicemen made Vargas part of living history when they chose to adorn their aircraft, ships, and even uniform jackets with Varga Girl images, copied from the pages and calendars of Esquire magazine.
These sexy, vibrant images portrayed women for the first time as both pretty and powerful. Far from an exploitive ‘pin up girl,’ Varga Girls were modern art that empowered women as they kept the US economy alive by working in factories and munitions plants during the war years.
Vargas’ legendary watercolours were truly a celebration of women born of respect and admiration. They always remind me that women should embrace their femininity while striving for the best, simply put … Pretty Powerful.
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