A group of female veterans recently transformed into 1940s-style pinups, trading their Army fatigues and other military uniforms for beautiful dresses, high heels and makeup.
And the glam session wasn't just for fun — it was for a good cause. The women are featured in the 2018 Pin-Ups for Vets calendar, a fundraiser for military hospitals. Now some of the women and other volunteers are on a 50-state tour, visiting injured veterans at hospitals across the country, dressed in pinup-style costumes.
"It's amazing," Gina Elise, the organization's founder, told TODAY Style, adding that when the veterans in the hospital realize the women in the pinup outfits are also veterans, it's a special moment. "Their eyes light up, their whole face brightens up. It's really a blast from the past. A lot of them say, 'Am I dreaming?'"
Elise, 35, isn't a veteran herself, but she started the organization to support veterans in 2006.