Best friends organize A-K Valley photo shoot to help women feel comfortable in bathing suits
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Lucille Gearhart walked with a cane as she made her way down the steps to the Vandergrift pool in Veterans Memorial Park.
The 91-year-old donned a green, black and white tankini top and black, skirted bottom.
It was time for the bathing suit photo shoot.
“I’m doing this for my granddaughter,” said Gearhart of Washington Township. “This is important to her.”
Gearhart’s granddaughter is Dessie Mitcheson Pilek, 31, an Apollo native who lives in Orange County, Calif. Her friend and business partner, Jen Zatko Atchison, 30, a Vandergrift native who lives in New Kensington, started the online business East West Boutique in May.
Best friends for 18 years, Atchison and Pilek sell apparel to women in sizes small to 3X through a website and mobile app.
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As a way to demonstrate their dedication to body positivity, they invited customers on a recent Sunday evening to put on their swimsuits and pose together on the Vandergrift pool deck, arms locked, showing they support each other.
Gearhart was the oldest of the 37 women. The youngest was Lucy Yurga, 9, of New Kensington.
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Pilek’s aunt, Susan Bella, 66, of Homer City, who brought Gearhart to the event, said they were tentative about doing it but believe it’s important for women to be role models for each other. Pilek said she was ecstatic her grandmother and aunt participated.
“Love who you are,” said Pilek, who noted that as a model, she is often discriminated against because she is 5 feet, 5 inches tall. “We all need each other’s support. We want all women to feel beautiful and confident in what they put on every day.”
The women enjoyed swimming in the pool, splashing in the water and riding down the slide, along with slices of Ianni’s Pizza from Vandergrift and drinks from Wooden Door Winery in Allegheny Township.
They also were able to shop for some new merchandise from the boutique.
The owners plan to open a brick-and-mortar store this fall on Main Street in Vandergrift. They chose bathing suits because women often struggle with wearing one because it shows more skin.
East West Boutique is adding a swimwear line next year.
“We wanted to pose in our swimwear and expose our flaws and embrace our curves,” Pilek said. “We want women to feel good about themselves, and we hope when they shop our boutique, they find something they like.”
There were some nerves about participating in the photo shoot, said Elyse Kramer, 34, of New Kensington.
“I have been uncomfortable with my body, but Dessie and Jen are wonderful,” Kramer said. “They tell me I look good and that I inspire other women when they see me wearing clothes from East West Boutique. They’ve pushed me out of my comfort zone.”
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Ashley Altavilla, 31, of Elizabeth, has alopecia — an autoimmune disorder that causes a person’s hair to fall out. She posed for a photo in her bathing suit and without her wig. It is important for older women to be role models for younger girls, she said.
“It’s about embracing our differences, not hiding them,” Altavilla said.
She said this isn’t just a woman’s concern. Some men suffer from poor body image too, she said.
“Losing your hair is such a big thing for people,” she said. “The way I look at it (is), I just have a different look. If we all looked the same, it would be boring. This is freeing for me.”
It’s important for women to feel good in their own skin, said Brita Sheen, 30, of Canton, Ohio. She said oftentimes after having a baby, women find it hard to fit into clothing.
“We need to lift each other up,” Sheen said. “It’s empowering to be a part of this.”