Female veterans take to the runway for a good cause

In case you didn't catch it in today's paper, my compatriot Alexandra Zavis has a story about what she describes as an  "improvised fashion show in Los Alamitos celebrating women's military service" that took place on Sunday night. (The full story -- and a photo gallery -- are available here.)

Funds raised from the event -- held at a local California Wok restaurant, with fashion ensembles donated by the Greater Light Baptist Church in Santa Ana and modeled by veterans themselves -- are earmarked for housing and self-esteem programs for female veterans through GI Hope and Amvets.

And according to Zavis, organizers are already planning their next show, which will take place in May. And I for one am marking my calendar for it, since runway shows that help build self-esteem are few and far between these days.

-- Adam Tschorn

Photo: Army veteran Raquel Ramirez, 30, of Long Beach models African fashion during the Women's Veterans Fashion Show in Los Alamitos. Ramirez served in Afghanistan. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times.