Style June 18, 2018
These models are fierce and we want to be just like them.
We’ve seen plenty of lingerie advertisements to know that plus size models are a rare commodity. That’s unfortunate, because when it comes to fashion, beauty and straight up confidence, these women have got it figured out.
Ed Razek, the Chief Marketing Officer of Victoria’s Secret, told Forbes his thought process for choosing models. He said he wants models who inspire other women to say “…I want to look like that, I want to have that spirit or that confidence and strength.” While Victoria’s Secret Angels are strong female icons, not all of us are tall and thin and not all of us want to be. Besides plus size models, maybe even more than Victoria’s Secret models, embody the confidence and strength we all want to have.
So here’s a list of some of the most influential plus size models women can look to for inspiration and confidence.
Plus size models are confident and gorgeous, but Tabria Majors takes it to a new level. Majors started a buzz in 2017 with her recreation of Victoria’s Secret ads on her Instagram. She said she was paying homage to her favorite Victoria’s Secret outfits and “showing that curvy girls can rock (and sell) lingerie just as well as straight size models.” Majors further commented on the fashion industry’s preference to use straight size models when she added that she wanted to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel for Halloween since she would never be one in real life.
The side by side comparison shows that plus size models are just as sexy in lingerie. Her instagram comments were flooded with fans thanking her for showing that there are many beautiful body types out there.
There’s more to her than Instagram fame and pretty lingerie. In an interview with Health.Com she discussed everything from self-care and her workout routines to her feelings about being sex-positive. As you can see in this photo, she unapologetically wears her sex-positivity on her sleeve!
You may have seen Justine LeGault on ad campaigns for Old Navy. One particular campaign, whose hashtag was #sizeYES denim, stressed that Old Navy carries jeans for every body type.
On International Women’s Day, LeGault posted on Facebook: “I LOVE BEING A WOMAN. We are strong, smart, caring, powerful, nurturers. There’s a saying that goes ‘If you want something done, ask a woman.’ So in 2018 let’s take full control of our destiny and if opportunities do not come to us, let’s create them. Because that’s what we do; women were born to create.”
LeGault also uses her Instagram to empower others. She once posted “Remember girls, Every Body is a Bikini Body!” Her instagram account really sends a message of body-positivity.
As you see in this photo, she also stunned on the cover of Elle Quebec back in 2013…and she’s still stunning now!
Tess Holliday works hard to empower women through her modelling. Beyond her modeling, she also wrote a book called The Not So Subtle Art of Being a Fat Girl: Loving the Skin You’re In.
Holliday said in an interview that her journey to confidence and acceptance wasn’t easy and still isn’t, but she wants everyone to love themselves: “I know I’m surrounded by constant criticism, but I also need confidence in other moments — I find travel really stressful sometimes, and there are other situations that take a toll on my mental health. I try to remind people to be kind to themselves and to do something nice for themselves.”
Holliday also supports people with mental illness. This issue is personal for her, as her husband struggles with his mental health.
Holliday powerfully said “I see you. I feel you. Mental illness is not a burden or a personal failure. It’s not a weakness. We need to remove the shame and stigma around mental health to ease isolation and allow people to get the support and care we all deserve.”
Olivia Campbell’s style is fun and sassy with lots of color and bold pieces. In addition to the color and glam, she takes her career seriously. She isn’t afraid to call things as she sees them.
In an with Cosmopolitan UK she said “When I was signed in London, I was the fattest British model to be signed to a major agency. It was hard. I faced a lot of fattism and as a light-skinned woman, I noticed that I was being used as a token. They’d talk about buzzwords like body positivity, diversity and inclusivity but I’d have to ask why I was the darkest model on their picture board. That’s not diverse!”
Campbell’s outspokenness and beauty is truly inspiring!
Jezra M. wants to give others the opportunity to show some self-love. In addition to her modelling career, she started an Instagram movement with her Pure Body Love hashtag. People all over the world can show and share self-love when they post images with the #purebodylove.
Jezra also has a blog, where she posts pictures from her modeling career, as well as writes posts about places where plus sized women can shop. She once posted on her blog “modeling for me is a dream and a goal, however [it’s] not just about taking good pictures, its how I speak to people, [it’s] how I connect to women around the world.”
