Style June 26, 2018
Be the change you want to see.
When looking through fashion magazines, we hardly see curvy women with common body types. However, with the growing popularity of the body positivity movement, that norm of seeing slender models is becoming a thing of the past.
Tabria Majors is one of the models behind this much needed change.
Majors is featured in this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She will appear alongside Hunter McGrady and Kate Wasley, according to POPSUGAR.
However, her appearance in the swimsuit issue is not the only way she is challenging the industry.
Majors responded to Sports Illustrated’s March casting call, according to Newsweek. The casting call asked for a variety of personalities and body types to apply.
Majors saw this as her chance to initiate the change and posted her submission on Instagram.
“I would love to see more women who look like me in Sports Illustrated, a woman of color with these big hips and this not-so-flat stomach… I would love to serve as a role model to young girls to show them they can do anything they put their mind to. I’ve only been modeling for two years, but I’m submitting anyway because I think I have a shot,” Majors stated in her submission video.
Her courage to step up to the challenge is inspiration to all body types.
Majors is not afraid to voice her concerns with the out-dated norms of the fashion industry. She even took it upon herself to challenge Victoria’s Secret.
Majors tackled recreating Victoria’s Secret ads to show that curvy women are also sexy in lingerie, according to Essence.
“Maybe I’ll be a Victoria’s Secret Angel this year for Halloween, since it ain’t happening in real life lol. Just paying homage to a few of my favorite pics/outfits from VS here and showing that curvy girls can rock (and sell) lingerie just as well as straight size models,” Majors posted on Instagram.
Her purpose to recreate the ads was not just to show that curvy women are also sexy. Majors explained that she also wanted to open the conversation within the industry.
“I really want to open the discussion of inclusivity in mainstream media. I just want to know why they, and so many other companies, don’t cater to the average-sized woman,” Majors told Essence.
Her efforts to recreate the ads may seem minimal; however, they are getting noticed and getting the support of average-sized individuals.
Majors co-hosts a podcast, The Thick Podcast, with journalist Mindy J., where she discusses pop culture and provides health and fashion advice. The purpose of the podcast is to share the perspectives of professional plus-size women, according to the Newsweek article.
Majors also uses her Instagram account as a way to promote body positivity to everyone. She targets her message to both men and women, ensuring that everyone learns how to love their body.
“If you’re struggling with your body image, I just encourage you to find one thing that you like about yourself and just focus on that. If there’s something you want to change, feel free to change it – change is good! And if you want to remain the same, that’s good too,” Majors stated.
Majors shares that body positivity is not only about learning to love your body. You also have to focus on the positive aspects of your body and your life.
“I used to feed into the negative comments I received, but I find it’s best to just ignore it,” Majors told Health. “These people don’t know me, they’re just judging me from a photo, and they’re projecting their insecurities onto me.”
If you are able to shut out the haters and focus on loving your body the way it is, body positivity and confidence will be easier to attain.
Tabria Majors is not only marking a new path for the modeling agency, she is also changing the way we view beauty. We don’t have to be straight-sized to be considered beautiful. All of us should be able to flaunt our curves and ignore the outdated standard of beauty that is still used within the fashion industry.
