Jacquelyn Jablonski and Crystal Renn in V Magazine January 2010, photograph by Terry Richardson.
Plus-size modeling has received quite a bit of attention in recent years. First there was model Lizzie Miller’s belly shot in Glamour magazine’s August 2009 issue. Then there was V Magazine’s ‘Curves Ahead’ piece, which featured plus size models both dressed and undressed. Ever since, there has been steady editorial growth for plus size models, brought about both by consumer demand and financial incentive for designers to produce clothing for an evolving plus size market.
Some of the editorials feature plus-size models as a way of embracing beauty in all of its forms. Vogue editor Franca Sozzani said, in an interview with The Cut, of her decision to feature plus models, “We did it to attract the attention that it doesn’t exist, only one kind of beauty, but that every woman can be beautiful, and especially curvy women can be beautiful and very sexy.” She contrasts herself with other who “use curvy models sometimes, like a provocation[...]which I don’t like honestly.”
While we would like to think that the growing acceptance of plus size models indicates a shift towards a more realistic variety of body types than that displayed by standard size models (whose size remains restricted to a 0-2 sample size), it’s far more likely that these fashion spreads are not only celebrating a full range of beauty but also a desire to be sensational and generate publicity. Controversial or edgy images equal more sales, more publicity, and a bigger bottom line.
With the demand for plus size models increasing, it is unsurprising to learn that they deal with the same kind of body scrutiny that straight size models do. Plus size models face similar pressure from their agents to have an ‘ideal’ body type. As Sociological Images noted in November, models struggle to maintain measurements that are in “perfect” proportion, and utilize tricks — padding on their hips, silicone “chicken cutlets” to enhance their breasts, and Spanx to slim their waists and thighs. If a plus size model loses weight, she faces pressure not only from her agency but also the general public to gain it back. [Editor's note: Plus size models are also routinely photoshopped, just like their standard size model counterparts. - Katy] When Crystal Renn, the iconic plus-sized model who overcame a nearly fatal battle with anorexia, hit the red carpet looking gaunt-faced and slender in a slinky gold gown this past fall, eyebrows were raised. In the months following the event, Crystal addressed critics of her weight loss, insisting she was happy with the way she looks and denying she had been pressured into changing her appearance. She has said about her weight-loss:
“When this whole weight loss thing happened, I think that a lot of people wanted to point their finger at somebody. I think that they wanted to find a conspiracy where there absolutely was none. A lot of people said the industry was pressuring me, my agency was pressuring me, I was pressuring me, but it was just not the case in all three cases.”
Plus-size models face considerable pressure to conform to a standard created by those who dictate the norms the fashion industry: agents and designers. Ultimately, models must mold their bodies to fit the standard, rather than having the power to change the standard to fit their bodies. In this sense, they face the same pressures as thin models to fit a shape determined by others to be acceptable.
More Reading:
Ideal “Plus Size” Bodies & The Trouble With Resistance
Contradictions In The Depiction of Plus Size Model Crystal Renn
Crystal Renn Is Still Being Peppered With Questions About Her Weight Loss
Elissa Stern is a personal style blogger, freelance writer, and vintage clothing enthusiast with a strong interest in exploring issues related to body image and personal development. A former New Yorker relocated to the Dallas, Texas area, she is a stay-at-home mom to three children. She enjoys thrifting, road trips, horseback riding, beating her kids at Super Smash Brothers Brawl and browsing in used book stores. You can find her at Dress With Courage and @dresscourage on Twitter.
