Photos from PLUS Model Magazine
Six years ago Kate Moss made this controversial statement: « nothing tastes as good as skinny feels ». This was a pretty good summary of what the last 40 years in the fashion industry have looked like. In the 1960s women like Marilyn Monroe made millions of women around the world envious of her curvy figure. But slowly through the 1970s and ‘80s, the media favored skinnier body types. In the ‘90s the term « cocaine chic » was coined, describing models so thin they looked like they were on drugs. And through the first decade of the twenty first century anorexia has increased drastically and very few measures have been taken to encourage women to love their bodies and their role models to achieve a healthier weight.
Things are slowly changing, however, and more and more curvy women are shown in the media and taking an active part in industries like fashion or music. Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Nikki Minaj, Kim Kardashian, these are just a few of the big names that are present in the media and clearly don’t wear a size 0. This year London even hosted the London Plus Size Fashion weekend. Women are using clothing and shapewear to enhance their curves, no conceal them. And although there is still clearly a disconnect with reality: the average woman in America is a size 14 and models are considered to be plus sized when they are size 8 and up, progress is being made nevertheless.
So if you have been on a diet for a decade, are struggling with your weight and body image or simply envy the slim ruler silhouettes of most runway models, remember this much: being curvy is now officially in. I can think of a dozen things that taste better than being skinny, and I’m sure so can you.
