My biggest problem with Grace was two-fold.

1. it wanted to be something that the industry could not maintain. It wanted to be Vanity Fair or Glamour. And the plus size world does not have the fashion week/celebrity designers/couture/hollywood that one needs to make a magazine like that. Plus size women celebrities are far and few between and just as you start celebrating them, they get smaller so it's got to be about every day women. Everyday women who might be extraordinary in lots of ways but they're not famous. Fame is not the only way to validity or beauty.

2. the clothing in much of Grace only went up to a size 16 or 18. They'd create an amazing shoot but then you'd look in the back of the magazine and listing after listing explained how that item went up to a XL or a 16. That got really old really fast. Not to mention the diminishing models moving from size 20 towards a 16 or 14.

To tell you the truth the best magazine I've seen out there is Figure, and yes it's a magalog, but it's offering something we can put our hands on in more than one way.

How about a plus size LUCKY magazine? I'd definitely buy that!

oops, sorry i think my response belonged in the why did the magazines fold section

as far as supporting the plus size vendors and industry? i think we do support the industry, it's growing at a tremendous rate. if someone enters the field and they're under capitalized and don't have the business talent to make it work, i wouldn't pin that failure on the plus size community for example. i'm sure there's more in my brain to come out later.

Oh my gosh, I so agree with Dandy Candy..not only is it the adverstisers, but with so many of the people who are plus size are not happy with themselves.

This was a topic of discussion recently with a panel I was on, I was talking about my full-fiured dolls, now this is not to push them, I just wanted to share with you how I feel about women who say to me that these dolls are a long time coming, we need something like this, they are tired of seeing small dolls that don't portray them, yet they don't buy a doll..it seems to me to be the same thing..we say we are proud, yet we don't support the magazines that are trying to support us and help to make people take notice that we are here and we are part of the fabric of life. I am sorry if I seem like I am ranting..but if you feel that good about you then you support things, be it fashion, magazines and or dolls that support who you are with respect.

Because if you don't then we can't complain about things not being out there that represent us in a good light.

I love this forum and love the Amaze Magazine..I love clicking through the pages, just to see what cool ads they have for the wonderful products and also for all the inspirational stories about women who look like me.

GDoll -- thanks for the great feedback -- we Love doing what we do :-)

This forum is awesome and is doing exactly what a magazine needs to do before creating a publication...listening to its audience! The women here have amazing ideas and confidence. I believe that each of us is a walking advertisement for plus size style! I get compliments all the time on my clothing, my jewelery and my make-up. I take the time everyday to look good for myself! I think that a new magazine needs to cater to plus-size women the same way mainstream publications cater to all women. Sell us fashion, beauty tips, cute shoes, relationship advice, and traveling ideas. Redefine Beauty: Women who take the time to take care of themselves and look beautiful regardless of thier size will not only improve thier own self esteem, but will change the way others view beauty as well.