Amen to that Sandy! I agree with you, especially this part: “Redefine Beauty: Women who take the time to take care of themselves and look beautiful regardless of their size will not only improve their own self esteem, but will change the way others view beauty as well.”

What saddens me is that there are plus-size women out there who don’t care what they look like and wear certain things that just feed into the mass perception of a plus-size woman. They don’t care what they look like because they don’t feel they are worthy to look sexy and stylish.

Another problem that I have noticed and this coming mainly from our younger curvy girls, is the trend to wear clothes that are way too tight. I understand they are trying to look sexy and rock the curves, I was there myself once, but there comes a point where trying to look sexy actually looks bad and extremely unflattering. You can wear a cotton stretch halter top without it being so tight it looks like shapewear or is stretched out to the point that it becomes translucent! You can rock a pair of jean crops without them being so tight on you that you have a big roll that hangs down OVER the top of your jeans. I don’t mean the little bit, I mean the ones that make the buttons and zippers on the jeans scream!

I get complimented too all the time, and what I love is when a skinny girls asks me where I bought something and I get to say honey they don’t make this in your size and they reply I wish they did I love that! When I use to work for LB so many skinny chicks would come up in that store trying to shop, and I loved it when I got to go over to them and they were like do you have this in my size and I was like no, now get out! LOL
Sometimes though, and this is probably a bad thing, I lie about where I got things. Like if someone asks me where I got a pair of sunglasses or shoes or a purse. I just don’t want people picking up my style. It took me a long time to find my own personal style and I’ll be damned if I am gonna let some skinny chick steal it or try to make it her own. Especially when she has a million store choices and I have maybe 50!
I have been known though to approach complete strangers in a store and help them dress nice, almost like an ambush makeover. Also, if I am in a store and someone approaches me about my style, I do try to be very helpful b/c I know how hard and frustrating it is to find things that you not only like but do look good on you. I love helping other plus-size women dress to impress. And if she has a huge smile on her face and I can help her love her curves and love to dress nice, by the time I’m done, then I am happy for her!

This is my 2 cents on the issue. I've never even heard of any of those magazines untill now. I'm from KS if i had i would have bought them. In all my life i've never been critcized for being "big". I love being me and i will tell anyone who asks. I have no problems embracing my size and i feel really bad for women who have low self esteem because of there size. I must admit that i do want to lose some weight because of the extra pounds that i've put on because of the kids. I would love to be at the weight i was when my husband and i met and i was 180lbs then and now i'm like 230 and i've lost 30 lbs and want to lose 40 more. My husband always jokes that if i lose anymore than that he'll divorce me and it's not fair to get skinny lol. There is no way that i would ever in my life want to be skinny. It's so unfortunate to see a woman walking around looking like a 13 year old boy and it's not fair for people to make them think thats normal it's not and they need to eat something and enjoy there life. Having curves is sexy and i'm sure all of you can tell by the stares you get. I always tell my husband that i'm the big girl who can walk in a room and have men who didn't even know that they liked thick girls sayin d@%mn she's fine. So if there is anything that i can do at all please let me know I love being me and everyone else should love being them too because who else are you going to be?

Welcome to Venus MrsLollis!

Great post - thanks for sharing!!!!

I am launching a online store in the next month and I'd like to feature plus-size models in my advertising and marketing. Anyone interested in some free publicity? My site will feature mostly shoes handbags and accessories for now, no apparel, but I think that plus size models are over looked and would like to give some women the opportunity to be one of our faces. Feel free to contact me for more information. Later I would like to include apparel which would also include plus fashion attire. Thanks in advance

Hello,
I am in the plus size industry. I am a body therapist for the goddess sized womyn, and I have been working about fifteen years in the are of health and wellness.
I am amazed when I hear "nobody would want to touch me" but thankfully I hear that way less now than I used to.
I just love curvey women who are proud and body posative!
rowan