Posts Tagged ‘Fat Acceptance’

• Are curvy fashionistas ready for flab?

  Date: 2009.08.03 | Category: Articles, Plus-size Fashion, Plus-size Models, size-acceptance | Response: 4

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  Now since you all know I talk about things that no one wants to talk about in the plus-size world you know some day I’d have to hit on this, and while I’m on the case I will chip in with something else as well.  Two for the price of one. Oh joy! You cry.

  Now let me just say this isn’t a rant, and if it turns into one then please know I’m also ranting at myself too.

  I just hope posts like this will make the plus-size community question what they really want to see in size acceptance as well understand that deep down we’ve all be tainted a little by the media machine where accepted beauty is concerned, even if we don’t care to admit it.

  So there I was, minding my own Internet surfing business when I stumbled upon an online magazine that my favourite fashionista, Marie Denee guest writes for called, Gemini Magazine. You may already know it but you’ll have to forgive me for taking my sweet time to discover it.

  What struck me about this well balanced (fashion/beauty/opinion/advice) plus-size women’s magazine is that they have slightly bigger than standard plus-size models in it; and praise the lord they are showing a hint of cellulite and I think I may have spied a stretch mark. This is fantastic!

  Now don’t get me wrong there is retouching in the pictures, but some of them do show a hint of the two things women in general hate to show. I don’t like showing my cellulite or stretch marks much but I’m learning slowly to embrace them more. And when I see glossy pictures with a few hints of cellulite or some stretch marks I do feel kind of liberated into a new dimension.
  To see these things in a magazine is one step forward in our internal perception of what we truly want in size acceptance. Or in fact what we want  seen as acceptable by mainstream.

  I noticed as I flicked through the pages  of Gemini Magazine  how  plus-size fashion still has us in a little bit of denial. Don’t misunderstand me; baggy dresses are super comfy and appeal to the Hippie in me but when it comes to tigher dresses why are we still using huge bands to cover up that flabby tummy?  And why do we feel we need to wear Spanx to hold it all in? I don’t own a pair of Spanx but I do own two pairs of body control brikka knickers. Why? Because at some point I have been sucked into the belief system that flab should be kept firmly from view. It is such a hard battle to win though isn’t it ladies? On one hand we want to show ourselves in a certain way to appease ourselves and to some degree be acceptable to mainstream, on the other hand we want to be seen as we really are. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could embrace the diversity  that shows itself in the adult plus-size world?

  Funny, that it’s only when we’re surrounded by others who are plus-sized and accepting that we become free in our minds to let it all hang out.

  For instance, I went to the Vegas BBW Bash recently and saw many large women in the tightest, most revealing swim suits. They didn’t give two hoots. They let it all jiggle, wiggle and so forth. But magazines, such as Gemini Magazine ( and bless them they are not the only ones) are telling us that we should forget that tight tiny two piece and go for something a little more conservative and regulating of our fat? Why?
  Granted, the only thing I  was truly concerned about was my boobs falling out in a no-topless pool area.

  You can’t promote ‘plus-size’ if you aren’t going to embrace every women and man that falls into that bracket and their need and want to let it all hang out. Where are those super sized ladies? Where do they fit in? Considering their percentage is high in the plus-size world; why are they not getting fashion spreads?

  I understand though how it works. This community is taking tiny baby steps into being accepted and that’s OK, but I want to see a little more embracing of much larger women.
  I am not as big as some of my other plus-size friends, but I’ll fight for their right to be treated equally where fashion and representation is concerned. Because by doing this we all free our minds to media perception a little bit, day by day.

  I totally applaud Gemini Magazine in their concept and execution of their magazine. It is refreshing and beautiful, but if you’re going to talk about plus-size swim suits then represent  various sizes of plus-size models – not just curvy/firm ones. And please don’t tell me I can’t let it all hang out in a two piece. OK, you can tell me that if its a non-topless pool area but other than that please let my tummy and south heading puppies roam where they will. I dont want to wear a freakin tankini.

  I wore a two piece on the beach in Barbados and I can tell you, I never got a second glance or a crappy look. Indeed there were women much larger than I in tiny two pieces.

  We’re forgetting the golden rule – we want to look good for the opposite sex or what the media tells us looks good in order to win the adoration of a dreamboat. Let me tell you something Sistas, if that ‘boat’ doesn’t love every single inch of you the way you are – he’s not worth dreaming about.  I have had to reafirm this in my own mind more than once during my life.

  The Carribean in general loves curvy fat gals. ‘Child baring hips’, is a term that springs to mind, but in America and Europe males in general buy into the FM Magazine and Miss World  look more than the fat. I’m not saying every man has to desire a woman who is plus-sized. I’m just saying that many men follow/roam in packs and that goes for what’s acceptable and cool. If I didn’t have  a point here why do you think there are so many closet Fat Admirers in the world who long to come out the closet but are too afraid of what their friends think?

  Some would argue we should just leave them there, but I disagree. I say, slowly raise the bar of acceptance by showcasing more diversity in the plus-size world. Obviously the adult industry are way ahead of vanillla plus-size magazines in that respect, but I long for the day we will see much larger plus-size women showcasing plus-size fashion.

  If more plus-size magazines moved a little toward showcasing bigger and beautiful – particularly in fashion, we would have a louder voice than we do now. Like it or not, we are ruled by fashion and beauty. Let’s try as little to change the perception.

  One last thing and this goes for all plus-size magazines. You need to stop focusing on face pictures. We know the faces of plus-size women can be just as beautiful as slimmer women, but what we need to do, in the vanilla plus-size magazine world is show the whole body and I mean flab and all. Once again diversity is the key. You may raise some eyebrows, but life would be dull if we didn’t raise a few.

  And you wonder why there was no diversity in the sizes on the Fox show, More To Love. Never mind mainstream not being ready to embrace diversity in the plus-size world, let’s ask ourselves if we are truley ready.

  One day my friends, maybe not in our lifetime – people like Anne Wintour will not be the organ grinders of fashion, instead some super hot fat sassy chic will be running Vogue and she will know true diversity. Laugh if you want – but lets face it, lots of folks never thought they’d see a man of colour in the President’s chair.

  Yes, we can!

  Vx

  Vanessa Reece

  Related links

  http://vanessareece.com/2009/06/10/heads-curvy-fashionista/

  http://vanessareece.com/2009/05/21/bite-anne-wintour-tells-oprah-winfrey-lose-weight/

• Sometimes I question the sincerity of size acceptance

  Date: 2009.02.16 | Category: Articles | Response: 0

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  T-devil is one of my very good friends. He’s a plus-size man and a lover of plus-size women. He’s also super opinionated on the subject and I’m including this article on my site because it’s always good to ponder the male perspective of plus-size empowerment and size-acceptance.

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