It’s no secret that featuring plus-size models is not the norm in the majority fashion magazines. That is why it seems to make world headlines every time it happens.
The latest headline has to do with sisters Courtney and Laura Wells. According to The Huffington Post:
“Cosmopolitan Australia had a family reunion of sorts in its August issue, bringing together two sisters kept separate in fashion mags due to their different sizes. Both Courtney and Laura Wells are models, but Laura is plus-size and usually relegated to special spreads. In this editorial, both girls show off the season’s trends on their slim and curvy bodies.”
I love the idea, and I think the photoshoot is a nice departure from what we usually see in magazines. Having two different body types featured together, rather than models that are all the same size, definitely gives the reader a much better idea of what the pieces actually look like. It’s also a much truer representation of the real world. After all, we all come in different shapes and sizes. However, I do think that the plus-sized sister got the short end of the stick where some of the clothing being modeled is concerned. A couple of the outfits are really cute, but seriously – they couldn’t find some more-flattering pieces?
However, a quick look at the comments on the Huffington post article also seems to indicate that the photos are causing a bit of a stir.
PatricefromNH: It’s cool to view the similarities and differences of these sisters but what surprised me while viewing this comparison was how I instantly felt tuned in and connected to the plus sized sister. Maybe it’s because she’s built more like me and most women I know. She definitely exudes more sensual and luscious vibes in that way that appeals to males and females alike.
GBO: Plus size is always better…only dogs like bones.
Rosecrazy1948: These pictures emphasize the skinny unhealthly look of “normal” models. The “plus-sized” model is what an actual healthy woman would look like. I would love for my granddaughters to be plus-sized instead of “normal” (read skinny).
EllenDennis: Have we gone entirely insane? The “Plus Size” fatty is absolutely normal. The “normal” model is nearly anorexic looking. This comparison is utterly through the fashion looking glass, nuts, and why women either damage themselves to look like NO ONE LOOKS! Or finally acquire a self image of dignity outside this realm of dysfunction and disrespect.
Samuel Perry: Anyone over size 8 is plus sized? So we should just reset and get rid of all non-plus sized models then, since “plus sized” = normal now?
and my personal favorite:
Paganmist: Both women are beautiful… I’m not sure why people feel the need to tear down one woman in comparison to another. How is it any better to insult a thin woman and praise a large woman… as it is to insult a large woman and praise a thin one? It seriously sucks that we’re ripping apart women based on their appearance like this anyhow.
Most of us know that a plus-sized model is not the same size as someone who would be considered “plus size” in the real world. No, a plus-sized model is significantly smaller than your average everyday plus-sized woman.
Australia’s BGM Models Agency represents many plus-sized models, including Laura Wells. According to BGM, Laura is a Size 14. However, being that BGM is an Australian agency, I assume that means she is an Australian size 14.
This equates to about a US size 10.
Plus-size indeed.
We already know that, in the world of high-fashion, the majority of designers only produce clothing up to a US size 8. A few pieces can be found in a size 10. Hunting for sizes higher than that is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
I am happy with my size 14 body. I know my body type can be categorized as everything from plus-sized, fat and big-boned to curvy, voluptuous and womanly. But I am a 34 year-old woman, not an impressionable young girl. I am self confident and I have a positive self-image, so none of those characterizations mean anything to me.
In addition, as stated above, I also know that a plus-sized model is not the same size as someone who would be considered “plus size” in the real world. So knowing that Laura Wells is a US size 10 doesn’t make me feel bad about myself. But I wonder about that young, impressionable teen reading Cosmo. The one that doesn’t have a positive self-image, and that doesn’t want to be considered “plus-size”. What does she think?
On the-flip side, the comments from Huffington post readers above that reference how skinny and unhealthy Courtney looks are also alarming to me. Again, the female body comes in different shapes and sizes. Skinny doesn’t equate to unhealthy. Plus-size doesn’t equate to unhealthy.
Are their models out there that look anorexic? Yes. And I am not a fan. Are there models out there that are obese? Perhaps, and they aren’t healthy either. But the Wells sisters don’t fall into either of those categories. Both Courtney and Laura look healthy and normal in this spread.
I just wish that models didn’t have to be categorized as “straight” or “plus-sized”.
Do you think it makes sense that there are only two categories to encapsulate SO many different body types and sizes?
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