Famous Plus Size Models

Although much of the fashion industry seems to solely focus on women who are a size eight or under, famous plus size models have broken through this weighty barrier to inspire millions of women who don't fit into the size six mold.

Plus size model Emme Aronson

It can be incredibly frustrating to look at a magazine or catalog that caters to women of size and see that the models aren't even a size 14 or larger. While many retailers have since stopped the practice of padding slim models and now use plus size women to model the garments, there is still not enough widespread acceptance of full-figured women in the fashion business. Despite the overwhelming odds, some women have persevered and inspired countless readers who have curves.

Some well-known plus size clothing retailers include:

• Avenue
• Lane Bryant
• Woman Within
• Jessica London
• Catherines
• Ashley Stewart

Women of size are needed to model the garments put out by these manufacturers.

Queen Latifah

While there are many women in the full figure modeling industry, these names may be more familiar to you than others. Each of them is an inspiration to women worldwide who have a little "junk in their trunk" and want to celebrate it.

She was one of the first famous faces to inspire women of size, but she suffered from self-esteem issues related to her weight just as many other women do (including those who aren't plus size). Widely considered the first plus supermodel, Emme Aronson has parlayed her modeling career into being a fashion advisor, women's issues advocate and even a book author. She is the creator of me by EMME, a comfortable and stylish sportswear line sold through QVC.

This voluptuous beauty didn't make the final cut of the TV show America's Next Top Model, but that hasn't stopped her from gaining fame on a slew of magazine covers and other television stints. With her appearance in the July 2008 "all black" Italian Vogue, that marked the first time a plus-sized African-American model appeared in the magazine. She has appeared on Celebrity Fit Club, a reality show that helps celebrities shed pounds, but she always maintains her fuller figure and doesn't intend to starve herself to make a weight that's unhealthy for her.

Although she got her start in the rap music arena, Queen Latifah can now be seen modeling for Cover Girl cosmetics as well as acting in TV shows and movies. This buxom lady carries herself with pride and grace, whether she's rapping about U-N-I-T-Y or launching the Curvation lingerie line for full-figured women. She keeps busy in an industry that isn't always kind to women of size. Although she famously endorsed the Jenny Craig weight loss system, she did it more to embrace a more healthy way of eating and living than to lose a lot of weight.

The daughter of rock star Steven Tyler and half-sister to actress Liv Tyler, fame was bound to happen to this curvy model. Along with other famous plus size models, Mia has struggled with accepting her weight (she's also appeared on Celebrity Fit Club), but being a size six is simply not a realistically healthy goal for her and for many other women.

Women of all sizes sometimes struggle with their body image, which in some cases, leads to eating disorders. These famous faces who have bucked the conventional wisdom that you must weigh 110 pounds in order to be beautiful have motivated a lot of women of size into accepting themselves as they are. Whether you get your information from a plus size modeling resource like Plus Models or you're discovered walking down the street, if you're interested in modeling, you just might be the next famous face inspiring millions of other women.

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• Women's Plus Size Jeans
• Are you plus size fashion savvy?

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• Dress Barn Woman
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• Category:Plus Size Living
• Full Figure Modeling
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