Confidence will make you happier than any diet ever will!

Style: Swimwear by Torrid

1: Black Cherry Halter One-Piece Swimsuit - $68.50 

Sleek. Stylish. Undeniably Sexy. This cherry-covered one-piece, from our Slim 'n Swim collection, makes a splash with a pulled bow design at the bodice. Form-fitting lining helps shape the curves and flatter the figure.

• Slims and shapes. Size up if needed.
• Nylon/spandex
• Wash cold; line dry
• Imported    

2: Turquoise Lace Skirted One-Piece Swimsuit - $68.50

A twist-accented bust and a fluttering ruffled skirt deliver flirty detail to this turquoise lace-covered one-piece. Poolside or beach-bound, you'll feel confident and sexy.

• Nylon/spandex
• Wash cold; dry low
• Imported

3: Zebra Bandeau Halter One-Piece Swimsuit -  $68.50

Sleek. Stylish. Undeniably Sexy. This zebra-printed halter one-piece delivers chic poolside fashion that really makes a splash. A black bandeau spans the knotted open-front design for a sexy look you'll love.

• Nylon/spandex
• Wash cold; dry low
• Imported

4:Black Halter One-Piece Swimsuit - $68.50

Sleek. Stylish. Undeniably Sexy. This black one-piece, from our Slim 'n Swim collection, has a pulled bow design at the bodice. Form-fitting lining helps shape the curves and flatter the figure.

• Slims and shapes. Size up if needed.
• Nylon/spandex. Wash cold; line dry
• Imported

 

5:Blue With Buttons Halter One-Piece Swimsuit - $74.50

Ready to get suitably sexy? Figure-flattering ruching and nautical-themed button accents create effortless retro-inspired style. Lounging poolside never looked this hot.

• Size 1 measures 21" long
• Nylon/spandex
• Wash cold; line dry
• Imported

Style: Spring/Summer Dresses by Igigi

Reena Plus Size Dress by Igigi

                                  Universally flattering surplice neckline is work and date appropriate

                                                          Generously fit set-in sleeves

Flared A-line skirt accommodates wider hips and hits just below knees

Skirt is fully lined for a cling-free fit

This beautiful dress may cost $122.00 but is well worth the price, as it nicely fits your curves in the right places. 

Ariadna Plus Size Gown in Sapphire/Black by Igigi

Stretch bodice with sweetheart neckline
Empire waist full width charmeuse skirt with 6 gores
Bra friendly straps
Full length
Side zipper
Fully lined

$195.00

Tropical Beauty Plus Size Maxi Dress by Igigi

Bias cut bodice is shaped with flattering pleats
Stretch empire waist-band and bra-friendly straps
Full-length flared skirt shaped with princess seams
Fully lined, side zipper
Matching shrug included

$195.00

Beauty Tips: Smokey Eyes

1. Prep the lid. The key to keeping eyeshadow from melting into your eyelid crease as the day goes on is to kept eyelids oil-free. To do this start with an eyeshadow base (also called "primer"). Simply swipe the primer across the eye and let it dry before you continue to the next step.
2. Apply eyeliner. If you're going for a typical black, brown or gray smoky eye, apply liner in one of those colors above the upper lash line, drawing line thicker in the middle of eye. If you're opting for a jewel-toned eye (violet makes a gorgeous smokey eye), line eyes with a purple, blue or deep green liner.
3. Blend in color on bottom lashes For color on the bottom (a key smokey eye look) you'll want to use a eyeliner pencil because they're easiest to smudge. Once the line is drawn, run your finger over it to smudge the line. You can also apply a bit of shadow to get full smudge effect.
4. Apply light base color Again, the key to a smokey eye is pairing a lighter base with the darker hue. I prefer a nice cream shade for my base. Sweep a light, shimmery shadow over the lids to your browbone. The moist "mousse" consistency seems to stay on forever. 
5. Blend in darker color, but keep dark color below the crease. Now that you have the base and eyeliner on, it's time to get the smokey effect. You need a darker eyeshadow shade. Using an eyeshadow brush blend in color starting at your lash line, blending up. Make sure to blend color into the lash line so the eye liner disappears. Stop deep color at crease. The key here is to blend, blend, blend.
6. Doublecheck your work Make sure eyes match and blend color with a Q-tip if need be.
7. Finish with several coats of mascara. You'll want to apply a few coats of mascara so lashes are thick and dark. If you don't have naturally long, curled lashes, curl them with a lash curler first. 

Submissions - Charlotte Victoria

Aspiring model, Charlotte Victoria sent this beautiful photos in to be submitted onto Plus Size Models Facebook page.I don't know about you, but this girl has got a lot of potential. 

Like her fan page here - CharlotteVictoriaModel

Who Cares! You are worth more.

Mariesther Venegas

(July 2012)Last week, plus size model Mariesther Venegas walked the streets nude at Berlin Fashion Week for Navabi.de in a campaign titled, “Finally!”

www.plus-model-mag.com/2012/07/video-of-navabi-nude-plus-size-model-at-berlin-fashion-week

Source: Plus-Model-Mag.com

“The variety is what is beautiful”

Crystal Renn: “I would love to see the fashion industry open their eyes to the variety of women. The variety is what is beautiful.” And I totally agree with Crystal. She is not an inbetweenie or plus size model anymore. But still gorgeous! On this picture she was still a size 40-42.

source: www.stylehasnosize.com

Igigi by Yulia Raquel Plus Size Spring Collection

Don't be afraid to wear your bikini this summer...(Part One)

Don't be afraid to wear your bikini this summer...

Here are some perfect bikinis to suit your style and shape...

Swim Solutions Plus Size Swimsuit, Tiered Tankini Top & Solid Brief Bottom

(Tankini Below)

Get it here at - Macys.com

If you’re bigger on bottom…

• A tankini lengthens you
• string styles bare plenty of thigh
• a deep V-neck shows off a sexy upper body.

Tommy Bahama, sizes XS-L, tank, $95, bottom, $45,

Suit Yourself! Slender Thighs Swimdress - Women's Plus

(Picture Below)

Get it here at - Kohls.com

If you have a short torso…

• One Shouldered swimsuit lengthens the body...
• punchy hue draws eyes up to your collarbone
• an X pattern lengthens and slenderizes
• a high-cut bikini shows off great legs

Chadwicks, sizes 4-18, 16W-24W, $60

Exelnt Designs, top, sizes 32C-42G, $66, bottom, sizes 4-26

Got this submission on Tumblr, isn't she gorgeous? :) ♥

www.instagram.com/melbatoastrox
www.wardrobemassacre.com

Melanie Robin, aspiring plus-size model

Just gonna got for it and post this pic from the Lane Bryant dressing room. Awesome lighting options in there! I was there for the FFFweek casting, in my Jennifer Lopez shape wear.

Follow me for more! @wardrobemassacre

Melanie Robin | Size 14/16 | Height 5’4

Jessica Jerome - Skorch Magazine.

I am simply flabulous darling...

Plus Size Model Agencies

Not all agencies handle plus size models. From our last checking, the list below does, and can serve as a jumping-off point for helping you to find representation as a plus model. Please note though that agencies can change their policy at any time as to the ‘types’ of models they represent, and so before showing up for an open call or sending your photos to any model agency, please make sure to verify that you fit the criteria for what they are looking for, so as not to waste your time.

(Note: Plus Size Models (Facebook/Tumblr) is not an affiliate of any agency, nor do we endorse any agency. Contact agencies at your own risk as Plus Size Models (Facebook/Tumblr), can vouch for the accuracy or ethical standing of any listing or agency.)

Here is a list of some that might interest you: 

Model Agencies Serving Multiple Cities

• Click
• Ford
• Wilhelmina

List of US Model Agencies

• AL / Birmingham / Real People Models and Talent
• AZ / Scottsdale / FORD Robert Black
• AZ / Scottsdale / Leighton Agency
  
  
• CA / Los Angeles / CESD Talent Agency
• CA / Los Angeles / LA Models
• CA / Los Angeles / Mavrick Artists Agency
• CA / Los Angeles / Rage Models
• CA / San Diego / San Diego Model Management
• CA / San Francisco / Look Model Agency
• CA / Santa Ana / Brand Model Management
  
  
• CO / Denver / Donna Baldwin
• CO / Denver / Maximum Talent
  
  
• FL / Longwood / Ariza Talent & Modeling
• FL / Miami / Dorothy Combs Models
• FL / Miami / Irene Marie
  
  
• GA / Atlanta / Elite Chicago
  
  
• IL / Chicago / Aria Talent
• IL / Chicago / Elite
  
  
• NY / NYC / CESD Talent Agency
• NY / NYC / Flaunt
• NY / NYC / IMAGES Management
• NY / NYC / IPM Model Management
• NY / NYC / MSA Models
• NY / NYC / MUSE
• NY / NYC / Specialty / Expecting Models
• NY / NYC / Specialty Agency / Parts Models
  
  
• OR / Portland / Q6
• OR / Portland / Ryan Artists
  
  
• TX / Dallas / im Dawson Agency
• TX / Dallas / he Campbell Agency
  
  
• WA / Seattle / Heffner Model Management
• WA / Seattle / SMG
• WA / Seattle / TCM

International Model Agencies

International Model Agencies Serving Multiple Cities

• Ford Models Europe
  
  
• Australia / BGM Models
  
  
• Brazil / Ford
  
  
• Canada / Ben Barry Models
  
  
• Germany / Brigitte Models
  
  
• Italy / Ciao Magre
  
  
• UK / Excel Models
• UK  / Hughes Models
• UK / Milk Management
• UK / Models Plus
• UK / Premier Model Management

source: www.plus-model-mag.com

Plus-Size Model Images May Reduce Obsession With Thinness

Why are we obsessed with female bodies that are thin? A new study from England's Durham University offers two theories -- and one possible solution.

Researchers Lynda Boothroyd, Martin Tovée and Thomas Pollet asked why women in many Western cultures prefer a thin body. They looked at two psychological phenomena that might explain this: the "visual diet" of Western women and the process of associative learning.

The visual-diet theory suggests that preferences can be shaped by the level of visual exposure. In other words, the more images a woman sees of thin women, the more she will internalize the idea that their bodies are the normal ones and larger bodies are abnormal.

Associative learning occurs when individuals perceive a connection between a certain body size and positive traits. Thus, the more thinness is linked to health, wealth and prestige, the more women will feel that thin equals good.

"If thin is constantly equated with success and popularity on TV and in magazines, it is not surprising that there is a strong pressure to shift the ideal body towards a lower weight," Tovée told The Huffington Post in an email.

The researchers conducted two separate studies with heterosexual British women to test the two ideas.

For the visual-diet theory, they asked 57 women with a mean age of 26.4 years old to look at opposing pairs of large and small women in bikinis (the pictures were computer-generated) and indicate which of the two body sizes they preferred, and how strongly. Next, participants were shown a series of images of all large or all small women, some of whom were beauty queens and some of whom were being treated for eating disorders. (The mix of "aspirational" and "non-aspirational" photographs was designed to make sure that participants' responses were not linked to how happy or healthy the women in the photos looked.) After the so-called manipulation phase, participants repeated the comparison test.

Results indicate that women who were shown images of thin models in the manipulation phase had a stronger preference for thinness in the comparison test afterward, whereas women who were shown images of large models had a decreased preference for thinness.

In the associative learning study, researchers showed a different group of 69 women sets of images sorted into aspirational and non-aspirational categories. Participants who looked at pictures of smiling, well-dressed plus-size beauty queens and models intermixed with underweight eating-disorder patients wearing gray leotards showed significantly less preference for thin bodies, whereas those shown images of thin beauty queens and overweight eating-disorder patients showed a stronger preference for thin bodies.

"This is an important finding when considering our media environment and the development of eating disordered behaviour in young women," Tovée told HuffPost via email.

The new study, published in the November 2012 issue of the peer-reviewed journalPLOS ONE, supports the idea that beauty is a cultural construct and contradicts arecent study from Michigan State University suggesting that the desire for thinness is genetic. Other research has shown that factors including ethnicity, historical contextand advertising methods can influence a woman's body-size preferences.

"Although we don't yet know whether brief exposure to pictures of larger women will change women's attitudes in the long term, our findings certainly indicate that showing more 'normal' models could potentially reduce women's obsession for thinness," researcher Boothroyd told Science Daily.

If that's true, it backs up the efforts of 14-year-old activist Julia Bluhm, who this past summer petitioned magazines like Seventeen and Teen Vogue to use a variety of "real girls," not just ultra-thin models, and cease manipulating photos in their editorial spreads.

"Cultural ideals can end up in this feedback loop, so that if you're in a culture which favors one particular thing in bodies, that if you have a visual media that then reflects that back, that results in a stronger preference," Boothroyd told HuffPost in a phone interview. "And if the media then responds by reflecting that back strongly, then you get an even stronger preference ... You've just got this feedback loop where everyone gets thinner and thinner and thinks it's normal."

Article: www.huffingtonpost.com

How to Build a Modeling Portfolio

1:  Hire a professional photographer to take your photos. Run an Internet search. Look through your phone book. Phone up local agencies and ask them which photographers they use.

2: Call up or, even better, visit the photographers you have found. Ask them about things like pricing, format of the film/digital photos and how long you usually have to wait between the shoot and getting the photos. Also, ask to see a sample of the photographers work.

• Most agencies will have a list of "test photographers" that they can recommend you use if you are trying to sign specifically with them. These photographers are often also experienced at general portfolio building as well.

3: Hire a professional make-up artist. If you are lucky, the photographer will sort this out for you but remember to ask if the cost of the make-up artist is included in the fee or if you have to pay extra. If the photographer isn't providing one, search for one in the same way you searched for your photographer.

4: Look through fashion magazines and clothes catalouges and find poses you like. Practice in front of a mirror.

5: Decide on a number of looks you want to do. Ideally, you should pick at least three and they should demonstrate a wide variety (so not all jeans and t-shirt shots!!). If you have a special skill, such as ballet, you may even want to consider taking some photos in your ballet outfit and even making a pose.

6: Keep your hair, skin and nails in good condition in the run up to the shoot. If you need a hair cut, get one.

7: Once you have decided what clothes to wear, make sure they are clean and put to one side for the shoot well in advance. Ideally, you should have decided upon your outfits and have them ready at least 5 days before the shoot.

8: 48 hours before the shoot, call your photographer and make-up artist to make sure everything is still ok.

9: The day before the shoot, make sure you get a good night's sleep and stay away from alcohol.

10: The morning of the shoot, double check that your bag is packed and that you have money for travel fares and parking fees. Aim to arrive 10 minutes before you are due (and make sure that time has accounted for applying make-up!). Carry the photographer's number on you and give them a call if you realize you might be late.

11: Discuss what sort of looks you want to go for with the photographer. After this, you will probably have your make-up applied.

12: Enjoy your photoshoot! Listen carefully to what the photographer wants. Try not to be nervous but do acknowledge that feeling as normal...even models who have been working for years upon years get nervous.

13: Once the shoot is over, pay your fees as required and write a thank you note to the photographer and your make-up artist.

14: Once you have your photos, sort out the ones you like from the ones that aren't so good. Enlist family and friends to help out. Remember that less is more - if you only find 5 magical shots, use these and stop. That's far better than using 25 which are just "ok".

15: Buy a folder to put your photos in. Most models opt for hardcover books with ready attached plastic folders.

16: Sort out your portfolio in to the order which best presents you as you want to be presented as a model. Try different combinations until you feel satisfied you have found the right one.

17: Remember to keep updating your portfolio as you begin to work as a model.

source: http://www.wikihow.com

Alessandra Garcia Lorido

Alessandra Garcia Lorido who is a size 44-46 EU/14-16 US, is obviously going to be the plus size model industries new "it" girl. She is currently with Natural Models LA and already has some layouts in Elle and Vogue Italy, plus, Also she was on the cover of the
Style Guide issue of Healthy is the New Skinny a year ago. Is there anything that could make this women more beautiful and amazing that she already is?