Womb to Grow, Pages from a Curvy Mom’s Life
 Society, Weight and Pregnancy
by Monica Rasso, Regular Contributing Author at Elegant Plus Magazine

Pregnancy is one of the few times in our lives that it is “acceptable” to be overweight. Or is it? When browsing through pregnancy magazines, maternity catalogs, and TV commercials, do any of those models really seem overweight (besides the tight, yet bulging belly)?

It seems there is an underground movement to ‘stay thin’ while pregnant. Last month I was flipping through the channels and became temporarily hooked on a show called Life & Style. This show is hosted by four well-known women with a format similar to The View and a goal of informing viewers on how to live life with style. The particular segment that caught my attention focused on women who are attempting to stay fit and thin while pregnant. The discussion focused on sacrificing the health and growth of an unborn child just to remain thin.

Pregnant, yet still thin, photos of stars such as Gweneth Paltrow and Sarah Jessica Parker grace the pages and covers of popular magazines giving readers the false idea that these goddesses of the big screen are not gaining any weight, except for that in their baby belly. Host Kimora Lee Simmons pointed out that ALL of the stars that she knows personally have gained 25-60 pounds during their pregnancy. She explained that the photos taken in these magazines are shot when the star has professional hair, makeup and styling that makes them appear thinner. Even if the women do gain weight, the thin images we see, are those that many readers aspire to imitate.

As a professional model, I hope to model maternity clothes during my pregnancy. Although I am proud of my body and have a great self image, I find myself questioning whether or not plus models are accepted in the one area of modeling that I thought we would FOR SURE be accepted. An area where it is all around acceptable and favorable to be chubby and cute! But look in the maternity catalogs and pregnancy magazines. Beautiful, yet thin, models grace the pages in all the editorials and advertising. Is this yet another area where the real, curvy woman is unaccepted?!

I contacted the premier agency for pregnant models, Expecting Models. Twice I sent in my best headshots, full body shots, and resume. I did not hear anything. As I perused the pages of their website, my heart dropped as I saw that there were no plus models represented. I called Brian, an agent at the Expecting Models, and asked if my photos had been received, but more importantly, since I assumed they were not interested in my look due to their lack of response, to discuss the use of plus models in maternity modeling.

As we all know, any successful business becomes that way by providing their clients what they ask for. It seems that the advertising companies rarely look for plus models to show their maternity products, thus the maternity agencies rarely have a need to sign a plus model. Until the companies that sell maternity products acknowledge that over 60% of their customers are plus-sized individuals that relate better to Plus-size images, the modeling agencies will continue to hire thinner, high fashion models because that is the smart thing to do financially!

In all fairness, there are companies such as Fashion Bug that primarily use plus models in their advertising. I LOVE their ads! The most recent publication of Figure Magazine had a terrific 5-page editorial spread featuring a curvy model with a general softness about her. She looked like she could give a great hug! Someone we can relate to! The loving neighbor next door! In summary, although our society has welcomed the real woman into many aspects of advertising, film, music, and TV, there is still a great lack of acceptance in the pregnancy advertising area. It is such a small area of advertising, but pregnancy is such an important time for us to feel beautiful and accepted at our size. Let’s all do what we can to further the acceptance of curvy, real women in maternity advertising. Send emails and letters to companies such as JC Penney , the rest of the companies listed in the Elegant Plus Maternity Clothing Directory and any other companies where you feel that the real woman should be represented in advertising.

Since the initial publication of this article Brian Marggraf of Expecting Models has responded that “we do embrace women and models of all sizes, from petite to plus-size, and we, Expecting Models, would love to see the industry expand in that way… we have represented Plus-size models in the past, but not so much lately. If the industry was more interested in Plus-size models, we would definitely sign and promote them… to fill that need…” (April 2006)

Popularity: 10% [?]

 
 Click to Buy Love at Large

Liz Fielding, author of The Bridesmaid’s Reward says:
 ”In turns funny, touching and joyous as the ’stick insects’ meet their match and the big girls get their man.”

Book Review: Love at Large
by Chamein Canton of ElegantPlus.com

Our very own curvy novel reviewer, Jen Henderson, contributes to this delicious romance anthology featuring leading ladies with voluptuous, full-figured curves.

Description:
Love at Large is a courageous book of charming romantic stories; each one a celebration of the lives and loves of full-figured women. It is a book of fiction featuring real women searching for real love and finding that men do indeed send long-stemmed red roses to women with double digit dress sizes.

Within the pages of Love at Large, you will find spunky, attractive, sexy, and smart heroines. These are women who love, are loved, and make love. They are all that and a bag of chips; and they make no apologies for not being the fat-free variety.

The Love at Large Anthology contains six sweet contemporary romance short stories by six terrific authors, plus one bonus story written as a round robin by a variety of writers at the BBW Romance Writing group.  Authors include:  Sue Ann Jaffarian, Judy Bagshaw, Nancy Trausch, Eileen Wilson, and Jennifer Harrington.
Review:
Before I begin this review I must admit that over the years I’ve gotten away from romance novels. I don’t know whether it was the book’s covers or the fact that it seemed to be the same type of woman (with long raven hair, a barely there waistline and enough cleavage to choke grown men). Perhaps it was a combination. Nevertheless I must say my faith in romance has been restored by Love at Large.

The contributing writers including our own Jen Henderson spun tales of love from different perspectives, but what I truly appreciated was how the full figured woman got the guy of her dreams without settling for less. Although their styles were different the reader feels like you’re sitting down with your best girlfriends listening to them regale you with the lush, romantic and sexy details of their love lives without the telltale corn ball I’ve seen in so many other romantic stories. 

With titles like “Love Bytes” by Jen Henderson;  ”The Illustrated Woman” by Elizabeth Angus; “A Work of Art” by Judy Bagshaw, “Dirty Laundry” by Jennifer Harrington; “A Change in Direction” by Nancy Trausch; An “Unforgettable Kiss” by Eileen Wilson and “Passion Unmasked” the BBW Romance writers (who contributed a story written by the collective) there is something to suit everyone’s fancy.

They are all wonderful writers and I look forward to seeing more of their work published on a larger scale. Maybe it’s the literary agent in me, but I think these ladies’ stories have Lifetime written all over it! In fact I think these writers have big screen potential to spare.

I give Love At Large ***** (5 stars) Excellent!

For more romance novels featuring plus-size heroines, visit the Elegant Plus Curvy Bookshelf.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Forwarded from our friends at NAAFA (naafa.org):

We can really use your help on this one. Please forward this message to anyone
you know who lives in MA. We can make this happen. We did it in San Francisco,
let’s do it in MA!!!

We have an exciting opportunity to advance fat civil rights in
Massachusetts! The bill, H.1844, filed by Rep. Byron Rushing, will
add height and weight to the anti-discrimination law. YOU can help
make this happen! And it’s very easy.

First, we’re asking Massachusetts residents to write a letter (snail mail is
better than email) to your representative and senator, asking
them to support MA H.1844. If your legislator is a co-sponsor, thank
him/her for supporting H. 1844. And …. ask everyone you know in
the state to also write to their legislators!

If you have experienced size discrimination in the state in
employment, education, public accommodations or health care, it is
VITAL that you tell your legislators! And please forward your story
to us, too. Another rep filed a similar bill a couple of years ago
on the basis of ONE discrimination complaint from a constituent.

If you’d like to do more, a follow-up phone call or even a personal
visit (make an appointment at the State House or at local office
hours) will emphasize the depth of your support for the bill.

There will be a hearing before the Joint Committee on Labor and
Workforce Development, probably in the fall. If you’re a constituent
of one of the committee members, your voice will have even more
impact. As our campaign builds, we’ll have more opportunities for volunteers.

For more information, please contact *NAAFA Board member Jeanne
Toombs

*National Assoc. to Advance Fat Acceptance, www.naafa.org

LEGISLATORS’ CONTACT INFO
http://www.mass.gov/legis/.

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Rep. ________ (or Sen. _________)

I’m writing to ask you to support (or thank you for supporting) H.1844, which
will add height and weight to the anti-discrimination law. People of all sizes
deserve basic respect, and large people in particular are routinely
discriminated against in employment, health care and education.

(I have faced discrimination…. please tell your personal story.)

Thank you,

your name
your address

CO-SPONSORS
Rep. Christine Canavan
Rep. Linda Forry
Rep. Gloria Fox
Rep. Willie Mae Allen
Rep. Matthew Patrick
Rep. Carl Sciortino
Rep. Benjamin Swan
Rep. Timothy Toomey
Rep. Marty Walz
Sen. Susan Fargo

COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Rep. David Torrisi, Chair
Sen. Thomas McGee
Sen. Pamela Resor
Sen. Patricia Jehlen
Sen. Edward Augustus
Sen. Steven Tolman
Sen. Robert Hedlund
Rep. John Scibak
Rep. Paul Casey
Rep. Colleen Garry
Rep. Demetrius Atsalis
Rep. Barbara L’Italian
Rep. Sean Curran
Rep. Marty Walz
Rep. Thomas Calther
Rep. Paul Loscocco
Rep. Karyn Polito

Popularity: 2% [?]

Imagine our surprise when tuning into American Idol last night  we realized that one of our favorite plus-size designers has scored an outfit?  There, easily one of the likely winners of the whole thing, Lakisha Jones came out in a gorgeous platinum silver satin gown that flattered her every curve as she sang a Diana Ross song in the role of Billie Holiday. We instantly recognized the work of Igigi and a dress that has been a favorite for pageants, proms and special evenings out among the plus-size fashionista set for awhile.  For only $165 you can get one too, in the gorgeous silver LaKisha wore or several other colors like cream, blue, black and red in sizes up to 32.   Want it? Get it!

For more dresses for every occasion, you might like to visit The Dress Directory lists dresses from across the internet in sizes 2-32.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Express Yourself!

Would it surprise you if I told you that the man sitting next to you sporting a green mohawk and multiple body piercing was a lawyer? What if I told you that the perfectly coiffed woman over there in the meticulous Chanel suit was a folk singer?  You’d not only be surprised in either case, you’d also tend not to believe me.  These may be extreme examples, but whether we realize it or not, we all respond to the visual cues clothing sends. And then in a few split seconds we make certain assumptions about the person wearing them.  Celebrities know this. That’s why they hire stylists.

What do your clothes say to the world about you? Do they exude your personal style and reflect the inner you? Or do they speak of body insecurities and low self-esteem? Are they telling the truth? Or are they lying? If they are lying – is it a lie that you, the wearer, want to tell?  One thing is absolutely certain: they are communicating something to those around you. The question is what story are they telling and are you in control of the story?

Until recently big girls were told that we must always hide in head to toe black. We must cover our bodies. We were only offered shapeless tent-like garments.  Collectively we accepted our fate and our choices, limited to frumpy, “fat girl”, unattractive fashion messaging.  Even the most confident and self-expressive curvy chick had trouble finding anything more than a brightly colored floral muu-muu that came in her size. That choice may get noticed, but it hardly expresses much more than a loud, brash personality lost in a sea of ill-fitting cloth.  Where’s the person under that tent? All of this, of course, severely limited our abilities to fully communicate who we were and what we can do to the world around us.  Essentially we were brainwashed and then handicapped by our clothing options. Our only real choices relegated to neat and tidy or unkempt and sloppy -options which, in and of themselves, actually do speak volumes about how we feel about ourselves. 

Over the last few years our fashion choices in larger sizes have changed dramatically. But have our actions and attitudes towards ourselves changed? Much of the social messaging is still around…. “wear black”…. “hide your body”…. “thinner is better”….in direct conflict with the growing number of alternatives out there.  How many of us have the confidence to play with fashion as a tool of self expression?  And, how many of us are “waiting until we lose a few pounds” before we buy the fabulous dress or jacket that we are lusting after, and instead opt for the safe, the comfortable, the voluminous big girl black?

Stop the madness! Neither size nor health is the issue here. Start with feminine, flirty or fun undergarments and watch a little spring magically enter your step.  As people around you begin to respond to the improved body language, you’ll gain the confidence to begin experimenting with more looks, to figure out what works on your particular version of curves and within the social circles in which you move. You’ll start to find your own fashion voice.  Next thing you know, you’ll have escaped the tyranny of the “fat girl uniform”, complete with all its associated negative social messaging, to emerge as the individual you truly are.  You’ll have the ability to tell your own story when you walk into a room, meet a client for the first time, or go on a job interview. What you do with that tool is up to you. Put your best face forward or consider it a casual pajama day.  Dress it up or dress it down. Exude professional polish or wild, joie de vivre.   Become a social rebel or a soft, voluptuous siren. You can even tell a fib or two – it’ll be you and your wardrobe’s little secret.  Regardless, you’ll find the people around you will respond accordingly. Don’t like the response, you know how to change direction, dial it up a notch or play it down.  The difference now is that you are in control the minute you walk into a room and before you open your mouth. You are not relegated to a fat chick social cliché.  So, express yourself! 

Popularity: 5% [?]