Plus size models and what they have done in the world of fashion is beyond comparison. They have brought a different set of limelight on the women and men who were at first looked down upon because of their size.
They were told they do not have any position in the world of fashion because of their size and the way they look. They were told they would not succeed and that the runway and ramp walks were no place for plus size people, men or women.
A select few, though, decided to stand up against it and fight for what they believed in. They decided to take things into their own hands to prove to everyone that size, looks and anything else remotely does not matter when you have the hunger to prove yourself and attain success.
There has always been a case of people standing up and fighting for what they believe in, the body positivity movement is no different.
It has worked in such a huge manner that there has been a tremendous uproar in how plus size people are now considered to be one of the mainstays on the ramp. It is an ode to the terrific work done by some really great women who decided that enough was enough.
While the circumstances when the body positivity movement was taking shape were different compared to today, the essence has never changed.
The reason why this had started and why it continues to make waves in the industry the world over has remained the same through all this time.
There has been one major change however, a change that has elevated the body positivity movement to a new level. A change that has elevated the status of plus size models all over the world as well. That one change is the arrival and rise in popularity of social media.
Over the years, the world has made friends with social media and it has become a very big, probably the biggest part of people’s lives.
What started with social media and primarily Facebook has now spread across various social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and even Snapchat.
People have taken to social media like ducks to water, and that is where social media has proven to be the biggest asset to various up-and-coming and established plus size models.
It has enabled them to reach a wider audience and promote what they believe in, and help people take notice of what happens around them.
Why has this had such a big cultural impact?
In a world of Instagram influencers and social media marketing, there appears to be a trend emerging in the fashion world far beyond what purse or shoes your favorite Instagrammer is flaunting; instead, appealing to a topic of more depth. Why it has made such a huge impact is because of the following reasons.
It has helped plus size models reach a wider audience:
Yes, the essence of social media was to help people meet and greet each other and connect. Long-lost friends, and people who grew up together but had to part ways, were some of the reasons why people took to social media.
However, as the years have passed, there has been a sea of change in the way people look at and behave on the internet, and on social media in particular.
This has helped the plus size movement big time. Influencers, models and brands can now promote this movement and what they stand up for in a big way.
The millions of followers has added to their craze over time and it has basically helped people know about the plus size category and body positivity movement in depth.
It has helped women find their confidence and make a stand:
Before the body positivity movement caught everyone in rapt attention after the groundwork done by pioneering plus size models like Ashley Graham and the rest, a lot of women received flak because of their size.
While that has not gone away completely, the influence and reach of social media has certainly helped reduce the way people talk negatively about plus size women.
It has helped people see plus size women, rather all plus size people in a different light altogether. There are times when the power of social media has been undermined, but the reach that it has is extremely big and it has definitely helped take the body positivity movement a notch higher.
More and more women are coming out of the shadows because of this:
Perhaps, the biggest advantage that social media has got over other media platforms in terms of reach is that it is easy to use and read from. So how has it helped plus size models influence other women like them?
First and foremost, plus size models have received more and more followers on all social media platforms and that is as evident as it gets as to how big their work has become.
Women all over the world have started to come out of the shadows and embrace who they really are post the beginning and rise in popularity of the body positivity movement. The outreach on social media has helped them build their confidence and don the hat of a confident young woman who has set a goal for herself and is now out to chase her dreams.
The act of sharing body positivity on social media has also opened the discussion to transcend borders in the international communities who may not have been as vocal about it prior to Instagram.
Globally, similar sentiments are present but reside in smaller pockets, rather than a movement that has given rise to a large number of women sharing their stories and deciding to bring a change to society.
This increase in empowered women embracing their bodies has brought the body positivity movement to the forefront, noticeably taking life outside of the screen as Fashion Week strives to adapt to consumer reactions of shattering the former image of the 00 ideal, something which was not possible say 12 years before today.
