Does being beautiful mean being a size 0?? I think not! While most children who develop eating disorders are between 11 and 13, studies have shown that 80% of 3rd through 6th graders are dissatisfied with their bodies or their weight and by age 9 somewhere between 30 and 40% of girls have already been on a diet. Between ages 10 and 16, the statistic jumps to 80%. Many eating disorder experts attribute this behavior to the effects of cultural expectations. Unnatural ideas of beauty bombard our little girls and teens for as long as they can remember, they need to know that they do not have to be as thin as bread sticks to be sexy or beautiful! Here are the Top 10 Sexiest “Plus-sized” (one hates to use the term) Models and Entertainers. Be happy with who you are, beauty is on the inside!
She is a 19-year-old Canadian plus-size model and actress whose beauty, confidence, and talent have earned her professional acclaim, and have made her a role model for a generation of full-figured girls.
Jones has modeled for Ashley Stewart, New York and Company, Target, Essence magazine, Vibe magazine, King magazine and Smooth magazine. Jones is currently a host for BET’s game show series Take the Cake. She made a cameo appearance in Trina’s music video for the song “I Got a Thang For You”.
Super sexy Dray is a plus-size model based in Paris and notably appeared in John Galliano’s ‘Everybody is Beautiful’ Spring 2006 prêt-à-porter show and subsequent French Vogue editorial of the collection, wearing what turned out to be Galliano’s best-selling dress of the show. Dray has appeared in editorials for Elle France and Gala magazine. She has worked with some of Europe’s leading photographers such as Nick Knight and Steve Hiatt, and with European clients such as Marina Rinaldi and Giani Forte.
A plus-size model from Derry, Northern Ireland. She’s has appeared in ads for Torrid and Marks & Spencer, in an editorial in the U.K. edition of Good Housekeeping magazine, and starred in a Channel 4 documentary titled “Fat Beauty Contest” in which she organized Britain’s first beauty contest for plus-size women.
Renn suffered from anorexia and became a plus-size model after regaining her health, and has notched up some remarkable successes in the few years she has been working at a larger size; multiple editorials in each of Vogue’s U.S., Italian, French and German editions, and an appearance on the catwalk of Jean-Paul Gaultier for his Spring 2006 prêt-à-porter collection.
Maggie Yumi Brown got her big break when, in November 2006, she won “Tyra’s Thick and Sexy Top Model Contest” on The Tyra Banks Show. Her title included modeling contract with Wilhelmina Models, a 1000$ from Lane Bryant, and photo shoot for an editorial in Bombshell Magazine coming to print in 2008. Since winning the Thick and Sexy Top Model contest, she has been featured on various covers of magazines such as the December 2006 issue of Bombshell magazine.
She was the first plus-size model to have an advertisement feature on a billboard in New York’s Times Square, an honor repeated four times by client Liz Claiborne. Laughlin was also the first plus-size model to appear in the U.S. edition of Glamour magazine.
Lovely Jill is a three-time Grammy Award-winning American R&B, soul, and jazz singer, songwriter, actress and poet. In 2007, Scott made her theatrical debut in the films Hounddog (as Big Mama Thornton) and in Tyler Perry’s feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That same year her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on September 25, 2007.
Beautiful Whitney is the first plus-size model to win the reality-based TV show America’s Next Top Model. Thompson began her modeling career at age 15 in her home state of Florida, appearing several times on the cover of her local “Jacksonville” community magazine. Thompson is 5’10″, has declared herself to fluctuate between U.S. sizes 8-10, and was 20 years of age at the time of her appearances on ANTM. Thompson will be the first plus-size model to appear on the cover of Seventeen magazine, on the July 2008 issue.
Musician, Actor and Model, Queen Latifah is a a force to be reckoned with. Besides movies, TV and even her own talk show, she is a celebrity spokesperson for Cover Girl cosmetics and Curvation ladies underwear among others. Latifah is one of two hip-hop artists to receive an Academy Award nomination in an acting category (Best Supporting Actress, Chicago, 2002). The other is Will Smith. Go Figure.
Contributor: Tiffany H
lol, J I love it. I just got offered a job yesterday. Seven jeans is launching a plus size line. It will be my first time! Hooray for full figured beautiful women!!!!!
SomehowI knew Queen Latifah would be #1
So much depends on how a big beautiful woman thinks of herself, and how she acts. Kudos to all BBWs!
Some of them are very pretty. Nice list
& #2 doesn't look "plus sized" at all!
I agree – at 5'8" and wearing a size 8-10 she is at the low side of average – since when did THAT become "plus" size?? Stupid American standards – what is average now – a 6? Sheesh
she's not. A size 8-10 is NOT plus sized!! A size 14-16 is still a LARGE. Extra Large is an 18-20 and that is where 'plus-sized' starts…. In plus sized clothing stores, you usually don't see anything smaller than an 18-20 on the shelves… It *****es me off that they're calling her plus sized!!!
Exactly!
completely agree!!!!!
I was wondering exactly the same thing! An 8 is plus sized????
& her winning was rigged…
No Sara Ramirez? For shame!
Awesome List….it's good to celebrate all types of the Ladies!!
Nice list. It's annoying as hell when girls & women obsess about their weight, they should just accept that just because they're bigger, it doesn't mean they're any less attractive! Quite the opposite in some cases actually.
I'd have reversed the list order myself though, #10 is a lot hotter for me than #1!
Be happy with who you are, beauty is on the inside!
This sounds like you're saying they aren't beautiful.
#7 "Buzz's girlfriend woof"
Sizes 8 and 10 are not plus sizes people!
exactly!, how disgusting is it that a size 8 – 10 girl is considered a 'plus' size model! what is wrong with society!!
Unfortunately, sizes above 8 are “plus size”, in the world of modelling…it's ridiculous, & completely unrealistic, as we in the real world know…
I was shocked when I saw #5 and #2 and yeah the fact that sizes 8 and 10 are considered plus really makes me think that there's something really wrong with society. I recently looked at pics of when I was younger (size 8) and I didn't look fat at all, yet all kids at high school made me feel like a real 300pound pig. It's so sad that we let our children grow with this mentalities. We should teach our children (and society) that a woman is beautiful as long as she has a good self esteem, and not for being something unreal like being a perfect size 0.
Where do these mentalities come from? From people who assume that a 300 pound woman is a pig! Don’t be hatin’ – body love and good health for everyone, no matter the size! If you put limits on size and beauty, then you limits on yourself.
a 300 lb woman IS ‘a pig’, so is a 300 lb man.
Unless you’re 75%+ muscles, then no, it’s not healthy or beutiful to be massively obese…
America Ferrera?
i know, i was like “where is betty”
Good list, but geez, since when is size 8 – 10 (#2) considered plus size. For gawd sakes I'm 5'1" and I wear a size 8 in summer and a 10 in winter. And I'm not even close to plus-size (I have been, but that's another story). It is a sad commentary when normal is considered plus-size.
Also size and fitness are not mutually exclusive. My first aerobics instructor was about a size 16, and she could run circles around me. It has to do with tone; is it mostly muscle or is it mostly flab? Does your weight prevent you from doing the things you love to do? (I'm not talking about wearing a string bikini)
Folks need to realize that real women don't look like what you see in magazines and on tv. Gee whiz even they don't look like they do; ever seen how much airbrushing goes into fashion mags? It's even worse in nudie books. No stretch marks, no stray hairs, perfect small *****, and lets not even talk about the nether regions. (plastic surgery on those parts is a growing industry, wtf?)
We need to get over it; start judging people more on whom they are and less on what they are.
Doubt you care 2 years later, but whitney thompson is 5' 10 and wears a 12-14… in some peoples eyes that is "plus size".. i wouldnt necissarily call it that, but just saying..
http://securityjobslondon.info/
Yeah, a lot of these women aren't plus-sized. I worked at a plus-size store, for chrissakes, and a lot of the younger models didn't look like they would even fit into the smallest size (fourteen).
I do love Queen Latifah, but I have to agree with the Sara Ramirez. Are there no "plus" sized celebrities that aren't models?
queen latifah is always #1 on lists like these. thats cause shes awesome
Mom424: hear! hear! And I'll go a step further. Stop judging people at all. If you feel you must judge, start with the heart and work your way out.
The most judgmental may be the clothing manufacturers, hiding plus size undergarments behind the counter and out of sight, limiting what plus size clothing they carry at all, and what is offered is in boring fabrics or cuts that look like something my great grandmother might wear.
I think that you might mean "reckoned" instead of "reconed" in #1.
bah, nr 10 should be 1.
7,9 and 3 dont belong. imo
uh, for people who arent up to date one ANTM (its my crack) whitney was a size 4 when she was approached to audition. they ASKED her to gain weight so she could be considered "plus size" on the show, since a size 4 is too fat for a regular category. bull***** much? rigged? YES. i dont consider whitney a role model for plus sized girls since she gained weight to win some money, and made it clear that a size 4 is "fat" in the model industry. BOO.
size 8 and 10 are "average" – not "plus" size.
try size 14 and up.
what makes "plus" size girls (and really, anybody) *****y is their attitude, confidence and mind-set. If you think you're *****y, then you're *****y. If you act *****y (flirtatious, not afraid of your body), then you're *****y. I've seen so many "plus" size girls that are so much *****ier than their stick-figure friends, because the stick figures are snobbish, stuck-up or boring, and the "plus" sized girls are happier, friendlier and more interesting.
As far as the difference between "plus" sized and fat, for me it comes down to proportion and health. Fat people have no proportions and generally don't look/act healthy. All the girls in the list have proportionate features (breasts/hips about the same width, waist slightly smaller) and look healthy (not anorexic nor blown-out).
Think "hour-glass", but not "wasp-waisted".
10 and 6 are just stunning.
i agree. size 8 is not plus sized. i thought plus sized was size 14 and higher.
Well obviously it is always easier for folks to judge others than to look inside and fix themselves but, I love the fact that all these women have persevered, despite what the so called "norm" is and continued to find success in their respective fields.
Oh yeah And Long Live the Queen!
Freddie Mercury once sang a song about all of this……
Also, Sara Rue from "Less Than Perfect" was quite spectacular, but she's not considered 'plus-sized' anymore
Shane S: too bad Freddie was looking at their boyfriends while he was singing it.
WOW! Great LIST! Long time reader, first time commenter!
Jill Scott was perfect for this list! I am so glad someone else sees how talented she is and how amazingly beautiful! Listen to "A Long Walk" by her and you'll want to MARRY her.
All the women here are beautiful!
Good Job!
fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round!
imo, I think it's silly that we even have to distinguish between regular models and "plus size" models. These women are beautiful, that is why they are models. Women come in all shapes and sizes, so why can't models just be models, regardless of their size?
AND, anyone else notice that most of these women's accolades are European based? I think it's time for America to catch up!!
In the fashion industry plus sized starts at 8- which is just weired.
All these women make me wish I wasn't such a stick…
Don’t worry, some people prefer skinny women too!
cue Mika…
Great list. This is what ALL models would look like if the fashion industry were run by straight men.
……..i love you…….
Oh now we are talking here, like these posts. As a size 8-10 woman who has stuggled wtih this “bigger” girl mentality over the years, i am coming to peace with my hips booty and strength, gotta love a pair of legs that can ride 45+ miles and still feel pretty good at teh end of the day, thanks for acknowledging ALL of us, figuratively, and literally. We deserve to feel GOOD about ourselves, our bodies, and our genetic differences. Weird…what if the world was made of Super Posh Spice size 0 droids…yikes….
A majority of men like a full figure, most of the self-esteam issues come from other women. (just an opinion)
Not always. There's always some tool who manages to lower your self esteem.
Great list! I think the size 8 and up woman are perfect. Rubenesque is *****y! Although I don't agree that Queen Latifah is #1 (she's pretty, but some of those other women on the list are incredibly gorgeous), it has introduced me to some models I will have to check out. I'll bet that none of these women appear on the Maxim Top 100. Which is not only a crying shame, but a real sad statement on how short-sighted (or should I say weight-sighted) this country is.
Oh, and I know she's an obvious choice, but Emme is still freakin' amazing.
when i wrote this list, i hated to use the words "plus sized" i like full "figured"…or just…plain WOMEN! i had seen so many things about eating disorders and women obsessing over their weight, i got sick of it. our girls should not be dieting at aged 10. i wanted girls and women to see that no matter what the media says there are plenty of smart, talented, and beautiful women who aren't whisper thin. there were so many to to choose from. it's sad to think that a size 8 IS concidered "plus sized" in the fashion industry. i'm glad you like it.
i don't know what kind of people think Calista Flockhart are attractive. The holocaust survivor look just isn't appealing to me.
I like women with curves. Not ones who have the body of a pre-adolescent boy.
Awesome list. Its nice to see real women depicted instead of corporate toothpicks in designer clothes…Oh, and long live the QUEEN!
I agree with monteze. Most of my friends like their women to have a bit more meat on them, and *all* of them find too-skinny women unattractive, myself included. In fact, the majority of the guys I know, period, prefer a woman with a little husk. It's a ***** thing, really. We *hate* feeling like we are going to snap you in half (or hurt you in general) in the middle of a heated round of bedroom shenanigans. Cushion for the pushin, and all that. It feels good to have something substantial to play around with, and I don't just mean in the chestal region. Don't get so hung up on your bodies, girls. A good personality will make up for just about any physical shortcomings. I should know…it's worked for *me* so far.
amazing list. I knew there was a reason I check this site everyday. About time true beauty is appreciated.
additional : nigela, america ferrera, sara ramirez, missy elliott(althought she lost a lot of weight), anna nicole smith (even though she was a little weird, she put PLUS-sized on the map), is rachel ray plus-sized?, OPRAH????
lots of women have normal-sized bodies, HEIDI KLUM is not the standard… (although I also think she's *****y in her own way)
sorry ehehe
i have a girl crush on nigella lawson. yum yum.. and the food she cooks seem pretty good too. LOL
(straight female)
I like big butts
So squeezable! Back That Up!
In the fashion world if you are a size 8-10 you normally are a size 14-16. Top fashion sizes are sized different than what you would by at Wal-mart or Kohls or JC Penney. If you are normally a size 8 you would be buying a size 4 in High Fashion Salons. I think this list is great and should be shown to Teenagers all over. You don't need to be skin and bones to be *****y. In fact I believe most men like a little meat on the bones of their women. Am I right guys?
Marykerbie: With the exception of Frat boys, yeah, I can see that. In my mind Pudgy, Skinny, doesn't matter to me, I just want you to be healthy… and intelligent. Oh and I like boobs, so a little weight helps out.
Crap, I've got steak in my teeth. Anyone have a supermodel to dig this out with?
I have a sister who’s ten and I suspect shes dieting, even though she won’t admit it.
I think it’s mostly my fault because I have a low self esteem and keep going on about my many flaws.
The only one i'd nail is number 2.
And yet, she wouldn't let you….
lol Jww -G note=owned
Okay… here we go! One thing that guys have going for them with the sizing game is that we simply go by inches and X's…LOL. It's a lot simpler and easier (like our little minds!).
Women's clothing standards are all over the board… teen junior, miss, women's, plus, etc., etc. I think most of it has to to do with marketing and 'targeting' strategies from the dingbats who sell the clothes.
Anyway, when it comes down to the REAL women's sizes – what my wife gets at Penny's and Dillard's and Sears – she's a 5'4" perfect size 10!
Y'know… we should have women's clothing sizes recategorized to include 'Minus-Sized' as anything under size 4, and have Twiggy (or the average 9-year old) as the poster child for that… Regular lovely-woman sizes should be about 4-12, and they should simply be 'Woman-Sized'. Start getting into the 14-20 sizes and we get 'full-figured'… then you can go 'Plus-Sized' after that.
So, perhaps I've opened up a Plus-Sized can of worms here, but I guess I have an opinion on this one… :-O
number ten is really beautiful she should definitely rank in the top three in this list. i love boobs as well but there is nothing better than a nice round bottom!
i agree with the intelliigence thing as well as good health and hygiene
G Note – Nailing is so harsh… and leaves marks! You should use tape, sticky-tac or push-pins instead.
I want to marry this list. Although I do agree – Sara Ramirez definitely deserves to be on this list.
Hah! Yeah, hygiene is pretty important too, but I'm pretty sure most girls expect guys to be clean and smelling good too. That one is a two-way street.
#4: that picture is not so great
my personal favorites:#9,#8, and #1
slick: i agree, thats why i care so much about hygiene
imagine your about to kiss a really hot girl and she has some *****ty breath….
what do you? WHAT DO YOU DO!?
You stick a Tic-Tac in your mouth and hope it spreads
Fantastic list. I note, with great appreciation, that almost all these women are brunettes, also. (pace my earlier, much-maligned list of Top 25 Most Beautiful Brunettes).
oh, and just a note, toccarra was on ANTM too if i remember correctly.
i like a clean mouth among other things
Awesome list! I'm 5 1' and and a a size 12… Thanks for all the good comments too, guys! Chicks dig that kind of thing
lol!
So glad that Whitney made the list. I would've put her at number one, I was rooting for her all through ANTM this season.
SlickWilly; We've discussed this. You don't have short-comings, quite the opposite I believe. Fear of the whole thumb to baby finger span, maybe. But not short-comings.