Is This Woman Plus Size?

In defense of Marianne, I would simply say that a different swimsuit would be more flattering for her.

I agree with Kara. Gay men (which is what dominates the fashion industry) don't want female bodies that are too feminine because they can't compete with us then. Plus, it's easier for the gay men that want to look feminine actually do so when the female ideal looks like a 14 year old boy.

The issue isn't size, its the size the clothes are made. All runway clothes are made for a 5'9-5'11 figure at a size 4. The occasional size 2 walks out or well shaped size six- and usually then only if her name has become known through editorials and ads with companies.

This standardization makes it so that the designers can create their pieces which take months ahead of time before they sign their models and if one of their models drops out or gets sick, theres no problem fitting another girl into her piece. Go and look up some of the main money makers today: Agyness Deyn, Coco Rocha, Jessica Stam, Hilary Rhoda, Caroline Trentini, Raquel Zimmerman... their measurements are all very similar although looking at photos you might not guess that (Coco has a dancer's figure whereas Hilary was a hockey player)

Throwing a size 12 into the mix would make fittings very difficult... I've made costumes myself and I made the same dress for 4 girls. The easiest was the size 0 and it needed no fittings, then the size 4, then the 8, and the 12, though beautifully shaped and I was very jealous of her curves, took a ridiculous amount of fittings. Fashion week has at max time for 2: a few days before, and an hour before the show. It also breaks up the visual unity of seeing all one size walk down- you arent meant to notice the girl. Differences in the girls would highlight that they are unique and not manikins, drawing attention away from the slaved over clothing.

I have nothing against size 12, but a size 12 does not belong on the runway for a regular sized brand. I do believe that plus sized brands should be started though. A size 12 a 5'11 is a very good size, but the fact is, at this height, many girls are just long. We don't have any width to us. I'm 5'11 and I can't get bigger than size 8, and if I actually eat healthy and accept that I cant eat my way into curves, I'm at a size 2-4. In a world where everyone believes this to be an unattainable size, I get criticized by people I hardly know, and I can never find pants other than overpriced designer that fits. I ask you to think now before you criticize 'too skinny girls' and models because some people really are like that and grow up feeling like shit about having such weird proportions.

I looked up definition for plus size and it was a body size of UK 12 and above but mostly associated from a size 16/18.

Having lost 40lbs and now fit in size 16 and am trying desperately to get to below plus size status (which I thought was UK16) I now feel that I will always be viewed as fat and unacceptable because I cannot force my body any smaller size.

I have wanted to show a full length picture to my online friend but I feel so ashamed by my size, and whether or not I would be acceptable.

K L,

When you see that size UK 12 is plus size that just means it is plus size for the purposes of the fashion industry. In other words, if they want to use a model for a plus-size catalogue they will hire a model who is size 12 or above. It doesn't mean that everyday people consider size 12 plus size. Plus size for the average person is what is not sold in maisntream stores, so for most stores, that would be UK 16 or 18. If you are wearing a size 16 you are not plus size.

Many people look good at that size.

I have been reading to the real women talking about how they relate their own weight to the one of Jen's. Even though I know that my husband would pick her over the skinny model, thanks to the model industry, men's expectation grow high in real life. How do I know? I am 5.9"and at 145 my husband offered lipo for Christmas.

Our bodies define ourselves. It is an important topic!

The posts from the Mark and Mary, letting us know that these really are plus size models are informative. It is hard to take the matter of fact explanations from insiders when outsiders (to the fashion industry) face such pain from the consequences. A person can't simply ignore the body image issue in our society. It is pervasive. Ignoring it is like walking in a strong wind- you can keep to your path but only with conscious and constant effort. So please remember that when you apologize or explain for the fashion industry.

If (some) clothing is designed to improve our appearance; then good designs will take into account how clothes will hang on different body types. It makes no sense to say that the models are just hangers, since the clothing is supposed to be on people, not on hangers, and people are in different sizes. Would you buy an interior design that works in the "perfect" room and expect that the same design will work equally well in any size or shape of room? The whole premise from the fashion industry doesn't make sense! At the very least, the sample size, for the ready to wear market, should be representative of the target audience.

She is definately curvy but no, not plus sized even though she is getting close

i think jen is a great lookin lady older women are the
sexiest to me i am all guy here straight young man age
27 years old as of jan 08, i love OLDER who look young
like ya know and jen is just that way,TALLER WOMEN ARE
MORE CURVY VIVACIOUS BEAUTIFUL MODEL look/heiight is so sexy on taller women,they are great looking love her look the other one gotta go.
and the comment about the GERMAN CAMP lookin boney
lady i agree,she is wayyyyy too thin as THICK IS IN
AMERICA,NOT FAT BUT THICK TALL long nice thick curvy
types are in,
peace out
from male in nyc angelo rugiero jr. age 27.

The first lady looks great to me. They second one is kinda scary. Anyway I think full figured women are the most attractive. Just my opinion.

This world is sad. Back in the 60's a size 12 was concidered sexy. You look at Marilyn Monroe or Dorris Day, they weren't these skeleton's we have today. This is why we have so many people with eating disorders and so many girls who cut themselves. Society needs to wake up. My mom and sister are naturally very thin because they are both 5'4" (size 4) and they are constantly saying they are fat but here I am a size 22 and very happy with myself and when they say stuff like that I can't believe my ears. I applaud this model as well as all the other people in the spotlight taking a stand, like Jennifer Love Hewitt, Scarlett Johanson, and Salma Hayeck. It's about time!!!!!!!!

shes looks horrible she needs to eat a little more so she can full out that bathing suit

Jen looks a lot better than the other model, who looks like a skeleton.

I think that the runway models should remain the way they are: tall and skinny. The buyers who see the fashion show can focus on the clothes if they all look alike, not to mention the samples can all be made one size.

However, I think the models who work print (ads and editorials) can have a diversity. The average fashion magazine (InStyle, Lucky, etc.) shows you clothes available in different sizes at stores, so they can easily hire models of many different sizes.

I understand that girl so much.. I don't know my size because I'm south american and here sizes are weird, but in cms, my measurements are 73-60-96. Definitely a pear shape. I'm too "fat" -believe it or not- for a catwalk model (even though I'm 5'10 and weight around 118-120 lb ( around 1.77 and 53-54 kg), which is a IMC of 17), I'm already underweight and all that.. Come on, they (agencies, designers) want me to weight 49 kg (110 lb)! That's insane.

All I'll do is to excercise, cos I admit I've never done it too much.. But most of the girls would gladly starve themselves to get to that weight.. And that definitely isn't right!

In the real world, jen's body is average but for the modeling world, her body is just not ideal. I think it's beautiful to be plus-sized but you also have to be fit and healthy. There's a difference between being plus-sized and being flabby. Plus-sized would be like Queen Latifa or Tyra Banks, they're beautiful.

hi! i kinda stumbled accross this blod i wanted to add a comment.. i am 5'11 and 145lbs i used to weight 120lbs at the same height and was viewed as anorexic and sick and all that.. the thing is i used to play lots of sports so i never put on weight and when i stopped the weight piled on gradually and then it stopped 3 years ago at this weight.. i worked as a model for 3 years during that period of skinniness.. and now i still work as a model but in the industry for some reason am viewed as plus size even though i have a waist of 66cm and a bust of 96 and hips of 100cm.. in the real world for a gurl my height people call me slim and toned but in the fashion world am plus size.. which is soo unfair because it makes people including people like me feel bad about themselves.. i am not fat and i am definately not plus size.. but the media brain washes us into beleiving in crazy measuremnets.. many of my fellow model freinds are naturally skinny.. they eat alot and only go walking no other sports.. and they look healthy but skinny.. the problem isnt with those girls, the problem is with the girls who have similar height and bone frame to those ones but have some meat on them, and keep forcing themselves to slim down... they dont consider the fact that they might actuallyt be alot prettier, hotter and sexier than the skinny girls that they wish to be.. i hope all this could change and people could start to focus more on excercising regularly and eating healthy for the sake of their health instead of focusing on weight loss.. and if people do that and stick to a healthy life style they will have no weight problems and their bodies will find its perfect size and weight and stay that way..

I do agree that the second model is too skinny, but I think there has to be a level of acceptance with everyone that not every body type is the right fit for any industry.

i think i may be the only person so far to say this, but...i honestly think jen does look like a plus size model. she has quite big thigh's too. Im not saying marianne could do with putting on a little weight. but a size 12 is not acceptable for the catwalk, it's not what they design for. alot of fashion deisgners like lagerfield for example create these beautiful clothes to gracefully drape over the body, if there a size 12 etc there most likely to have roles in places and a muffin top, in which case the clothes would look different on and not how the designer intended.

Comparing the photos of jen and marianna is ridiculous. one looks overweight, the other underweight. the swimsuit chosen was obviously intended for a more curvacious body and had it been a different suit im sure many people would judge marriane different. part of the reason she looks unhealthy in that photo is because her skin looks so fair, nobody with fair skin ever looks good in gold metallic.

im 5'9 and a half, and my measurements are the same as hilary rhodas 34-23-34. i want to do modelling but am not looking forward to the kind of preasure that is constantly thrown down on the industry.

A size twelve in my opinion is not plus size, it's an average friggin' size. I mean, I'm 5'8" tall with long limbs and when I shop at these plus size stores, nothing fits my waist because it's WAY too big...yet when I go to these other clothing stores who claim their size 12 is an actual 12 or a large is an actual large, the pant legs aren't long enough, I sometimes can't get them over my thighs (and I have slim legs)or can't snap or button them at the top. It's ridiculous, there should be attractive clothing made for all sizes but it's seems there are only two catogories, petite or big! If you're anything in between, you're screwed! WTF?

what is wrong with you people? jen did not evn win the show- she came 3rd after albert and luke. people are too quick to argue that she was being labled as a plus size model. All it was than her type of figure was not what they were looking for in a supermodel- it doesnt mean that she was fat

I think Jen looks great and the skinny model looks gross.

Jen Hunter have a good body, thanks for sharing!

Seriously, weight doesn't define a person. I am 5'9. 200 lbs. and the only reason I weigh so much is because I have wide hips, larger breast and a matching a$$. What matters is how the person looks in what ever out fir they are wearing and how they present themselves.
We are all beautiful in some way...why label everything with a number or a phrase like Plus size...

Half the problem is that the designers are making clothes that only look good if your dying of cancer!

They want models who are size 0 so they can put a size 2 on them and then gather it in back and take a photo!

Designers! Bitches!
Make clothes that make a woman who has a life look hotter than she does naked!
Theirs your Homework!