#DropThePlus : You Decide!

One trend that has been gaining a lot of recent media attention is the argument over whether or not designers or fashion lines should drop the term 'plus'. The #DropThePlus has been seen across several social media platforms with both sides offering their opinions. You decide! Should designers and fashion lines drop the term? Check out this article from BBCtrending: here.

Cracking the Definition of Healthy

There are many misconceptions about the definition of health and what that entails; a good percentage of these misconceptions are about plus women. Many people believe that all, if not most, plus women are unhealthy because of their size. However, this is not always true. In fact, the opposite can be true in some cases. Many plus women do maintain a very healthy and active lifestyle. If this is the case, then what is a good indicator of health?

            According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height.” This number is then used as a tool to identify any possible weight problems in adults. BMI measurements are generally a reliable tool for most people as an indicator of health. However, this reading does not measure body fat directly and does not account for muscle mass. This practice of using BMI readings is used by physicians all over the country to help patients get a better understanding of their health and alert them of any possible risks.

            Many women, including plus models, live very active lifestyles and eat well. However, they are classified as “overweight” according to their BMI. These readings can help or hinder a person’s self-confidence if they focus on that calculated number more than how their body feels. This isn’t to say that one should ignore any medical advice given; only that there are other factors that go into health. Nancy Crown is a family nurse practitioner and has worked at SUNY Buffalo State’s Weigel Health Center for 15 years. She cites a person’s “genetic makeup” and “family history” as factors that may contribute to a high BMI.

 “I think the whole thing with weight and people’s body image is, first of all, how you feel,” she says, “I often tell students to use their clothing as an indicator as to maybe what their weight is doing because we can gain and lose weight every day and very quickly.”

            BMI readings aside, no matter what a person’s size or weight is, everyone should strive for a healthy lifestyle. There are risks and benefits to maintaining good health. Crown elaborated on the risks of not maintaining a good lifestyle and having a BMI in the higher end of the spectrum. These risks include, but are not limited to being at risk for diabetes, having elevated or high blood pressure, and having high cholesterol. Also, when someone has more body mass, their heart has to work harder, which is harmful to that organ.

            The benefits of having a healthy and active lifestyle may vary by person and case. Catharine Liquori, a graduate of SUNY Buffalo State Class of 2014, knows very well the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and has even decided to start a fitness journey of her own.

 “I used to have stomach pains and found out it was gall stones coming from my gall bladder,” she says “I had to get the stone removed out of a pathway in my chest in January 2014. I then had my gall bladder removed that same week. It was a wake-up call; it really helped jump-start my weight loss.” Liquori’s overall goal is to lose 100 pounds and also try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. So far, she has lost 60 pounds.

            One thing is key in living a healthy and active lifestyle: hard work. The plus models that walk the runways and pose in magazine shoots did not get to where they are simply because they fit the size; they too have to live an active lifestyle.

 “Yes, you will have setbacks but looking at pictures of what I used to look like or looking at old gym notes, I am so much more different now, mentally and physically,” says Liquori.

 The simple things in maintaining good health can help start a pathway to healthy living; walking to school, drinking one less glass of juice a week or day and even taking the stairs can contribute to a good lifestyle. Whether someone has a high or low BMI, it is important to know what works for you and your body. Some women and men are comfortable at different weights and sizes; we are not all the same.

            Healthy does not come in one size; it varies in shape and angle. What someone looks like to another person is not important; it’s about how that person feels and if that person is treating his or her body right. As Nancy Crown says, “We’re not all stick thin, and that’s not what makes us beautiful anyway.”

New Plus Lines for Spring

                 With Spring just a few days away and the warm weather returning, many women will soon be turning not only their attention, but also their pockets to the local malls. If you are looking for a new look without wanting to break the bank, you may be in for some good news! Both Charlotte Russe and Rue21 have just recently launched plus lines just in time for Spring. The Charlotte Russe+ and Rue21+ lines are now available to shop online and in select stores. For Charlotte Russe+ clothing, click on http://www.charlotterusse.com/category/Plus-Sizes/3631.uts  and for Rue21+ clothing, click on http://www.rue21.com/store/jump/category/Plus/cat1660005 .

Carmina Suzanne: A Plus Model's Spotlight

Suzanne Fatta, or Carmina Suzanne to those in the fashion industry, is an international plus model who has participated in campaigns and runway shows around the world. Carmina has traveled the world under the representation of Agence Plus Paris. She is one of many women in the industry that has served as a model for those who wear a size 12 and above; sizes that today’s society and fashion industry has dubbed as “plus size”.

After living in London for five years, Carmina returned to her home in Buffalo, but still remains at the top of her game. Carmina was in a fashion spread for Buffalo Rising with models Jessica Lahr, Mrs. New York America, and Angelea Preston, an America's Next Top Model All-star. Carmina, a size 14, has walked the Uptown Fashion Week for Serita Bell in New York City and also modeled for Dede Allure at New York Fashion Week SS'15. She has also worked with a number of photographers including Bob Zielonka, Co-Owner of RJZ Photography, who offered kind words when asked about the model: “Carmina is one of absolute favorite clients. She is the consummate professional, who can pull off any look or style! No matter what we can always count on her to produce the highest quality images, but to also have a blast while doing it. Models, both nationally and internationally, could learn a lot from Carmina.”

            Although Carmina got her start in modeling in college, she did not really get into it until she was in her early 30s. Once Carmina moved to London, her career picked up. Since then, she has walked a number of runways, including Pulp ‘Fashion Week Paris, done numerous fashion shoots, and has even been the face of a campaign. She was very prominently featured in the documentary “Celebrating Curves - Inside Pulp Fashion Week Paris.”

            Carmina shared her feelings about the future of plus fashion in the industry. “It’s getting better every year. So-called ‘standard agencies’ are adding plus divisions or just signing plus girls as is. There are still agents, agencies, designers, magazines, who won’t touch it with a ten-foot pole; doesn’t matter that two plus girls just did the Sports Illustrated swimsuit calendar, you know, it doesn’t matter that a lot of these girls have reached the pinnacle of what they can do, there are still designers that won’t touch them,” she said. Carmina would also like to see plus models and standard models be called just that: models, rather than a separation of the two.

Carmina talked about the definition of plus and what it means to different people. Many designers start their plus lines at a size eight or ten, rather than at a size 14. Also, many young women get turned down because what an average person would consider standard, the industry views as plus. “The terms themselves really need to get worked out, but people need to understand that industry terms are not that same as what Joe Blow down the street is going to understand. So, it’s not helpful to take it out on the model who’s a size 10; she didn’t cause a problem, she didn’t make people confused about the term, she’s just trying to get a job booked,” she joked.

Although, Carmina has had an accomplished career, she was not always so confident. “This,” she said as she gestured to her body, “I wouldn’t have known this girl if I met her eight years ago. My confidence is extremely hard won and well-earned and it took a long, long time to get here.” Listening to her story, it is easy to spot her warmth; many women would be able to relate to her. It was inspiring to know that Carmina promotes and supports a healthy body image and confidence.

One thing Carmina has learned about herself throughout her career is that the more confident she becomes, the more that she can “see the beauty in others.” Hearing her say that was very inspiring and was also a beautiful message not only for plus women, but for women and men everywhere. As my time with Carmina came to an end, I realized even further that being plus is not just about a particular size or shape, but it is also an attitude of confidence and positivity and spreading that message for the world to see. The fashion industry really does have a gem in Carmina Suzanne, not just with her talents, but with her personality and intelligence. 

-Briana Mangum

Photo: ShutterKat Photography for Ronde & Glamour Magazine, Paris.

                                      

The Average Woman

 Did you know that the average American woman is a size 14? If you take a look at today’s media and pop culture, it would then suggest that the average American woman is underrepresented. There are tons of misconceptions and falsehoods about what it means to be a plus-sized woman. However, The Full Figure is here to clear up some of those misconceptions and explore what it means to be plus-size. It is time that the average American woman gets to have her voice heard and is seen in mainstream media. Fashion trends, love and relationships, and health and wellness all impact the daily lives of women everywhere, including full-figured women. The Full Figure hopes to encourage all women to embrace themselves and others around them. A message cannot be spread if one does not step forward to spread it. Welcome to The Full Figure. 

-Bri.