We interrupt your regularly scheduled Philly programming for a quick look inside the mind of me. I am having a moment right now. I have been spending the morning cleaning out my closets in anticipation of new fall goodies. I brushed my hair, put on my brightest lipstick and jumped into my favorite skinny jeans. I have been trying on literally every single item, then sorting it – sell, donate, keep. Halfway through, I pulled out a Forever21 top I purchased the winter of my senior year of college. I have worn the top, a loose, black crop top with the word LOVE across the chest, many times, each with a long, black tank top underneath. The thought of even a hint of my stomach being revealed to a passerby on the street used to make me cringe. But something has been happening to me lately. Something amazing.

Today, I tried on the LOVE top with a tank underneath. Standard. But as I looked in the mirror, I thought, this is a freaking crop top, damn it. I took off the tank top. In nothing but my crop top & skinny jeans, bright lipstick & long hair, I stared at myself in the mirror. I turned around. I posed. I loved it. Above the top of my high-rise jeans, my stomach peeked through. Is this possible? Do I look hot? Yes, it is possible. My curves, my body, I. Am. Hot. And then, I started crying. Happy, HAPPY tears. This confidence that I have found the past few months and years, has literally been . . . life changing. And I owe it to one thing: my job.

When I started my 9-5 job two years ago, I knew nothing about the industry I was getting involved in. The world of “plus size fashion,” as it is referred to, starts at a size 12. My size. The size of average woman in the United States. And yet, this entire world, which literally changed me, is so hidden. Before I started diving head first into the blogs and magazines of the plus size world, I literally had no idea women like this – confident, beautiful, and curvaceous – existed. Let alone, existed for me to be inspired by on a monthly, weekly, even daily basis. These images, images of gorgeous, curvy women, sharing the pictures they took with their Bay Area boudoir photographer to show just how stunning they are. And their stories, stories about wearing a body con dress, buying wide calf boots, their relationships, have literally helped me to start my own revolution. Hell, I bought a freaking BIKINI this year. Do you know the last time I wore a bikini? 9th grade. And here I am, 24, single, and confident as hell, and I owe it all to these AMAZING role models that I luckily get to work with every day.

So, I’ve decided to share a few of my favorite inspirational images. I want these images out there. I want another young, Philly college girl to discover this world while she still has time to enjoy her sexy, curvy, youthful body. I want her to put on a dress without tights underneath or skip the cardigan and let her bare arms out, and say, why the hell haven’t I tried this sooner? Here are some of my favorite women, looking so stylish & rocking their curves:

Inside Allie’s World

From the corners of the curve

Girl With Curves

Amarachi Ukachu

Danielle Varnier

Musings of a Curvy Lady

Naturally Fashionable

Gabifresh

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A few weekends ago, I was at Seacrets (Ocean City, MD) with about 20 of my friends for my BFF Mandy’s birthday. Each of my gorgeous, beautiful girlfriends wore a tiny bikini, and I was clearly the largest girl in our group. But as we ran around all day long, eight hours to be exact, in and out of the water, dancing and jumping to the music, enjoying each other’s company, I did not give my size, or the fact that I was in my bathing suit in front of hundreds of people, a second thought. I heard girls complaining that they “felt fat” and hated X, Y, & Z about their appearance . . . and it felt so liberating to not have a care in the world about what anyone else thought of my body. I was just happy.

Every day is not perfect. But for the most part, I am so grateful for my new-found adult confidence. If you are looking to join this high I’m on, I encourage you to check out the fabulous women above, and beyond! Trust me, seeing is believing – and you CAN be the sexy, powerful, rule breaking woman you have inside of you. Thanks for reading. xx

 

 

This post is part of the October 2013 DailyVenusDiva ‘Thrive In Your Curves’ blog carnival.