Chloe Marshall

1. Barbara Brickner

2. Maggie Brown
After being crowned the winner of the horribly titled “Thick and Sexy Search” by Tyra Banks, Maggie Brown has since gone on to work with a number of big names ranging from Macy’s to Mervyns. In fact, Maggie Brown recently appeared on “How to Look Good Naked.” Clearly, this plus sized model doesn’t have any problems doing that. If there’s anything to be learned from this native Hawaiian’s story, it’s that an exotic and voluptuous body is nothing if not in high demand.

3. Tara Lynn
Tara Lynn’s successes as a plus sized model practically speak for themselves. In fact, just a year ago, Elle France’s cover listed Tara Lynn as possessing one of the most realistic expectations of a body that women could aspire to attain. As modeling should be inspirational, not disparaging, there are few compliments that are more deserving for a woman as beautiful as Tara Lynn.


4. Crystal Renne
As a former “straight” model that has since made the transition to plus sized modeling, Crystal Renne serves as a symbol to young women out there that being healthy and beautiful are far more important than trying to craft your body into what others deem attractive. In fact, the pressure that Crystal’s early straight modeling career put on her is what eventually drove her to become an outspoken critic of the modeling industry as a whole. As recently as February, Crystal called out to the industry to make sweeping changes that would not only make the lives of models easier, but give impressionable young women more realistic expectations as well.

5. Kate Dillon
Yet another former straight model that has since transitioned into plus sized modeling, Kate Dillon’s story is not too dissimilar from Crystal Renne’s. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until she was hospitalized for gastroenteritis that she realized her modeling career was doing more harm to her body than good. Thankfully, she has since made a full recovery and made a name for herself in plus sized modeling where she can be proud of her body and not have to live off of cigarettes and coffee ever again. As further proof of her amazing recovery, People Magazine recently named her one of the top 50 most beautiful people.

6. Toccara Jones
As a contestant on “America’s Next Top Model,” Toccara Jones quickly made a name for herself by showing off a body that was in stark contrast to the starving models that otherwise filled that show’s roster. While she did have some success on that show before ultimately being voted off, Toccara Jones has since moved on to much greener pastures, where she continues to show off the beautiful and healthy body that she has worked hard to maintain.

7. Chloe Marshall
Not content to simply break barriers in the modeling world, Chloe Marshall has also set her sights on beauty pageants. In fact, back in 2008 this vivacious plus sized model competed against other women in pursuit of the Miss England title. While she may have come just shy of first place, she has since moved on to a successful career with Models Plus agency. As a part of her career, Chloe has modeled for Ford, Macy’s, and a host of other well known outlets. Perhaps one of the biggest highlights of Chloe’s career would be her appearance at the Lane Bryant runway show in Las Vegas in 2011. If there’s anything to be learned from her story, it’s that beauty most certainly comes in all shapes and sizes.

Of course, this list is less of a “top” list and more of a general collection of beautiful plus sized models. Any of these women could just as easily fill the number one spot for their amazing contributions to the modeling world. As beautiful as these women may be, it’s important to remember to be comfortable in your own skin too. Ultimately, as these women have proven time and time again, beauty is about more than what other people consider to be attractive. As long as you have confidence in yourself and the way you look, you’ll find that you’re as beautiful as any of the seven women listed.

Janet Faye is a freelance writer who has been contributing to the Luca Bella team for a number of years, and has a wealth of experience within the fashion industry.

      

Photo credit: Chloe Marsall from Wikipedia