Plus Size Models: Redefining Elegance and Style in Modern Fashion

Plus size models aren’t just breaking stereotypes-they’re rewriting the rules of beauty. Ten years ago, seeing a size 16 or 20 model on a major runway was rare. Today, they’re front and center in campaigns for brands like Savage X Fenty, Universal Standard, and even Chanel. This isn’t a trend. It’s a cultural shift-and it’s here to stay.

What Exactly Is a Plus Size Model?

A plus size model is typically defined as someone who wears a size 14 or above in the U.S., or a size 16 and up in the UK. But labels like that miss the point. The real definition? A model who represents bodies that have been historically excluded from fashion media. These models aren’t just standing in front of a camera-they’re challenging decades of narrow beauty standards.

Brands used to say, ‘We don’t have customers in larger sizes.’ Then they looked at the data. In the U.S. alone, over 68% of women wear a size 14 or higher, according to the National Institutes of Health. Yet until the mid-2010s, less than 5% of runway models were plus size. That gap didn’t close because someone had a change of heart. It closed because consumers demanded change.

The Rise of Real Representation

Before 2015, most fashion magazines only featured one or two plus size models per year. Now, magazines like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle regularly feature them on covers. Ashley Graham became the first plus size model to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2016. By 2023, she was one of the highest-paid models in the world, with campaigns for Lane Bryant, Tommy Hilfiger, and Nordstrom.

It’s not just about visibility-it’s about dignity. When a size 22 model wears a silk slip dress in a high-end editorial, it sends a message: elegance isn’t tied to a number. That dress doesn’t look ‘bold’ or ‘courageous’ on her. It looks like fashion. And that’s the point.

How Plus Size Models Are Changing Design

Designers used to make clothes in sample sizes-usually 0 to 6-and then ‘scale up’ for larger bodies. The result? Ill-fitting seams, awkward draping, and garments that didn’t account for real body shapes. Plus size models changed that.

When Ashley Nell Tipton became the first plus size designer to show at New York Fashion Week in 2017, she didn’t just model clothes-she designed them. Her collections were built on the actual proportions of curvy bodies: wider hips, fuller busts, longer torsos. Brands like Eloquii, Dia & Co, and Good American followed suit, hiring plus size models not just to wear clothes, but to help design them.

Today, many brands run fit sessions with real customers. They bring in models who wear sizes 14 to 26, test how fabric moves, where stress points form, and how zippers sit. The clothes that come out of those sessions don’t just fit better-they last longer.

Breaking Barriers Beyond the Runway

Plus size models aren’t just on runways. They’re in commercials, on billboards, in beauty ads, and in fitness campaigns. Tess Holliday, who stands at 5’8” and wears a size 22, became the face of CoverGirl in 2017-the first plus size woman to do so for a major beauty brand. She didn’t just promote lipstick. She promoted the idea that beauty doesn’t shrink to fit a mold.

Even swimwear brands, once the last holdouts of size exclusion, are changing. Swimsuit company Lane Bryant launched its ‘#LovingMyCurves’ campaign in 2018. Within two years, sales of their plus size swimwear jumped by 140%. That’s not marketing magic. That’s proof that when people see themselves represented, they buy.

Challenges Still Remain

Progress isn’t perfect. Many plus size models still earn less than their straight-size counterparts. A 2024 report by the Fashion Spot found that plus size models make, on average, 32% less per job. Some agencies still refuse to sign models over size 20. And in some markets, especially outside the U.S. and UK, plus size representation is still minimal.

There’s also the issue of tokenism. A brand might feature one plus size model in a campaign and call it ‘inclusion.’ But if every other model is size 0 to 10, that’s not diversity-it’s optics.

True change means more than one model on a shoot. It means consistent representation across all sizes, all ethnicities, all body types. It means hiring plus size models for editorial spreads, not just ‘body positivity’ campaigns. It means giving them the same lighting, styling, and camera angles as everyone else.

Who Are the Leading Plus Size Models Today?

Several names have become icons-not because they’re famous, but because they’re unstoppable.

• Ashley Graham: The most visible plus size model globally, with over 10 million Instagram followers and campaigns across luxury and high-street brands.
• Tess Holliday: A pioneer in body positivity, known for her unapologetic presence and activism.
• Lizzo: Though primarily a musician, her fashion choices and public appearances have redefined how curvy bodies are seen in pop culture.
• Paloma Elsesser: A model of mixed heritage who has walked for Gucci, Miu Miu, and Fenty, and is celebrated for her powerful presence on and off the runway.
• Robyn Lawley: An Australian model who has graced the covers of Vogue Australia and Elle UK, and is known for her work in high fashion.

These women aren’t just models. They’re influencers, entrepreneurs, and advocates. Many have launched their own clothing lines, podcasts, or nonprofits focused on body equity.

Why This Matters Beyond Fashion

When a young girl sees a size 20 woman on a billboard wearing a tailored blazer and looking confident, it changes something inside her. She stops thinking her body is a problem to fix. She starts thinking: ‘I can look like that.’

Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, show that exposure to diverse body types reduces body dissatisfaction in teens by up to 40%. That’s not just about fashion. That’s about mental health.

Plus size models aren’t here to make you feel bad about your body. They’re here to remind you that your body doesn’t need permission to be beautiful.

What’s Next for Plus Size Modeling?

The next wave is about accessibility. More brands are launching extended sizing-up to size 40. Retailers like Target and H&M now carry up to size 28 in most lines. The UK’s ASOS launched its ‘ASOS Curve’ line in 2015. Today, it’s one of their top-selling categories.

Technology is helping too. Virtual fitting rooms now use AI to match body shapes to clothing. Apps like True Fit let you input your measurements and get accurate size recommendations across dozens of brands.

And the demand keeps growing. In 2025, the global plus size fashion market is projected to hit $350 billion. That’s bigger than the entire UK economy. Brands that ignore this market aren’t just behind-they’re losing money.

The future of fashion isn’t about shrinking to fit in. It’s about expanding to include everyone.