Plus Size Model, Tess Holliday, Redefines Beauty Standards

 Usually models who are signed by agencies as ‘plus-size’ are between sizes 10 – 16 – not really plus-size at all by regular standards, something which agencies have been heavily criticised for.

Milk Model Management has made a hugely positive step forward in this regard by signing plus-size model Tess Holliday, who at size 22, is the first model of her size to be signed by a major modelling agency. Tess was scouted by Milk when they spotted her on Instagram, and since then she has launched a campaign to challenge beauty standards called #EffYourBeautyStandards.

Holliday told The Huffington Post, ‘I created the hashtag [#EffYourBeautyStandards] because I was tired of being told what I could and couldn’t wear by the media and how I should cover my body because of my size. I decided ‘eff that,’ I will wear what I want!’
Holliday was motivated to create the campaign as she was bullied about her size a lot when she was younger and says that she still receives hundreds of negative comments everyday. ‘I understand not everyone understands what I’m about,’ she said. ‘But to me it’s such a simple concept. It’s all about loving your body regardless of your size and chasing your dreams.’

She’s now created a separate Instagram account called EffYourBeautyStandards, that now has almost 77 ooo followers, where she reposts images by other plus-size women and aspiring models as well as cute motivationals.

We love Tess’s campaign, and we love her awesome vintage pin-up girl style even more. See more pictures after the cut: