Fashion is very visual. Companies market their clothing by choosing models that look great in their clothing in the hopes that the people seeing how great the model looks will want to buy their clothes as well.
That being said, not all plus size women have that hourglass figure naturally. Plus size bodies come in all shapes and sizes, some women are fuller-figured instead of having the traditional curvy shape.
So, how do plus size models have a flat stomach?
Some plus size models are blessed with a natural hourglass figure. Others put in a lot of work to maintain their look through diet and certain exercises. Additionally, some models use shapewear or waist trainers, contour their faces and bodies for more definition, or even add padding to their clothes for a more proportional appearance.
Below, I’ll talk a little more about plus size models in the fashion industry, as well as how they have flat stomachs. Hopefully, talking about this will shed some light on how model bodies aren’t always attainable and why they aren’t necessarily the standard for plus size beauty.
How Do Plus Size Models Have a Flat Stomach?
There are instances where plus size models just have a natural hourglass shape. They likely still diet and exercise to maintain it, but some women do have that shape naturally.
That being said, the modeling industry is one that is always focused on how a woman looks. So, it’s not uncommon for them to use various tricks to be sure they are presenting the best possible image for their brand.
Even the models that don’t need to use these tricks I’m going to mention often have to maintain a certain weight or standard of beauty to continue being hired for modeling jobs.
In some cases, plus size models might wear waist trainers that push fat above and below the waist, to create an hourglass shape. Plus size models also might use shapewear that fits under their clothes.
Aside from face contouring, other times, body contouring may be used. There are also stories from women that have been in the industry that say it’s pretty common for a woman who is a size 8-10 with a flatter stomach to be padded in areas like the hips and breasts to make her look bigger, giving that overall hourglass appearance.
Finally, most models likely have some kind of routine leading up to a photo shoot or fashion show. This might involve eating lighter foods and avoiding things like not getting enough sleep or eating foods that trigger inflammation and bloating that might make them look fatter.
Do You Have to Have a Flat Stomach to Be a Plus Size Model?
When it comes to plus size modeling, the thing that many modeling companies value most is a proportional body. This means that while you may have some tummy fat, most fat is distributed to areas like the breast and the hips/buttocks for an overall hourglass figure. And, having a flat stomach helps with this proportional look!
You see, modeling companies only hire models that they believe fit their brand. Additionally, most models are required to maintain the weight and size that they had when signing their contract.
There are some modeling companies that truly and authentically display what a real woman’s body looks like. For example, Dove ran a “real beauty” campaign and featured real women with curves, rolls, and even cellulite.
Unfortunately, there aren’t a ton of other companies out there that share this same positive attitude when it comes to the female body.
Why Don’t Plus Size Models Have Rolls?
Plus size models don’t have rolls because the companies that hire them prefer women with flat stomachs. As I mentioned earlier, there are times you’ll see real women, rolls and all, flaunting their stuff in a clothing line. Unfortunately, though, the companies that value real bodies seem to be few and far between.
Plus size models don’t have rolls because the fashion industry tends to represent an unrealistic standard of beauty. Have you ever seen a statue of the Goddess Aphrodite? She’s the Goddess of beauty and love, and even she had rolls- so there really can’t be anything wrong with having them.
In my opinion, all the work that goes into making plus size models have flat stomachs isn’t necessarily the most effective way to sell plus size clothing. I mean, have you ever looked at something on a model, bought it, and then just been disappointed with the shape?
This is something that happens to a lot of us because the bodies that are used to portray bigger girls are still unrealistic for a lot of us, despite these women being labeled as plus size. The result is clothing that is unflattering and sometimes just ugly because it doesn’t actually work with the shape of our bodies.
Why Don’t You See Other Body Types in Modeling?
The reason that you don’t see other body types as much in modeling is that bigger, curvier girls are incredibly underrepresented in the fashion industry. Don’t get me wrong- there have been tons of strides when it comes to curvier bodies and representation. There has been progress, but the fashion industry still could do better.
You don’t see other body types in modeling because they tend to stick with women who are either thin or who have an hourglass figure. This leaves a lot of women left out.
After all, there are tons of body shapes. In addition to the five major body types, rectangle, inverted triangle, hourglass, apple, and pear, there are all sorts of combinations of these body types. Unfortunately, you’re most likely to see rectangle and hourglass shapes in the world of modeling.
When it comes down to it, I’m not really sure on the why when it comes to why real plus size bodies aren’t represented in the fashion industry. You would think it’d make more sense to model clothes on real women that actually represent what the clothes might look like on a real woman, but the fashion industry just hasn’t figured that out yet.
Final Word
Plus size models have a flat stomach for a few reasons. Some women naturally have an hourglass shape, while others work really hard using diet and exercise to get their figure.
In the fashion world, it’s also fairly common for plus size models to wear shapewear or use body contouring to alter their shape and make it more hourglass-like. Designers may also hire women that are plus size but smaller (around size 8-10) and then pad their bodies to give them that hourglass shape and make them look more proportional.
Unfortunately, all this does is create a really unrealistic picture of what clothing is going to look like on a real woman’s body. It also sets an unrealistic standard of beauty for women like me that have bigger, fuller-figured bodies.
That being said, if you find yourself wanting to look like those plus size models on the runway or in magazines, keep in mind that it’s not always realistic. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to change your body or be healthier, you also shouldn’t compare yourself to these unrealistic body types.
Real plus size women come in all shapes and sizes and they are all beautiful just they way they are!