It’s no secret that fashion is one hell of a merciless industry. I mean, how many times have we heard how unrealistic body image standards and high expectations have pushed girls to the brink of insanity? And although the stigma around plus-size models is fading away, the steps are so tiny, it’s barely visible.
Luckily, more and more women are willing to take matters into their own hands and rewrite fashion industry rules altogether. One plus-size model, Denise Mercedes, is doing just that. The size 14 Dominican model has launched a TikTok challenge titled “Style Not Size” with her friend Maria Castellanos. The two friends of different body types are putting on the same outfits, sharing the snack-sized videos to 1.7M followers, and showing that beauty comes in all shapes and forms. Their videos have now been liked a whopping 30.6M times, proving that healthy and happy women rule the world!
More info: TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | DeniseMercedes.com
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When Denise was 16 and a petite size 8, she started submitting her pictures to modeling agencies, but her height was too short for industry standards. She kept on posing for the camera as a side hobby until she turned 21 and had gone up to a size 14.
According to a statement on her website, Denise started putting outfits together and posting her cool photos on social media. She is an avid advocate of body positivity and runs a campaign #becauseitsmybody dedicated to women of all shapes and sizes. She now has collaborated with many fashion design brands and boutiques like Forever21, Target, and JCPenney.
There’s a huge gap between fashion industry standards and real-life women, who measure a size 16 around the waist on average in America. Moreover, plus-size girls represent 68% of fashion shoppers, according to Glamour, and yet a very small percentage of them actually work in the fashion industry.
Only in 2016, Ashley Graham became the first plus-size model on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit edition and paved the way for models with curves. But the model herself told CBS Sunday Morning that she doesn’t like the word “plus-size” because it’s “so divisive to women” and puts them into categories.
Many women find the representation of diverse body types in media more assuring. In fact, this study by Florida State University found that women tend to experience deeper body satisfaction and retain a memory of plus-size models better than that of the thinner ones. It also pointed out that exposure to “unrealistic-sized media models” has a negative effect on the consumer’s “mental and physical health, including experiencing lower body satisfaction.”
she's crushing so many crop tops, and i just don't have the confidence for it. gorgeous
Perfect summer wear. And for haters, they are COVERED, no cleavage, no crack in the back, skirt long enough. Don't be jealous.
Personally, I think that this outfit suits slim girl better. No offense to curvy girl.
I think they both look great but I actually found most of the clothes really suited the curvier woman best. Maybe it is the style of clothes chosen. This just goes to show why we need models of all sizes coz clothes look very different on different sizes.
I think it's because the slimmer girl doesn't have a narrow waist, so form-fitting clothes meant to show off the mid-section or hips curve just don't look as good on her. She looks great in the pics where she's wearing clothes that are more loose or create the illusion of a narrower waist. Clothes really need to be designed with different body types in mind, it's not just the size that matters. That's why rich/famous people have everything tailored.
Load More Replies...They both look great but most curvier/plus size women do not have dimensions remotely close to Denise. Her waist is pretty small and not much larger than her slim friends...then she has a larger just even for a plus size person and wide hips. I'm plus size and my widest point is my waist, my hips are the narrowest and these clothes would not be flattering on my figure at all. I wouldnt call this 'style, not size' ...because the curvier girl is the ideal size/proportions for curvy.
very realistic point of view. Their photos are shown with good intentions but they miss their own point
Load More Replies...I think average person does not look like Denise either. So what's the point here? Clothes does look differently on different bodies, no kidding! What an idea.
I am size 10, a curvy girl, without curves, the clothes would never look like her. The curved models also surpass the normal woman, they usually have a very small waist, and they have a slim woman's face.
Load More Replies...I think they both look great but I actually found most of the clothes really suited the curvier woman best. Maybe it is the style of clothes chosen. This just goes to show why we need models of all sizes coz clothes look very different on different sizes.
I think it's because the slimmer girl doesn't have a narrow waist, so form-fitting clothes meant to show off the mid-section or hips curve just don't look as good on her. She looks great in the pics where she's wearing clothes that are more loose or create the illusion of a narrower waist. Clothes really need to be designed with different body types in mind, it's not just the size that matters. That's why rich/famous people have everything tailored.
Load More Replies...They both look great but most curvier/plus size women do not have dimensions remotely close to Denise. Her waist is pretty small and not much larger than her slim friends...then she has a larger just even for a plus size person and wide hips. I'm plus size and my widest point is my waist, my hips are the narrowest and these clothes would not be flattering on my figure at all. I wouldnt call this 'style, not size' ...because the curvier girl is the ideal size/proportions for curvy.
very realistic point of view. Their photos are shown with good intentions but they miss their own point
Load More Replies...I think average person does not look like Denise either. So what's the point here? Clothes does look differently on different bodies, no kidding! What an idea.
I am size 10, a curvy girl, without curves, the clothes would never look like her. The curved models also surpass the normal woman, they usually have a very small waist, and they have a slim woman's face.
Load More Replies...