Remembering an Icon: Mae West (August 17, 1893 - November 22, 1980)

Happy Birthday to the original sex symbol, Mae West.

"When I'm good, I'm very good. But when I'm bad I'm better." - Mae West

"Cultivate your curves. They may be dangerous, but they won't be avoided" - Mae West

"I didn't discover curves - I only uncovered them." - Mae West

"I'm no model lady. A model's just an imitation of the real thing." - Mae West

"I'll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure." - Mae West

"You can say what you like about long dresses, but they cover a multitude of shins." - Mae West

"I believe that it's better to be looked over than it is to be overlooked." - Mae West

"I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it." - Mae West

"Ten men waiting for me at the door? Send one of them home, I'm tired." - Mae West

"So many men... so little time." - Mae West

"I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond." - Mae West

"Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often." - Mae West

"I speak two languages: Body and English." - Mae West

"I like my clothes to be tight enough to show I'm a woman - but loose enough to show I'm a lady." - Mae West

"I used to be Snow White, but I drifted." - Mae West

"Good sex is like Bridge - if you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand." - Mae West

"I'm a woman of very few words, but lots of action." - Mae West

All images courtesy of Google Images

Friend Friday: Size (and don't call me a fatshionista)

Last week was the first time that I participated in ModlyChic’s Friend Friday series. I really enjoyed sharing my thoughts on “Blogger Privacy” and was looking forward to learning what the topic for this week was. I was absolutely elated when I found out it was "Size."

This is a topic that has already come up on my blog a number of times. I shared some of my own thoughts early on when I wrote "Size 14 is Not Fat Either – It’s Invisible." Then, just this past week, this post about a Cosmopolitan Australia photoshoot featuring sisters Courtney and Laura Wells really led to some great discussions in the comments. When I found out what this week’s topic was I decided to hold my own responses to those comments for this post.

This isn’t a new subject by any means, but it seems like lately it has really dominated the news. According to this recent New York Times piece by Ginia Bellafante, the shift “dates to last fall, when Glamour ran a small picture of a 5-foot-11, 180-pound model comfortably exposing her paunch. So unusual was the appearance of belly fat in this context that the magazine received thousands of letters and comments, most of them roaring with support."  The response was so great, in fact, that they began featuring more plus-sized women and printed the photo of Lizzie Miller again in their most recent issue.

A few month’s after the Glamour photo generated buzz, Lane Bryant caused a stir with their television ad for Cacique, its lingerie line.  The ad, starring model Ashley Graham, was labeled as too risqué by ABC and Fox due to "excessive cleavage." There was ample cleavage in the ad, yes, but the product being featured provided more coverage than what you'd see in a typical Victoria’s Secret spot.  The problem was the plus-sized model.  Both networks eventually aired the ads in some form, but not until Lane Bryant accused them of being "sizeist."

 

This past January, V Magazine featured five plus-sized beauties in a story entitled "Curves Ahead" in its size issue.  Meanwhile, the popularity of Mad Men has resulted in the stunning Christina Hendricks gracing numerous magazine covers, including the July/August Health Magazine I just picked up.  In July, the New York City location of Saks Fifth Avenue announced that it is piloting a program that will have them selling a limited number of plus-sized clothing with high-end designer labels:

“After recent review, we concluded there are customers who desire designer clothing in sizes that are not currently available in our stores. To meet their needs, Saks Fifth Avenue has worked with certain well-known designers, and for fall this year we will offer some designer brands up to size 18 in select Saks Fifth Avenue locations.”

Most recently, Robert Duffy, the business partner of Marc Jacobs, broke the news via twitter that Marc Jacobs would be designing a plus-sized line.  Although there are other high-end designers out there who have some plus-sized offering, like Rachel Pally and Dolce & Gabbana, Jacobs would be the first major label to make a significant impact in the "plus-sized" world.  Sounds like good news, no?

The New York Times article I mentioned above is entitled "Plus-Size Wars."  Although the title refers more to the roadblocks between supply and demand for plus-sized clothing, the true war zone can be found in the reader comment area.  Here are just a few worth noting:

John: "Anything larger than a size 12 should only be made in sweatpants material."

mark in Minn: "Turn off your ac, get sweaty, put down the remote, stop drinking gallons of soda pop, and go outside."

JB: "Should we really be encouraging people to stay fat in our society by tacitly  approving it by giving them more choices of what to wear?"

Sherry: Personally, I hate that society would glamorize or promote acceptance of obesity.  If you can't find clothes to fit you - exercise, eat right and hopefully lose weight... I hope the fashion industry continues to struggle trying to dress the overweight, success would only mean enabling bad lifestyle choices.

I think those are a perfect lead-in to today's questions:

1. Should someone's size stop them from fashion blogging or having a voice in the community?  Absolutely not. Size should never keep someone from doing anything, least of all fashion blogging. Despite what the fashion industry might try to tell us, being fashionable doesn’t start with a size 00 and stop at size 10/12. 
   
   Regardless of your shape OR size, your voice has a right to be heard. The fact of the matter is, no matter what size you are, there will always, always, be other women out there who can relate to you. So why wouldn’t you add your own distinct voice to the conversation?
   
   
2. In your opinion, can the term "curvy" and "plus-sized" be used interchangeably when it comes to fashion?  In my opinion, terms like these are a part of the problem. Curvy.  Plus-Sized.  Straight.  What exactly do these terms mean? In the fashion industry, models are either “straight-” or “plus-sized.” How on earth can there only be two categories for the endless shapes and sizes women come in?  The day he announced Marc Jacobs upcoming line, Robert Duffy even admitted he doesn't like the label "plus size." Then again, we all know that what is considered "plus size" to the fashion industry is not "plus-sized' by real world standards.
   
   Then, there is the blogosphere.  I admit I like to use the word curvy. I use it because I relate to it. I have an hourglass figure. I am a US size 14. And I am curvy. So I use the word curvy. I also use the word “plus-size” because it’s the real-world standard for a size 14 and above. I’ve seen other “plus-size” bloggers out refer to themselves “curvy fashionistas.” And I absolutely abhor the word “fatshionista”.  Ick.  I know it's supposed to be cute, but it has an extremely negative connotation to me.  Why bring more negativity to the fold?  There is enough negativity around this topic without that label.
   
   Personally, I prefer terms that describe shape. If I tell you I am a size 14, what picture does that paint? Do you have any clue what my figure looks like? No. But if I tell you that I am an hourglass, apple, pear, etc. you at least have some idea of my shape.
   
   On the flip-side, in the real-world, someone can be plus-sized and not be curvy. Someone can also be a size 0 and have curves.  Look at Scarlett Johansson.  She has some seriously dangerous curves on her, but she is tiny.  In addition, a Size 12/14 may be considered plus-size by industry standards but is average by statistical standards. 
   
   
   So – to answer your original question – no, the terms shouldn’t be used interchangeably, although they often are.
   
   
3. Many people make the argument that catering to plus sized women would promote being overweight as "okay". What do you think? Should more designers be catering to plus size women?  The comments I quoted above illustrate exactly this phenomena, yet I think this argument is as ridiculous as the argument that size 00 clothing promotes anorexia. There is a different between being plus-sized and being obese.  Being healthy is what is important - you can be a size 0 and not have an eating disorder, and you can be plus-sized and be in perfectly good health.  The same is true for the reverse.  Just because someone is thin doesn't mean they are healthy.
   
   People carry their weight differently.  They have curves in different places.  They are different heights.  I am 5'8 and a size 14.  Most of my weight is in my T & A.  Actress Liv Tyler is a Size 14 and 5'10.  In all likelihood, we are both probably healthier than the 4'9 person who is also a size 14.  Probably.  But we all deserve to have something to wear. 
   
   
   There is such a stigma nowadays about being “plus-sized" and the fashion industry often makes it worse.  For example, I absolutely abhor some of the things that come out of Karl Lagerfield’s mouth.  When he learned of German magazine Brigitte’s decision to use “ordinary” women in their fashion shoots he said their decision was driven by "fat mummies sitting with their bags of crisps in front of the television, saying that thin models are ugly".
   
   Wow. 
   
   A 2009 LA Times piece states: "When Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld, who spent most of his adult life battling a serious weight problem, created a capsule collection for H&M in 2004, the newly svelte designer was incensed that the retailer manufactured the collection in larger sizes. "What I designed was fashion for slender and slim people," he said. And in an interview in the March issue of Harper's Bazaar, he sniffed, "The body has to be impeccable . . . if it's not, buy small sizes and less food."
   
   Again, wow.  Is it any surprise so many plus-sized women feel invisible when some high-fashion designers think like that?
   
   The fact of the matter is there is a demand for these pieces. Numerous survey results have indicated that the average size of an American woman is a 14. Yet any plus-sized woman can tell you that the availability of Size 14 and up clothing is limited - and designer pieces in size 14 and up are SEVERELY limited.  Think needle in haystack limited.
   
   The stigma surrounding plus-sized clothing lines doesn’t come from the worry that such a line would promote being overweight, or that their would be a lack of demand.  It comes from a worry that it will cost the company too much to produce.  The NYT piece explains that the development of a plus-size line would be more costly because the design and production process gets more complicated as proportions and body ratios change with increased sizes. Perhaps this is true, but I would argue that not all 0-2-4-6-8-10 women have the exact same body type.  They don't come from one mold.  They just have much MUCH more to choose from. 
   
   
   There is no doubt about it: the plus-sized market is commercially viable and largely untapped.  There is demand, but little supply.  It's a starving market waiting for a designer like Marc Jacobs.
   
   
4. Should the mainstream fashion industry be showcasing more plus size models?  Women are diverse.  We come in all colors, shapes and sizes.  The mainstream fashion industry should be showcasing models that represent these different types of women.  It seems that this is already happening with greater frequency, and hopefully this trend will continue to increase. 
   
   The beautiful Crystal Renn (a plus-size in the modeling world, but not in the real-world) walked the runway in the Spring/Summer 2011 Chanel resort show (perhaps Lagerfield is slowly changing his opinion on the subject).  Mark Fast's decision to use UK Size 14 women during London Fashion Week to showcase his creations was met with both applause and condemnation.  One of his stylists and his creative director quit as a result of the move, while others lauded the runway show.
   
   
   I am a huge fan of the Marc Jacobs-designed AW10 Louis Vuitton collection and loved the images from the catwalk show.  The line itself is extraordinary, and the models were different shapes and sizes. I was STUNNED to read that models Laetitia Casta, Karolina Kurkova and Adriana Lima are generally considered too plump for catwalk work. Seriously?!  Too plump?
   
   
   Maybe the mainstream industry shouldn't just focus on featuring more plus-sized models - maybe they should also focus on creating realistic standards.
   
   
5. For you personally, how do you view your size, the struggle with it through the years, your ideal size, etc.  Again, this is something I have already addressed before, both here, and here.  In brief: I am happy with my size 14 body.  I know my body type can be categorized as everything from plus-sized, fat and big-boned to curvy, voluptuous and womanly.  It all depends on who you ask.  But I am a 34 year-old woman, not an impressionable young girl.  I am healthy, self confident and I have a positive self-image, so none of the characterizations and generalizations about size mean anything to me.
   
   
   I also think it is important to know your body, and to be aware of what works for you and what doesn't.  That in itself will make you more confident.  I don't have an "ideal" size.  I just want to be healthy.  As I've said before, I wouldn't mind losing a few inches here and there, but I do eat healthy, and I do work out regularly, and it just isn't happening.  My metabolism doesn't want to cooperate with me.  So I accept the size I am right now, and if I lose some inches down the road, that will be a nice surprise.  Regardless, my size doesn't define me. Size doesn't define anyone.

Final thoughts: at the beginning of this blog entry I mentioned that there were some great reader comments on my earlier post on Courtney and Laura Wells.  Here are two of those comments to reflect on:

Fashion Butter: "What makes me sad in all of this mess is that us women seem to enjoy picking teams about everything just to tear each other apart. This mentality extends far beyond the plus size/skinny debate, I have noticed that we can be very quick to negatively label other women when it comes to almost anything in life - friendships, relationships, careers, raising children, etc. In a perfect world, I wish that we could all be a little more self-aware and be more supportive of each other."

A Brit Greek: "...We all have it in us to be judgmental and are quick to fire an opinion about everything you have mentioned, it's a shame the media doesn't help much either - by labeling, criticizing, telling us what they think is right half the time. We're all unique individuals, no-ones perfect!  "Those who have not yet accepted their own imperfection are the first ones to judge and criticize the faults of others...""

Applause for these two ladies, please.

And I leave you with this quote from Sophia Loren:  

"Nothing makes a woman more beautiful 

than the belief that she is beautiful."

All images courtesy of Google Images.

Courtney & Laura Wells for Cosmo Australia: The Plus- and Straight-sized Debate Rages On.

It's no secret that featuring plus-size models is not the norm in the majority fashion magazines.  That is why it seems to make world headlines every time it happens. 

The latest headline has to do with sisters Courtney and Laura Wells.  According to The Huffington Post:

"Cosmopolitan Australia had a family reunion of sorts in its August issue, bringing together two sisters kept separate in fashion mags due to their different sizes. Both Courtney and Laura Wells are models, but Laura is plus-size and usually relegated to special spreads. In this editorial, both girls show off the season's trends on their slim and curvy bodies."

I love the idea, and I think the photoshoot is a nice departure from what we usually see in magazines.  Having two different body types featured together, rather than models that are all the same size, definitely gives the reader a much better idea of what the pieces actually look like.  It's also a much truer representation of the real world.  After all, we all come in different shapes and sizes.  However, I do think that the plus-sized sister got the short end of the stick where some of the clothing being modeled is concerned.  A couple of the outfits are really cute, but seriously - they couldn't find some more-flattering pieces?

However, a quick look at the comments on the Huffington post article also seems to indicate that the photos are causing a bit of a stir. 

PatricefromNH: It's cool to view the similarities and differences of these sisters but what surprised me while viewing this comparison was how I instantly felt tuned in and connected to the plus sized sister. Maybe it's because she's built more like me and most women I know. She definitely exudes more sensual and luscious vibes in that way that appeals to males and females alike.

GBO: Plus size is always better...only dogs like bones.

Rosecrazy1948: These pictures emphasize the skinny unhealthly look of "normal" models. The "plus-sized" model is what an actual healthy woman would look like. I would love for my granddaughters to be plus-sized instead of "normal" (read skinny).

EllenDennis:  Have we gone entirely insane? The "Plus Size" fatty is absolutely normal. The "normal" model is nearly anorexic looking. This comparison is utterly through the fashion looking glass, nuts, and why women either damage themselves to look like NO ONE LOOKS! Or finally acquire a self image of dignity outside this realm of dysfunction and disrespect.

Samuel Perry: Anyone over size 8 is plus sized? So we should just reset and get rid of all non-plus sized models then, since "plus sized" = normal now? 

and my personal favorite:

Paganmist: Both women are beautiful... I'm not sure why people feel the need to tear down one woman in comparison to another. How is it any better to insult a thin woman and praise a large woman... as it is to insult a large woman and praise a thin one?  It seriously sucks that we're ripping apart women based on their appearance like this anyhow. 

Most of us know that a plus-sized model is not the same size as someone who would be considered "plus size" in the real world.  No, a plus-sized model is significantly smaller than your average everyday plus-sized woman. 

Australia's BGM Models Agency represents many plus-sized models, including Laura Wells.  According to BGM, Laura is a Size 14.  However, being that BGM is an Australian agency, I assume that means she is an Australian size 14.

This equates to about a US size 10.

Plus-size indeed.

We already know that, in the world of high-fashion, the majority of designers only produce clothing up to a US size 8.  A few pieces can be found in a size 10.  Hunting for sizes higher than that is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

I am happy with my size 14 body.  I know my body type can be categorized as everything from plus-sized, fat and big-boned to curvy, voluptuous and womanly. But I am a 34 year-old woman, not an impressionable young girl.  I am self confident and I have a positive self-image, so none of those characterizations mean anything to me.

In addition, as stated above, I also know that a plus-sized model is not the same size as someone who would be considered "plus size" in the real world.  So knowing that Laura Wells is a US size 10 doesn't make me feel bad about myself.  But I wonder about that young, impressionable teen reading Cosmo.  The one that doesn't have a positive self-image, and that doesn't want to be considered "plus-size".  What does she think?

 

On the-flip side, the comments from Huffington post readers above that reference how skinny and unhealthy Courtney looks are also alarming to me.  Again, the female body comes in different shapes and sizes.  Skinny doesn't equate to unhealthy.  Plus-size doesn't equate to unhealthy.

Are their models out there that look anorexic?  Yes.  And I am not a fan.  Are there models out there that are obese?  Perhaps, and they aren't healthy either.  But the Wells sisters don't fall into either of those categories.  Both Courtney and Laura look healthy and normal in this spread.  

I just wish that models didn't have to be categorized as "straight" or "plus-sized".  

Do you think it makes sense that there are only two categories to encapsulate SO many different body types and sizes?

Links à la Mode

I am sure all of my readers are familiar with Independent Fashion Bloggers, but just in case you are not, and you have a blog of your own that focuses on fashion, I encourage you to check out the website.  Immediately.

Not only is it full of wonderful resources for bloggers, it is also a great way to get involved in the "fashion blog" community.  I've been a member for about a month now and have found it invaluable, particularly as a new blogger.  

That is why I am particularly honored that one of my posts was selected to be in this weeks Links à la Mode.  

To IBB: thank you so much!

To my readers: check out each of the great reads below!

Looking back, moving forward?

Edited by: Florrie Clarke of Intrinsically Florrie.

This week's links bound across time as we go from the first incarnations of the handbag, to both the glamour and reality of the mid-20th Century and the modern phenomenon of online shopping. And when, in all this, will women be happy with their bodies? Debenhams may now be using unretouched images alongside the photoshopped, but the Daily Mail and the UK's new equalities minister have decreed a new, and for a lot of us unattainable, body shape for us to aim for.

Links à la Mode: July 29th

• Amanda Lee: How to Do More With the Clothes You Have [Instead of Buying More]
• An Early-Life Crisis from Academia to Art: My 26th design project on my quest to teach myself to sew and reach 52 in a year! Also includes my own sleeve sewing tutorial and this week's project stats :
• Beyond Fabric: A thought on online shopping - is it worth building your wardrobe online?
• Blah Blah Becky: LOVING iconic British brand Whistles' AW10/FW10 lookbook
• Brooklyn Posh: starting to love thyself : the health/weight debate
• Beautifully Invisible: 10 curvy women - past and present - who are the epitome of sexy.
• Dramatis Personae: Ch-Cha-Chain- Coveting & Craving Chain Jewelry
• Fashion Limbo: 90s nostalgia after a party on a boat. I go through some memorable teenage-hood highlights
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: Fair Compensation Manifesto
• Intrinsically Florrie: Looking to the French pâtisserie Ladurée for design inspiration.
• Make the World a Prettier Place: Are women tired of distressed jeans and messy buns? It is time to leave this trend behind and dress up - even for everyday life!
• Malvestida: The Headress day... a day that's all about sharing creativity!
• Mariel's Castle: Experimenting with the newest nail trend
• Oranges and Apple: On glamorising vintage life
• Retro Chick: Friday Frock Love: Poppy Valentine
• Scene On the Street: NYC: Mod Scientist - Scene On the Street
• The Coveted: American Living $250 Gift Card Giveaway
• The Demoiselles: UK department store shuns retouching...why can't we live in the UK?
• The Embellished Life: Do you have a hankering for handbags? Enlighten yourself with the heroic History of Handbags on The Embellished Life!
• The Fashion Police: Why size should never be a fashion statement
• What 2 Wear Where: Mad Men Mania: effortlessly polished Betty Draper

10 Women Who Make Being Curvy Sexy

Have you heard?  The Season 4 premiere of Mad Men is this Sunday.  Everyone I know is excited about it and Mad Man fever is seemingly everywhere.

Confession: I have never seen an episode of Mad Men.  I know, I know - how is that possible?  Everyone watches Mad Men, right?  

Nope, not me.  Mad Men has become a casualty of my efforts to avoid getting sucked into a new TV show.  Despite this, I am still very aware of the phenomenal 1960s-inspired design and fashion on the show and admire the talented cast.  I adore Christina Hendricks.  She is an unbelievably gorgeous woman who embraces her curves and carries them beautifully. Mad Men fever got me thinking about the other women who have not only embraced but also worked their curves over the years.  Here are a few of my favorites (in no particular order):

1. Christina Hendricks:  her role as the uber-curvaceous Joan on Mad Men made her a household name, but it’s her “period body” that has made her famous.  Mad Men creator Matt Weiner told the LA Times that the show looks for actors whose bodies accurately represent the silhouettes of the 1960s.  That means the women on the show have to have natural curves and normal proportions.  Christina maintains a positive self-image that is refreshing, despite running into some criticism this past Awards season.  She recently told Health magazine that back in her modeling days she gained 15 pounds when she moved to Italy.  "And I felt gorgeous!" she said.  "I would take my clothes off in front of the mirror and be like, Oh, I look like a woman. And I felt beautiful, and I never tried to lose it, ’cause I loved it."  What's not to love about a statement like that?





Esquire Russia, June 2010



2. Marilyn Monroe: It's impossible to discuss this topic without mentioning the timeless beauty of Norma Jean Mortenson (aka Marilyn Monroe).  Marilyn is the quintessential sex symbol.  She had a perfect hourglass figure, and she loved to show off that figure.  It's even been said that she liked to wear her clothing so tight that her dresses were often sewn onto her body.  To this day her actual weight and measurements are debated, and likely always will be.  Some say she would be considered "fat" by today's standards, which may very well be true if we are talking about Hollywood or fashion industry standards.  In the real world, however, Marilyn would never be considered fat.  A bombshell, yes.  Fat?  No.





Marilyn by Sam Shaw, in Amagansett, New York, 1957.



3. Beyoncé:  The word "bootylicious" is often used to describe Beyoncé Knowles.  It's actually a very accurate description.  Although there are other well-known women who are known for their "booties", it is Beyoncé that is the all around package.  Again, she has a fabulous hourglass figure that many women would love to have and many men would love to get their hands on.  She is curvaceous and proud of it.  Beyoncé told US Weekly how she feels about being curvy.  "I feel best when I’m not really thin and not really heavy – when I’m still curvy. I really believe that everyone is supposed to be different, and whatever is a natural weight for you is usually what looks best. I never want to get to that point where it’s not natural. […] I think it’s important to feel like a woman, as well as look like a woman.”  She hit the nail right on the head.  Every woman is different, and therefore every body is different. 





Sports Illustrated, Winter 2007



4. Sophia Loren: Dark.  Sultry.  Italian.  Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful women in the world, Sophia Loren is also an extremely talented actress.  Her career in film began in 1951 when she was only 16 years old.  She went on to star in over 90 films and has received much critical acclaim for her work.  At the same time, her looks and sex appeal never went unnoticed.  She knew that and she owned her curves. "Everything you see I owe to spaghetti" she said.  I wish I could eat spaghetti and look like she did!  Sophia is just as striking and voluptuous today as she was in her youth.  She even posed - at the age of 72 - in a racy spread for the Pirelli calendar, sharing the pages with Penelope Cruz and Naomi Watts among others.  Confidence is sexy, and Sophia has loads of both - innate sexiness and confidence. 





Sophia in her youth (Left), Sophia at 72 (Right)



5. Tyra Banks: Full disclosure: I am not a huge fan of Tyra.  I don't care for her talk show, and America's Top Model isn't my cup of tea.  However, I do admire the way she handled the public scrutiny that came with her own weight gain a few years ago.  She gained about 30 pounds and went from having the figure of a supermodel to having the figure of an average size 12 - 14 American woman.  She not only defended her weight gain to critics, she also stayed that size for a few more years.  Today she's slimmed down again (but remains curvy!), but I respect how she handled herself throughout the more curvaceous years.





A curvier Tyra on the runway



6. Kate Winslet: I have a girl-crush on Kate Winslet.  It started back in 1997.  There was that one scene in Titanic.  That extremely sensual, sexy scene where Leo/Jack paints her nude portrait. I watched and kept thinking "wow, she isn't a stick like most actresses.  She actually has curves.  And she is doing a nude scene!"  Simple as that, my girl-crush developed.  Like Christina Hendricks today, Kate was criticized for her size when Titanic came out.  Though she is significantly smaller today than she was in 1997, I have a ton of respect for how she handled that criticism.  She has repeatedly stated that she will not let Hollywood dictate her weight and stands by that.  She holds firm in the belief that you need to be happy with your body.  While promoting "Little Children" in 2006, Kate shared that “more than ever now, I believe it’s so important to look as real and true to life as possible, because nobody’s perfect. I seem to be on a mission, but I don’t want the next generation, your daughters and mine, growing up thinking that you have to be thin to look beautiful in certain clothes. It’s terrifying right now. It’s out of control. It’s beyond out of control.” I love her attitude.  Plus, she's beautiful and quite possibly the best actress out there today.  Yeah, girl-crush.  





Harper's BAZAAR, August 2009 (Left), Madame Figaro, January 2009 (Right)



7. Sara Ramirez:  Sara joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy in 2005 as orthopedic surgeon Callie Torres.  In interviews she has been very open about her struggles with weightloss and low self-esteem, and shares that her weight has yo-yoed from a size 6 to size 14 over the years.  Her struggles hit close to home for me, as does her acceptance of who she is now.  "I’m not going to lie" she told Glamour magazine.  "I still have days when I walk by the mirror on my way to the shower and think, oh God, I didn’t just see that! But I’ve learned to stop myself and ask, am I being realistic? What do I love about my body? What am I grateful for? The answers to those questions remind me that I’m very blessed."  I sometimes ask myself those very same questions.





Unknown Photoshoot



8. Jane Russell: Jane was a popular American film actress of the 1940s and 1950s.  Although lesser known than her contemporary, Marilyn Monroe, Jane was actually the more voluptuous of the two.  She was signed by Howard Hughes and starred in a number of his films.  She went on to also have a musical career, but while focusing on film her cleavage caused some controversy and even censorship.  The photo below where she is lounging on a haystack was a popular pin-up with servicemen during World War II.  She was a striking beauty in her day.  Jane, like Marilyn, would likely be considered overweight by today's Hollywood and fashion industry standards.  Yet, like Marilyn, she remains a popular sex symbol to this day. 





The Outlaw, 1943 (Left),  Unknown (Right)



9. Queen Latifah:  Queen Latifah is another woman who works her curves.  In an effort to get healthier, she joined the Jenny Craig program and proceeded to lose 20 - 30 pounds.  She turned 40 this year and looks absolutely fabulous.  In 2009 she told Access Hollwood that “it’s not about losing weight or what you look like. […] it’s losing it for the purposes of being more healthy.”  Being healthy should always be the #1 priority.





2010 Academy Awards



10. Mae West: Before Marilyn.  Before Sophia.  Before Brigitte.  Before Raquel.  Before Farrah.  There was Mae.  Mae West was the original sex symbol. Born in 1893, Mae West was an American actress, playwright and screenwriter.  She was an American icon famous for her voluptuous figure, quick wit, and sexy innuendos. In a February 2000 piece for Salon Magazine, Cintra Wilson stated that "[Mae] was an unstopping font of self-approval, who could justify any passion for herself, any look, any sensation, any sin; she was, in her way, truly liberated. When the fashion of the time shifted away from her body type, she adopted a different decade; West got herself up as an 1890s good-time girl in order to make the most of her womanly mounds instead of trying to bind herself into the no-hipped, no-breasted flapper look of the '20s. When she didn't like her lines, she rewrote them. When acting roles stopped coming her way, she wrote her own. When the cops came, she laughed."  She was the first sex symbol and a rebel.  
    





Mae West, Dates Unknown

Sophia Loren once said "I think the quality of sexiness comes from within. It is something that is in you or it isn't and it really doesn't have much to do with breasts or thighs or the pout of your lips."  I agree.  Each of these women is different.  Each is sexy.  Each is beautiful.

Do you disagree with any of the names on this list?

Who would you add?

All images courtesy of Google images