NEWS COPY
Plus size bloggers are up in arms about the negative representation of bigger women in the media.
Exclusive research by the Digital Hub has revealed many women feel the portrayal of them in the media was sexualised, commercialised and represented thin women.
The study of 1,000 women found half of the respondents believe images of them in the media are 'unrealistic'. And nearly as many say the media inaccurately portrays the female body.
One body-positive blogger, Sarah from Plus size and Proud, said that the research made a lot of sense. "I think we take one step forward and two steps back. One moment you have people fat shaming and the next people are tweeting in shouting them down, and then brands start catering for women.
"But then, all of a sudden you get your Jamelias and Katie Hopkins telling us we're not good enough."
"And that's why blogging is important, people want to see people in their shape and size.
"It's important to show that everybody is different and everybody is beautiful."
She explained that she found the plus size blogging community after 40 years of feeling low.
"I found the community alone, they showed me it's alright to be different and to not conform to the norm, I thought I can do this, and it inspired me to write."
Since then, Sarah has been to a plus size fashion event where she won the Personality Award for the most body positive speech.
Another influential blogger, Stephanie, 26, from Nerd About Town said that blogs like hers "spread awareness". She described many Twitter campaigns with other bloggers: "Now we're in a Whatsapp group and whenever someone notices something that isn't quite right, we all agree to come online at a certain time, with a hashtag and then we see it trending."
"Take the #curvy campaign for example. We all decided to post photos of us looking hot, but because of Instagram's ban, we changed the word to #curvee. Before I knew it my mum was telling me I was in The Daily Mail and Elle Magazine, it was crazy."
Another big blogger, Georgina has been nominated for three British Plus Size awards this year.
The 20 year-old's blog She Might Be Loved was created to keep her busy during her gap year, but after becoming the face of two companies for plus size fashion, it has now replaced her desire for university.
"I started the blog because I like clothes, and I like looking good."
"I agree they are niche, but a lot of big brands haven't thought about how a lot of women are short and fat."
Becky, 35, runs Mrs Bebe Blog which has had her nominated for Best Blogger in the British Plus Size Awards. She said: "Diversity in the fashion industry is so important if we’re to move forward and evolve.
"For too long now we’ve been presented and represented by a very narrow idea of beauty and it just won’t do anymore."
Four in ten women across the UK believe there is a defined beauty standard.
Georgina said: "There is no diversity at all, and it would be really simple to fix as well.
"This September will be Plus Size Fashion Week, but to walk down the catwalk you have to be size 12-24 and 5ft 9 at least.
"That's not helpful for those of us who are short and/or bigger.
"I'd get women of all shapes and sizes, a catwalk of real people.
"And it would be easy to do too."
Leah, 41, from Just Me Leah described the importance of plus size blogs: "We need to saturate the media with different body types, right now we only see perfect bodies, but there are other people out there that don't look like that.
"The perfect body is a fallacy"
In response to the Morpeth Model Katie Knowles' latest campaign to lobby government to force the fashion industry in Britain to include an assortment of models from all walks of life, Leah said: "Little kids, disabled kids, or kids that are fat, or from other cultures need to see themselves represented.
"When I was younger fat kids were the punchline of the joke, and I think diversity is glorious."
Becky from Grimsby described the importance of niche bloggers today: "For me they act as a bridging device between the customer and the brand.
"For the customer it’s a chance to get real advice about a garment and to see how it’s going to look on a figure more familiar to them.
"At present the models used by most brands are still very slim in comparison to the average plus size customer, it is difficult for us to visualise how a piece of clothing is going to look.
"And that's where the blogger comes in."
Stephanie also said: "Fashion is for everybody not just the skinny, white girl.
"People and the media are starting to acknowledge us, we are not society's doormat."
