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| Crystal Renn, Lane Bryant Cacique shoot, 2009 |
Model, Crystal Renn, has been under alot of scrutiny these days, not for her stunning good looks, but for her recent weight fluctuation. Crystal is one of plus-size modeling famous faces for the last couple of years. Her size 10/12 physique has been the face and body of Lane Bryant, Torrid, and multiple plus-size lines. In addition, she’s shared the coveted V Magazine’s Size issue, the Glamour ‘Real Women’ story of 2006, and has written a book (Hungry, published 2009) about being a plus model in such a body conscious industry.
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| 2010 picture of Renn, Size 6 |
Now, Crystal, seen above at her new size 6/8 weight has received alot of scrutiny. Critics tried to insinuate that the model lost weight to receive more jobs in the ‘standard’ fashion industry and plus-size champions wanted to say the industry forced Renn to lose weight. Ultimately in a new interview with Ford Models, Renn announced that she’d just allowed her body to do what it wanted to do. With eating healthy and exercising her natural metabolism has settled and she landed at a safe weight for her frame.
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| One of Renn’s first headshots as a new model |
Renn started out very slim (pictured above) and has been on record saying that she was anorexic in order to stay this way. I’d like to add that Renn was alot younger, and your body has a tendency to gain a healthy weight as you get older. In the Ford Models interview, she said she’d have to resort to “. . .binge eating” to maintain her plus size status, something she is not willing to risk her health to do.
No matter how much weight Renn gains or loses, her beautiful face and dark auburn hair will continue to give her mush success. Add to the fact that Renn is a great model with natural talent and healthy body image, she will never lose money. The essential problem with this story is that folks in the fashion industry think that a size 10/12 is plus size. What?
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| Renn at her plus size weight |
I’m not saying the industry should promote an unhealthy lifestyle, but we have to admit that most women in the America are a size 10/12 and that is considered a normal weight. Let’s move the chart up to a 14-16, maybe even an 18, and then have this debate becuase plus size women NEED an image of beauty and high fashion they can look forward to. Crystal was/is a great face for the plus debate, but there are more than enough lovely young actual plus size women out there who could give the industry a run for it’s money (Google Fluvia Lacerda and Anansa Sims). We just have to change our perception.
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