Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in? Do you feel like there is a place somewhere where you belong, but can’t seem to find it? Well, being a size 10 makes me feel just that. I call myself an “inbetweener,” and it’s been a struggle to find my people and to find my place.
Society very much dictates what “beauty” looks like and right now, it’s still the stick thin model but also the plus size women. But, what if you’re neither?! As thrilled as I am about plus size women finally being more accepted, the industry is still segregated and certainly not inclusive of all sizes.
I describe an inbetweener as someone who is size 6-12. It’s an area of which people rarely talk about and is rarely seen. It’s a no man’s land. How many bloggers or models do you see in these sizes? They’re 0-4 or 14+. Even though I model for a plus size company (starting at size 10), I don’t get other jobs because I’m not big enough. I’m proud to be considered plus size to some clothing companies but not to most others. Why is it that I’m too small for traditional jobs but ironically not large enough for plus size jobs? I teeter on the line but wish I could just be all of it or none of it. But actually, why do I feel like I have to be one or the other? Why can’t I just be a size 10 and feel like I have a place? As I look around the industry, the recurring question is why aren’t there supermodels that are size 6/8/10/12?
This week I spent a lot of time thinking about Curvycon, which is a plus size conference held during New York’s fashion week. Many of my friends had planned to attend. I had a strong desire to go because I felt like it would be a great time to network with companies and to meet other like minded women in the same field as I. My goal was to talk business and to potentially get more work. My dilemma; Do I even fit in? What would other women think of me if I attended? Would they welcome me with open arms or would they give me the side eye because they don’t think I don’t look plus size? Tickets were sold out so I wasn’t able to go, even if I wanted.
I take pride in being heathy. I drink tons of water daily, I eat a relatively healthy GF diet, and I work out multiple times a week. It’s something I think is extremely important and the key to long life. I consider myself fit, athletic, and curvy, but yet, I feel isolated. Why isn’t this highlighted? All shapes and sizes have struggles and dilemmas and it shouldn’t diminish the trials and tribulations of other sizes. I don’t feel wanted…I feel rejected. Why has society (or the industry) made these isolated groups?
Why do I have to feel like I need to justify my size? And why are companies less likely to hire someone size 6-10? I know we like labels because they make us feel like we belong somewhere and for some reason it makes up feel more secure. But why aren’t sizes 6-12 more accepted, talked about and seen?
Are you a size 6 or a 10? I’m here to represent you. And I plan to pave the way for us ladies and make a place for us! We deserve to get work and we deserve to be accepted. We deserve to have a place and we deserve to have someone to relate to. I want to coexist in the fashion industry, side by side with the 0-4s and the 14-24s. Forget the labels, there should be women of all shapes and sizes and that includes us, the 6-12 inbetweeners.
Photographer: Julian Dicampo
Location: Liberty Farm’s Sussex County Sunflower Maze
