The last time I went out to dinner with my parents, we got into what would have been a knock-down drag-out fight except for the fact that we were at a table in a fancy restaurant. It all started when my dad claimed that fat people didn’t have the right to buy nice work pants. When you’re not plus-size, I think it’s easy to feel like it isn’t that bad. If you are plus-size, the reality is that things hit you at the weirdest and worst times---like halfway through an expensive dinner with your family.
I think there’s an illusion that all plus-size and fat positive and models must be entirely at peace with themselves all the time. I’m sure there must be some out there who are like that, but I certainly don’t know any. Every community needs role models, as I mentioned in my piece about Ashley Graham several months ago. Luckily, the plus-positive community has tons of them, and most of them hang out on Instagram!
This is a list of 20 of my favorite fat positive Instagram accounts. It covers activists, writers, artists, and models. It includes women of color and LGBT content creators. Above all, every one of these people is an excellent gateway into the world of fat activism and the health at any size movement. So the next time someone says something horrible to you or makes your day awful, try checking out some of these fantastic people!
@bodytobodyproject
This HAES (health at any size) and anti-diet culture illustrator is one of my favorite new Instagram discoveries. Her art is realistic, compelling and the perfect pick me up if you’re having a bad day. She also does custom plus-size friendly portraits!
@universalstandard
I could never be a clothing minimalist, so it’s a little ironic that I’ve fallen so in love with Universal Standard clothing. I still wear crazy prints and vintage inspired stuff 90% of the time, but when I need a basic work dress or high quality separates I always head to Universal Standard. Their Instagram is lovely, but the real feature is how they integrate their Instagram with their shopping platform. Their clothes tend to look different on me than on their models, so I find their Shop Insta feature useful.
@felicityhayward
Felicity Hayward has modeled for several full-bust lingerie brands like Tutti Rouge but is now a MILK management model, and you'll see her everywhere. She’s outspoken, funky and always fat positive.
@fairyboobmother
If you’re full-figured and want to see how a bra might look on you, this is the place to go. Fairy Boobmother works with a lot of brands like Panache and Eveden, but also some smaller ones as well. It’s a great place to check out what is new with the major brands and see how it would look on you.
@CurvyGirlThin
Charli Russon covers lots of lingerie and fashion stuff, but also gets points for being a fellow springer spaniel lover! I love her super relatable pictures as her body type is reasonably common for her size range, and she photographs stuff very honestly.
@jennyrieu
I always knew that Jenny Rieu was gorgeous, but I had no idea how smart she was until I got to interview her for Lingerie Briefs! Not only is she a fantastic model, but she runs her PR agency and manages herself. She’s also really great about communicating with people through her Instagram and makes excellent lingerie recommendations.
@fatgirlflow
Corissa Enneking is a gorgeous model but is best known as the creator of the “FAT BITCH” t-shirt that shows up all over Instagram. She’s also recently done a lingerie collaboration with Impish Lee, so I hope other brands will work with her in the future!
@premme.us
Premme is Gabi Gregg and Nicolette Mason’s fashion collaboration, which breaks tons of plus-size fashion rules and creates terrific on-trend pieces up to a size 30. They’re a great place to buy trendy stuff that stands out.
@bodyposipanda
Megan Jayne Crabbe is a body-positive author and runs a lovely Instagram that is continuously gentle and inspiring. If you’re having a bad day, check her stuff out.
@curvycampbell
Olivia Campbell is a gorgeous model based out of London, who often models lingerie and other great plus-size clothing. She’s beautiful, fabulous and a great style icon for us plus-size people.
@jennyzigrino
Jenny Zigrino is a plus-positive comedian and unspoken feminist with a great sense of personal style! Check our her latest mini show called “Bad Ass Bitches of History," it’s both educational and hilarious.
@jessdewahls
Jess De Wahls describes herself as the “Enfant Terrible of British Textile Arts,” which is probably all you need to know to make you follow her on Instagram. Her pieces are beautifully detailed and unapologetically feminist.
@the_glambassador
Christine looks like something out of an Old Hollywood movie and has a closet of vintage-inspired clothes that even I envy. Her Instagram is a great place to see how many of the favorite brands look on a plus-size figure.
@fabulouslyfullfigure
There are tons of accounts on Instagram that feature lingerie photos in a specific size range, but not a ton of plus-size ones. This one features plus size bras in 38+ bands, so it’s a great place to check if you’re in that underserved size range.
@chairbreaker
Caleb Luna is an inspiring activist who is doing a Ph.D. in fat activism---and he’s got a great fashion sense. His #nonuglyfats tag always makes me smile.
@graceofvictory
This fashion and self-care enthusiast has fantastic style, a powerfully inspirational Instagram account and lots of smart things to say about the plus-size world.
@lacesbowsandsecrets2
This lingerie picture only account is a style haven for plus-size lingeristas. Michelle creatively uses a mix of pieces from major online retailers like Hips & Curves and styles them in fun and unexpected ways. She also highlights lots of pieces from indie brands that I had never seen before and now want to purchase.
@chrissymetz
Everyone knows Chrissy Metz as Kate from the tv show “This Is Us." But not everyone knows that she has fantastic red carpet style as well! Her Instagram account is excellent if you love clothes. And she’s also an author with a new book out if you want to hear more from her.
@thelindywest
Lindy West is everywhere and is taking over the world. She’s also responsible for one of the most amazing episodes of This American Life of all time. And she’s the author of “Shrill," a great book about being opinionated while being fat. She’s also recently started a columnist gig at the New York Times.
@themilitantbaker
Yes, Jes Baker recently released her first book called “Landwhale,” named after an insult from one of her online trolls. She’s a prolific blogger, activist, and generally fantastic person. She was responsible for the fat Abercrombie & Fitch photo shoot years ago that went viral as well!
Do you follow any of these body and fat positive Instagram accounts? Are there any you would add to this list?