J.Crew is my favorite. I lust over every outfit photographed in their seasonal catalogs, stalk their sale section, and aspire to one day have a closet entirely inspired by the brand.
Classy as their clothes are, they seem to really love itty-bitty-skinny-minnie models. Until now, at least. While reading the most recent catalog last night (yes, I read their catalog as if it were a regular magazine), I was pleasantly surprised to see the beautiful Crystal Renn gracing the pages of the swimsuit section.
Shockingly, the perfectly normal-sized (actually, smaller-than-the-average-woman) Crystal is considered “plus-size” in the modeling world. She began modeling at age 14, but it wasn’t until she embraced her womanly figure that her career took off.
She has since been featured in numerous high-fashion magazines, including Harpar’s Bazaar and Vogue; has walked the runway for Jean Paul Gaultier; and has appeared in campaigns for H&M, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Saks Fifth Avenue, Jimmy Choo, and Nordstrom.
I am so thankful for her boldness and confidence that inspires and encourages all of us to embrace the beauty of our natural size. Maybe we have no curves. Maybe we’re all curves. Maybe we’re a pear shape, or maybe we’re an apple shape. What matters is not so much what shape our bodies are, but rather if we are willing to respect and honor our bodies or not.
Thank you, J.Crew for taking a leap and publishing photos of a model who we can relate to, and who reminds us that we don’t have to pretend to be someone else in order to succeed.
How have you respected your body this week?
