Gorgeous underwear model Katie Green is taking her curves and laughing all the way to the top.  A modeling sensation in the UK, 21-year-old Katie made headlines earlier this month when Wonderbra used the 5’10, size 10 stunner for their “real women” campaign and then shamelessly blasted her for being too fat. She’ll now debut as the new face and body of lingerie firm, Ultimo.

“I really didn’t know where my career was going to go after the depression of being told I was too fat,” she said after Wonderbra execs asked her to lose upwards of 30 pounds. “They got great publicity out of launching me as a ‘real’ curvy model. Then I was told that I had to lose lots of weight and become like all the other girls on the catwalk or I was finished. What a joke.”

Devastated by the demand, she quit the firm, telling friends she refused to sacrifice her health to look like a “bag of bones.” Read More »

I did my usual perusing of NYMag.com a few days ago to find America’s Next Top Model on the homepage, with a picture of some beautiful girl and the headline that “Miss Tyra threw a curveball” by selecting the first-ever plus-sized model to win. I haven’t seen the show in many a season, because Tyra Banks continued to be Tyra Banks and you can only see a marathon so many times, but needless to say, I was intrigued.

I frowned and scrolled back up to the picture. Hm. Come to think of it, her legs don’t look like they could be snapped in two by a twelve-year-old. But plus-sized? She didn’t really look plus-sized. I was perplexed. The consistent theory was that this “oversized” model was picked from the beginning as part of Tyra’s personal agenda to make reality TV history. Or something. Making a point that you don’t have to be skinny to be pretty.

It’s a great message, it is. Except this Whitney character really isn’t not skinny. But in the context of an industry full of waifs, she instantly becomes the fat girl. It’s like picking the hottest guy in a classroom only to find that he’s less attractive on the street among other civilians; you can’t base your judgment of a person in the confines of one element. Read More »