Does Victoria’s Secret Exclude Plus-Size Women? Tess Holliday Thinks So

Plus-size model Tess Holliday is calling out Victoria’s Secret for their own brand of fat shaming, People reported. As a size 22 woman, she says her options when it comes to lingerie shopping are “limited” and believes it’s high time for retailers like Victoria’s Secret to begin carrying sexy larger sizes.

“There’s a certain image that Victoria’s Secret upholds for this ‘perfect body,’ and if they were to branch out and have plus-size women, it might – in their eyes – ruin that business and branding goal. But I think to have the biggest lingerie retailer in the world carry plus-size lingerie would be a huge step in the right direction and an accomplishment, not just for the industry, but for women in general.”

Holliday often takes to social media, posting racy pics showing plenty of skin, and she’s not afraid to speak out, sharing her feelings and her body with the world. This candid approach has earned the voluptuous beauty a growing fan base – along with a fair amount of haters from time to time.

https://instagram.com/p/7gXso9POd9/?taken-by=tessholliday

“When I heard about Victoria’s Secret possibly adding a plus size Angel, I posted a picture in my underwear on Instagram calling them out just to be snarky. To be honest, I post underwear shots on Instagram a lot, partly because I know it will piss people off. I like to get people talking. We definitely live in a world where people hate seeing fat girls in their underwear, and they don’t stop themselves from saying so.”

Regardless, Holliday is definitely on to something big. How big? More than $9 billion dollars big, to be exact, which is the dollar amount she says the plus-size industry draws each year. This past July, MTV News reported on rumors that Victoria’s Secret might be ready to start including plus-size models in its Angels lineup after 10 new ultra-slim Victoria’s Secret models were unveiled. The rumors were sparked when newcomer Victoria’s Secret Angel Jac Jagaciak told the Daily Mail she feels the world is becoming “more open to plus-size models.

Whether or not Victoria’s Secret decides to include plus-size models in the runway lineup or lingerie for different body types in its stores, Halliday says the lingerie industry as a whole needs to rethink its approach to serving this significant and often neglected market.

“The bottom line is that there’s this pervasive feeling that fat girls aren’t supposed to feel sexy, and that needs to change. Making it normal to see plus-size women in lingerie on TV, on billboards, and on Instagram is a great place to start.”

[Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images]