Bravo! It’s hip to be round. Finally!

* My blog caveat -Due to my condition (MS), I don’t type and must rely on the kindness of strangers to take my dictation and turn it into a blog post. Therefore, if you are offended by any mistakes (grammatical errors) my apologies.

Remember David Bowie’s song Fashion? Whether you turn left or right fashion is all around us. If you are like me, you enjoy flipping through the pages of your favorite fashion magazines and are likely a Project Runway devotee too.

However, the one thing that I have noticed is that models do seem to be getting thinner by the minute. A few years ago, I went to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in September to check out the latest from my favorite designers. As I walked around, I was shocked at how thin the models were in person. You know how they say the camera adds 10 pounds. Well my friends these ladies need it. As they sauntered out onto the runway, they looked like ghouls decked out in the finest couture. If only it was Halloween time.

For many years, I’ve had the privilege of knowing wonderful women who have devoted their lives to changing the way the world looks at plus size women. Valery Amador, the founder and driving force behind Venus Divas. Gwen DeVoe who founded a modeling school for plus size models and one of the organizers of Full Figured Fashion Week and Madeline Figueroa Jones, Editor in Chief of Plus Model magazine.

When Maddy posted the photos of today’s average size model to a plus size model together, the image was striking and unsettling. The difference between fashion models and real size women has grown from eight percent to twenty-three percent. To think that the supermodels of the past would be considered plus models at a size four today is astounding. What’s more unsettling is this is what many young women are aspiring to emulate if they want to get into modeling.

Though the women I’m talking about are all about empowerment and acceptance, they haven’t left health out of the picture. While it’s important to feel good about you, the most important thing is to take care of what’s on the inside as well. Contrary to popular belief, plus size women are not stretched out on sofas devouring cake, rack of baby back ribs and gallons of ice cream. Most are women seeking to balance a life that includes family, work, relationships and we’d like to look effortlessly stylish while doing it.

Thankfully we have curvy fashionistas online like Sheri Collins, The Curvy Stylist whose blog www.everybodywearsshoes.com follows fashion trends as well as providing you with tips on how you can make it work from your closet. Stephanie Danforth, who heads up Venus Divas Daily, gives us up to the minute content from fashion to relationships. There are countless others that can be found on Twitter and Facebook. You don’t have to look far to find inspiration.

Ultimately, I hope Maddy’s post and interview on ABC World News shines more attention on the issues real size women face and what we are possibly doing to young girls who are growing up with these images. I applaud her for having the courage to post the photos and now I think it’s up to us to make sure we keep shining the light on the issue. Yes ladies, it’s hip to be round.