[Editor’s Note: We read a meme that noted that “International Women’s Day” happened to fall on Daylight Savings Time, making it… in some areas, the shortest day of the year. That said, we’d like to extend our celebration of International Women’s Day for the next few days.]
In honor of International Women’s Day, on Sunday, March 8th, 2020, we have put together a short list of influencers we felt were embodying power, intelligence, and strength. Please take a moment to follow them!
- Shannon Grace / @itsshannongrace
- With a growing following and confidence to boot, Shannon Grace is quickly becoming a mover and shaker in the body positive world. Sharing colorful photosets and an infinite amount of thoughtfulness, Shannon uses her platform to uplift women and show them that curvy is definitely cute!
- Throughout her time on the Instagram circuit, Shannon’s used her voice to not only promote extended-size brands like Jessica London Style and Yoins Plus Size, but also partners with brands for social awareness; this includes a partnership with Lane Bryant and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation to raise awareness and funding for breast cancer research, as well as sharing how to help those affected by the March 2020 Nashville, TN tornado natural disaster. Regardless of what she posts, Shannon never fails to spread love at any chance – she not only challenges her followers to be their best versions of themselves, but she regularly challenges herself as well with lingerie photoshoots and tummy-baring swimsuit shots, doing what she feels “normalizes marginalized bodies.” Shannon’s feed is both a celebration of herself and a platform where all bodies can rally for equality, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!
- Check in on Shannon Grace on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube @itsshannongrace.
2. Brittnee Blair / @brittneecblair
- Brittnee Blair has it all! Between modeling for major brands like Lane Bryant and Macy’s, becoming a houseguest on Big Brother Canada 3 in 2015 (and living in the House for over two months!), and appearing in news outlets such as ESSENCE and TeenVogue, Blair’s made herself a household name in the curvy community.
- Beyond serving looks in international fashion spreads and campaigns, Brittnee Blair often takes to Instagram to share body-positive photos and nuggets of inspiration. In a September 2019 interview with HuffPost, Blair remarked that some of the best advice she could share would be “to always dream big, and after you dream big, do big things… If you want something bad enough, fight for it, work toward it, and it will become a reality.” Blair also recently met with folks at Procter & Gamble, where she gave her followers a look into the Pantene Gold haircare line. Formulated by Black PhD holders and scientists specifically for curly and textured hair, Blair showed her audience that there are more options on the free market for POC hair maintenance than ever before.
- You can find Brittnee Blair on Instagram at @brittneecblair, on Twitter at @miss_curvy_B, or online at brittneeblair.com.
3. Plus-Size Barbie aka Lyndsay Patricia / @plussizebarbieofficial
- Adopting the moniker “Plus Size Barbie,” Lyndsay Patricia does a fantastic job at living up to her name! Using her Instagram to share fun outfit photosets and outpours of encouragement, it’s no wonder Lyndsay’s amassed a following of over 342k people. Lyndsay uses her outlets to promote positivity on all levels, regardless of body type or appearance; she believes “things that are often times categorized as ugly or as imperfections, to her, are what makes people beautiful,” and that bodily marks like stretch marks or dimples “tell a story.” She’s featured in a variety of campaigns, including modeling for the Perfectly Imperfect Campaign on Instagram, and appears on popular Instagram body-positive pages such as @golden.confidence, @plus_size_is_beauty, and @curv.fashion.
- Lyndsay also shares parts of her life on YouTube, where she shows clothing/product reviews, try-on hauls, and personal vlogs for her followers. She often promotes brands that cater to extended sizing and isn’t afraid to admit when something isn’t high-quality. Lyndsay’s ability to be open with her story led her to gain nearly 30k followers on YouTube, solidifying her status in the body positive industry.
- Take a look at what Lyndsay Patricia is up to on her Instagram @plussizebarbieofficial, her Twitter @psblyndsay, and her YouTube @Lyndsay Patricia.
