I got into modelling in a pretty unconventional way. After serving in the Navy for five and a half years, I started consulting to U.S. Department of Defense clients in the Washington, D.C. area. Modelling had always been a fantasy of mine, but by the time my Navy career was coming to an end I figured I was way too old to seriously pursue it—not to mention I'd always been insecure that my size (currently 18/20) would hold me back. Then, when I was five years out of the Navy, I was scouted by one of my clients—at the age of 28!
When my client approached me I couldn't believe it. He helped me sign with an agency in New York City when I was 29, in 2014. Shortly after that, the agency connected me with agencies in Germany, Denmark and Chicago to ensure that I got work in multiple major markets, from NYC to Europe, and major catalogue clients in the Midwest.
Things started off kind of bumpy, though. I still remember my first gig modelling button-down shirts for a company that sells both plus- and straight-size clothing on major retail sites: I totally bombed because I was like a deer in headlights and I could feel that I wasn't making the client happy. My Navy career required me to be in my head a lot, so it was difficult to transition to one where I had to be more outwardly expressive and aware of my body. I've since learned that modelling is not about being perfect; it's about being willing to work hard to improve. And I have!
In the modelling industry, anyone over a size 10 is considered plus-size. As a woman whose size is in the double digits, I am passionate about spreading the message that plus-size women can still lead healthy lives, love their bodies, and be an inspiration to others. On my personal website, I lay it all out there for other women by sharing my history with a binge-eating disorder, plus moments from my past struggles with body confidence. Seeing myself on film and hearing positive feedback from agents and photographers has definitely accelerated my journey to get comfortable with my own body, as has exercise. I rowed beginning in eighth grade and went on to become a lead athlete for the Naval Academy, as well as finish several half marathons. Though back pain has prevented me from continuing distance running, I still workout regularly through yoga and walking.
I'm 32 now and have only been modelling for about three years, but I have already worked for big clients such as Jockey, Danskin, Rachel Roy, J.C. Penney and Gwynnie Bee. As a social media influencer with a following of over 60,000, I try to take a stand for curvy women to empower others and spread body positivity. It's been so great not only get to live out my dream of becoming a model, but also to connect with and inspire women from all walks of life and all around the world.
My life is so full of fun, hard work, and opportunities to meet amazing people, and no two weeks in my life look the same, which I love. But here's a glimpse at what one typical week of work looks like for me:
Monday
On days that I'm not on set or travelling, like today, I try to write for my blog and connect with people who would make interesting subjects for my posts. Today I'm interviewing celebrity stylist Denise Caldwell. I met her a few weeks ago at the Fit for Me FFFWeek press preview event.
Denise and I connect by phone for the better part of an hour, discussing her background, her career and what it's like to be up-close-and-personal with celebrities. She works with clients ranging from A-list celebs preparing for formal events to "real women" she performs makeovers on. She's a big believer in foundational garments: "You have to make sure you have great underwear that's going to smooth and achieve the correct shape for an outfit," Denise explains. "The clothing is just the top layer."
After my interview with Denise, I spend time going over my notes, refining some of the highlights that I want to mention in the piece. I usually walk away from my notes for several days to let everything marinate before I start writing. I find that bigger, better insights and ideas come forth if the piece has some room to breathe! So I move on to catching up on email, going over my editorial calendar and doing other administrative tasks in preparation for my busy week ahead.
Tuesday
When you are your product, making sure that you look and feel as good as possible is essential to your success. Because I'm heading out of town on a booking tomorrow, I take time today to make sure that I'm camera-ready from head to toe. This involves getting my eyebrows and bikini line waxed, followed by a manicure and pedicure. I'm super picky about my brows, so there's only one place I'll go for a wax.
Looking and feeling my best also means showing my body love through movement. So I take time today to hit a yoga class, as well as take my dog on a nice, long walk around our neighbourhood. I'll be missing her and our walks together while I'm away!
In the evening, I prepare a bath with epsom salt and essential oils. I also pull out one of my favourite clay masks, which helps pull the impurities out of my skin. It'll be taking a beating the next few days, and I want to be sure I show up to set looking as good as possible.
Wednesday
Today I'm up early and up, up, and away! I'm headed to a three-day photo shoot with a plus-size prom, wedding and occasion gown designer and manufacturer. I've had the pleasure of working with them for three years running. It doesn't feel like I'm heading out for three days of long, hard work—which shooting formal gowns absolutely is—it feels like heading to visit family and friends.
I arrive a little after 9 AM. By 10 AM I am on set in the makeup chair. For the first half of the day, my hair is down with soft waves to compliment the dresses. We take a break for lunch around 2 PM, and I get my hair styled into an up-do for the remainder of the day. The first up-do is a looser, more youthful chignon. But for the last few hours of shooting, I morph into the "Mother of the Bride" and my hair is pulled up into a tighter, more distinguished style. A darker lipstick is also added to complete the new persona.
We kick off the shoot with lots of fun, laughter and energy! Shooting formal gowns is all about attention to detail, and making these intricate gowns really shine on camera. Part of that is the movement and emotion that I bring to the images as a model, but a lot of the work is steaming, fluffing, and arranging the gowns to perfection. Not to mention the hair and makeup, and the photography and lighting. It truly takes a village to make each and every shot the best it can be.
Thursday
I am joined on set today by another model, Alex, to shoot the new 2018 styles for the company. We've never met or worked together before, but after just a few hours it feels like we're old friends. One of my favourite things about being a model is all the amazing people I get to meet! Alex is no exception. Like me, she has been an athlete her whole life, involved in team sports. This common background gives us a kind of shorthand that helps us develop a sense of camaraderie on set, cracking jokes and cheering each other on—which is great, because the process of shooting formal gowns is very detail-oriented, and can feel tedious over the course of several days.
It takes at least one other person to get me into each gown. The dressers undo all the lacing, buttons, zippers and clasps. Then, they arrange the gown for me to step into on the ground, making a hole for me in the many layers of tulle and fabric that make up the skirt. This way, I don't have to take my shoes on and off between each dress (which adds time to an already long process). Once I’m on set, several people step in to make sure the skirt is arranged perfectly. They might stuff things under the skirt, like plastic dress bags, to make sure the skirt looks full and smooth rather than "deflated" in the shots. In some cases, if the sample dresses don't fit me perfectly, I'll also be clamped and pinned into the gown. Some dresses take as long as 30 minutes to shoot, compared to the 5-10 minutes per garment you might expect when shooting normal, casual attire.
It's great when clients encourage a team mentality. After we wrap for the day, we all head up to a rooftop bar. We're over halfway through the shoot, and everyone gets a chance to enjoy some cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and just have fun together before our final day. And after being cooped up in a studio for the past few days, we all savour the fresh air and the 360-degree views of the sunset. We don’t stay out too late, because there's still one, long day ahead before we wrap.
Friday
By Day 3, everyone is ready to push through to the finish line. The photographer and the hair and makeup artist, have been up close and personal with us for the past few days, making the models and the dresses look as great as possible. Today, we spend a little time off the set, using other parts of the studio to get some of the editorial shots that will be used as marketing and campaign images for the upcoming season. It's so fun to see these shots come together!
It's easy for your confidence and energy to wane over the course of a multi-day shoot. You get a lot of feedback as a model, not always about your skills, but things like, "don't move this way because it makes the dress crease," or "we really like this hand position, can you do that again?" Many models struggle with confidence, because it can wear on you to get so much feedback and to feel somewhat under scrutiny for so many days on end. To counteract this, I meditate for a few minutes a day. This helps me clear anything that is junking up my thinking from the day before, so I'm not carrying that on set with me. Mantras also help me stay grounded in the midst of a shoot, like a little tape of positive thoughts playing in my head throughout the day. Things like, "I am confident," or "My happiness shows from the inside out!" are especially helpful when shooting bridal, because that energy really does convey in the images and, of course, you want to project that happiness a bride feels on her wedding day.
We wrap the shoot around 5 PM. Alex and I decide to take advantage of our last few hours to grab some barbecue from a highly rated local restaurant that's close to our hotel for the night. We both fly out early Saturday morning, and this is our last chance to have a little taste of the city we've been spending time in for the past few days. As a model, I don't get a tonne of time to explore the destinations that I travel to, so this is the cherry on top of a great work trip.
Newsletter
_(1)_(1)_(1).jpg&h=90&w=90&c=1&s=1)
