Empowerment in
Every Frame
EXPLORE HER STORY
My name is Virginia. I’m a high school counselor who wears a size 14-16 in BloomChic. I am single and have no children… unless you count my 560 high school students. I am an educator who loves what she does, and shines and highlights her true beauty in your clothing. With my freckles and oversized thighs, I have learned that I AM good enough. Being beautiful is what is on the inside.
''I like to be in the background. I don’t like to shine; I feel like that’s for others. To give me this opportunity has been a really amazing experience.''
''My grandparents would always tell me: you're so beautiful! And I would never see it. For 42 years, I never felt beautiful like I did today.''
''You guys brought together a great blend of women who complement each other. Our similarities come from our stories that come from the heart.''
My name is Caitlin. I wear a size 22-24 in BloomChic. I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with two professional certifications in Human Resources. Empowerment, for me, transcends mere rhetoric – it's a commitment to embodying strength, resilience, and authenticity in everything I do.
''This is not something that I would ever think in a million years that I would participate in. I absolutely stepped outside of my comfort zone to do so.''
''Over the last 15 years, I started as a receptionist and climbed the corporate ladder, and I’m here to break some glass ceilings.''
''BloomChic gives me versatile clothing that fits me. It gives me the style that will make me feel like I’m fashionable, and authentic and true to myself.''
I’m Rachel. I’m a 14-16 in BloomChic, was born in Philippines but grew up in Africa and immigrated to the USA for college and became an American citizen! For Asian women in particular, being plus size is extremely difficult because of a stereotype of Asian women as petite and skinny. But, I love how I look and I think all plus size women should love how they look. To me, fashion is a mix of identity and expression.
''I think it’s important to show up. I think that there’s still very much a glass ceiling. There’s also a bamboo ceiling that people don’t talk about.''
''For most of my life, I did yo-yo in terms of my weight. When I think of my closet, I’ve got sizes from 8 all the way through size 18. And it’s been a difficult journey.''
''One of the ways to have a strong identity is to look bold. What I choose to wear, down to the accessories… It gives me the confidence and the self-esteem to show up.''
Hi. My name is Brie. I'm a size 10 in dresses and 12 in pants at BloomChic. I am of Irish and Native American descent, and am a Regional Sales Manager for an RV corporation and a happily married mother of three. I like to think of myself as petite, worldly, and curvy. Everywhere I go, I make it my goal to build women up, to make them believe they are good enough.
''I really hope that people look at themselves and think about themselves differently after this, and I had something to do with it''
''How could I have known? ‘In 35 years, you’re going to be a model in NYC, and you’re going to spread love and kindness and understanding.''
''I’m not going to live the rest of my life feeling like I’m not good enough, because I am. I think I finally just embraced it.''
My name is Melissa, I wear a size 14 (normally) in BloomChic, and am 5'10. I received a masters degree in mental health counseling in 2018 and am a child and family therapist and a mom to an almost-one-year-old. Living in a larger body most of my life, I always wished I was the 'pretty girl', the person others describe as 'beautiful'. It has only come with age, marriage, and motherhood that I think I know for sure what it means to feel beautiful.
''It’s so nice to meet other women that I immediately clicked with. I feel like that’s sometimes hard to find: like-minded people, other women who actually want to empower each other.''
''I live on a horse farm. I have horses and chickens and goats, and my one-year-old daughter. It’s nice to dress up and be pampered every once in a while.''
''Empowerment is going through whatever life throws at you, and learning how to bend and shape, and kind of mend yourself, and work through it and keep going.''
I’m Diana. I’m 5’1 and wear an 18-20 in BloomChic. I’m a broadcast journalist and host, and a mom to three kids. As I work to build my confidence and heal the broken parts of myself, feeling comfortable in my clothes is one less reminder of how I don’t belong and one step closer in my journey towards a more positive self-view. Having confidence that I can find clothing that fits me and looks good is empowering.
''Turning 40 was incredible, like I hit a milestone where I felt like I had permission to not care as much about what others thought of me.''
''Becoming a Mom changed my life. Not just in the literal aspect of, I had kids. They literally changed my life. They allowed me to see myself in a way that I had never seen myself before''
''I think there’s a sense in me, when I look on TV, look in magazines, look online, where something feels off, like something’s not there. I think that’s why it was so important to be here.''