Average-size women everywhere, rejoice. Finally, we all may be seeing someone appear in the sexiest magazine issue of the year that looks a whole lot more like us (although still impossibly gorgeous...obviously). If the rumors prove to be true, Sports Illustrated may soon be featuring plus-size model Robyn Lawley in its swimsuit edition. And yes, I'm just as excited as you are.
While Lawley is no stranger to major magazine covers or spreads, this is the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated I'm talking about. In a world where a plus-size model making the cover of Elle Quebec for wearing a bikini is cause for celebration, the possibility of SI featuring Lawley is pretty amazing.
The swimsuit issue is known for featuring the sexiest and most famous of top models wearing, well, not a whole lot of anything. And never, ever a plus-size model. But Lawley is very famous and incredibly sexy, so the choice actually makes perfect sense to me — even if it would be surprising for a few people.
The source of the rumors is a post on Lawley's Facebook that features her response to the casting call for the Swimsuit 2015 edition. She looks stunning (of course) and answers fun questions about herself, as well as addressing the idea of plus-size models becoming more mainstream.
"I would love to change the opinion of plus-size girls. I always feel people are surprised when they work with one of us and find that we can, in fact, model very well. Just because we’re not a size zero doesn’t mean we can’t model effectively."
Lawley, at a size 12, is closer to size of the average American woman, and successfully addressed a question that I think many of us have asked ourselves at one point or another: "Why do all models look the same, and why do none of them look anything like me?"
"We’re not all 16-year-old Russian teens. I feel every catwalk and every editorial spread should feature all different types of bodies and faces."
As a woman, it's easy to have mixed feelings about the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. I know I do. I love fashion and yes, I too obsessively follow models on Instagram and love seeing them appear in the magazine's most famous issue, posing in glamorous locations that I'd love to visit. Pretty people, pretty places, great photography — it's all very fun to look at.
But as the issue has slowly seemed to become the definition of what it is to be the ultimate level of sexy, it can be a little discouraging to realize that none of those models look anything like me. To have a plus-size model like Lawley in the issue would not only be refreshing, but important for women everywhere as well.
Personally, I think the real definition of sexy is being confident and secure at whatever size you are. Seeing Lawley and thinking, "Hey, my body looks a little like that — and she's HOT" could be major for women.
Nothing seems to be definite yet, but I think we all should be pulling for Lawley. Here's to hoping you make the right decision, Sports Illustrated.
