Why these plus-size influencers are dressing as Disney princesses to make a change
Plus-size influencers are making waves this Halloween by dressing up as iconic Disney princesses to draw attention to the lack of body diversity in many kids' media.
Growing up, women like Natasha Polis often don't see other women who look like them; curvy, fuller figured, plus-size.
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That's why she started the #PlusSizePrincessProject to draw attention to the need for better representation of bodies of all shapes and sizes.
Launching the project just days before Halloween, she and fellow influencer Heather Traska dressed up as their favourite Disney princesses to kickstart the cause.
"We take up more space than most, yet our larger bodies are clearly lacking representation in media," Polis captioned the whimsical snap.
"If only I had this group of ladies to look to when growing up. It would have done wonders with my self esteem."
She went on to say that 21 influencers had joined the project ahead of Halloween, but also encouraged others to join in and spread the body love.
Polis also drew attention to how hard it was for her and her fellow 'plus size princesses' to even find costumes in their sizes.
It points to a lack of size inclusivity not just in the media, but in fashion stores and online clothing retailers, where most people buy their Halloween outfits.
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"Costume industry. Make plus sizes more easily accessible cause we want to have fun and dress up too! It's not just a straight size thing," Polis wrote.
Since launching the project, a number of fellow plus sized influencers have joined in, sharing their own photos embracing their bodies as Disney princesses.
Several of the women involved are also BIPOC, with Latina blogger Candice Trevino, who runs the Smiles and Pearls blog, pointing out the importance of intersectionality.
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"I wish I had a Disney Princess that looked like me growing up, and now I'm glad that there are for little girls of all shapes, sizes, and skin tones!" she captioned a photo of herself dressed as Esmerelda, from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Body positivity has been on the rise in recent years, with plus size women encouraging themselves and one another to embrace their bodies as they are.
But the plus size princess project proves that there's still a long way to go when it comes to size inclusivity in the media and fashion – even Halloween fashion.
