Plus-size model Tess Holliday, formerly known as Tess Munster, is teaching women of all shapes and sizes to embrace their unique figures.
The 29-year-old model took to social media to start a movement with the creation of the hashtag #effyourbeautystandards two years ago - her effort to promote confidence and individuality. The hashtag has been used in millions of posts since.
In addition to her recent contract with the U.K.'s Milk Management this past January, Holliday is collaborating with clothing retailer Torrid to market its trendy clothes geared toward all types of women and age ranges and to showcase her beauty while wearing the company's latest trends.
"We're so excited about working with Tess," said Kate Horton, senior vice president of merchandising at Torrid. "Everything about Tess is Torrid: She's young, fun, sexy and confident. It was the perfect fit!"
In a recent photo shoot, Holliday posed in several different looks - flirty, sexy, casual and professional - and proved that full-figured women can pull off each and every one, People reported.
Holliday expressed the importance for women to dress sexy no matter what size they wear. Holliday is a size 22 and she is damn proud of it. She even admitted that she acknowledges that she is one of the first "fat" models to be signed by a big agency, according to the Huffington Post.
"Years ago we were really limited, but there are so many more brands to shop for your body," she said. "I was limited to a couple stores before I started modeling, and I've kind of learned to embrace my sexuality through clothing, which was previously frowned upon if you were plus sized."
Holliday not only models because she has the beauty to do so, but she also has a mission in mind - to make a statement and create a community atmosphere for women just like her who need some more confidence.
"The more or the less you want to wear, you should be able to do it," she said in regards to her hashtag campaign. "I realized I wasn't the only person that had issues with my body and issues with the way society tries to place us in a box ... but really, when I created the movement, it unified everything and made me feel like I wasn't so alone."
