Size 10 Tahnee wins Australia’s Next Top Model with 82% of public vote. Fashion industry: ARE YOU LISTENING?
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I know I'm 24hrs late with this post but yesterday I was distracted by….other things. Like chairing an all-day meeting of the National Body Image Advisory Group.
How timely then, that I'd spent part of the previous night watching the last half hour of the Top Model final, just in time to see size 10 Tahnee announced as the winner of the reality-show-meets-model-contest. With a bloody nose. Loved that….
As we spent yesterday's working meeting going through the many different components of our proposed National Body Image strategy (will tell you more about that in the next few weeks but it involves a code of conduct for the media, modelling and fashion industries as well as a raft of proposed community education programs and initiatives – ALL GOOD), at one point we discussed the model show.

The Punch's Tory Maguire published her list of top quotes from the night and praised how uniquely Aussie the show was – unlike so many local versions of international reality show formats which are mind-numbingly cookie-cutter……
- Judge Charlotte Dawson (who is admitedly a Kiwi, but for tonight
I’m claiming her): “Oh come on, she’s climbed Rooty Hill, not Mt
Everest.” - Dawson again (she’ll feature in this list a lot): “She walked like a newborn foal that was drunk when it was born”.
- Sarah Murdoch introducing a red headed contestant: “It’s Fanta pants herself!”
- Dawson to two girls wearing very tight Alex Perry dresses: “Don’t worry, you won’t be organ donors after wearing those.”
- Dawson again, encouraging the eventual winner Tahnee to get back at
a girl who called her fat: “Now you’re in the top 2 and it’s nah, nah,
nah, nah, nah to Mikarla.” - Style director Johnathan Pease about a particularly cold, rainy photo shoot: “You remember Russell, it was retarded out there.”
- Murdoch in an aside after introducing the mother of the contestant
with the drunken foal walk: “That’s were she gets her catwalk from!” - Murdoch again: “I’ll now call on myself to cast my own vote. It’s hard hosting yourself isn’t it.”
- Murdoch reacting to Tahnee’s nasal hemorrhage: “I think that’s a
first for a Top Model final, we have a nose bleed ladies and gentlemen.”
But I want to talk about the predictable shitstorm over the winner. Yes, Cassi (below) is going to be the one who is going to get more work – here and especially internationally. The majority of judges voted for her. But the public? The public wanted Tahnee. She got 82.5% of the public votes according to Sarah Murdoch today on Twitter.
And what does that tell us? The public LIKE Tahnee's body. They like Tahnee. So one would assume if you were selling a product, say….a swimsuit or fashion brand – you might want to use Tahnee in your advertising since your CUSTOMERS (young women) LIKE Tahnee.
But no. Already, when Tahnee and Cassi went to castings for Australian fashion week, very few designers wanted Tahnee to model their clothes.
As fashion blogger Patty Huntington wrote yesterday on Frockwriter:
Venema booked more shows than Atkinson, it was abundantly clear that
even Australian fashion designers, who are known for casting much
larger models than their European counterparts, did not think Atkinson
was the right look for their shows. "
So the public wants to see more of models who look like Tahnee? The media and the fashion industry don't care. Even though we are their customers. Yet again I am predicting they will put their heads in the sand and blindly, wilfully insist on casting Cassi and models who look just like her. Not that I'm bagging Cassi for being thin – she's a beautiful girl (let's leave questions of personality aside since modelling does not CARE what kind of samaritan you are – just ask Naomi Campbell). But she is the SAME body type as every other model out there.
By voting for Tahnee (below), isn't the public screaming for something
different? Some diversity? An alternative to wall-to-wall skinny?

EARLIER ON MAMAMIA…







Tahnee’s black dress was very Jessica Rabbit: beautiful.
The thing about Tahnee, regardless of her size, is that her face just doesn’t photograph well. Some of the pros on the show said she should go into acting and I’d agree, because Tahnee’s beauty – which is really luminous – is showcased best when she’s on video.
Cassie photographed beautifully, but was shocking on the runway. She was also too ambivalent about whether she wanted to pursue a modelling career.
I was really shocked when Claire got booted. She was the all rounder. She took magic photos, walked beautifully and was always the consumate professional. She also has that ethereal look that can work perfectly for editorial, but can be muted to girl-next-door for more commercial shoots.
I don’t quite understand why the judges got rid of her.
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i see that girl in the picture. i see her, so i don’t stop at the fact that she’s a size 10. you want to know what i see? if she’s a size 10 she must be 2 meters high cause man, is she skinny…..
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Do people actually read comments, before commenting? apparently not.
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Little Miss Moi – Sorry if I misunderstood you. I never thought you were comparing the sizes and/or looks of the two girls. I took it as you comparing their situations on TV, then their success afterwards. And I didn’t agree. It was the fact you said:
“I don’t think she’s was the public *really* wants. Sure, they wanted someone curvy with a nice personality to win a TV show. But do they really want a curvy model modelling designer masterpieces?”
I was saying, yes, I do. Yes, I think she was what we ‘really’ wanted and yes, I would love to see her in designer materpieces. And judging by the comments on this website, I don’t think I’m the only one.
I didn’t think you were beng bitchy (and hope my response didn’t come across as bitchy either), I just didn’t agree with the comparison at all. I think Casey, as talented as she was, DID get a sympathy vote. I don’t think Tahnee did.
For the record, I don’t often shop at K-mart (except for undies!) because I don’t like their clothes. It has nothing to do with the models they use. And I don’t shop at designer stores because I can’t afford to. I don’t buy a brand because of the models they use, though if I did have the money for designerwear, I would definitely boycott a store that used anorexic models and shop at one that had size 10 girls in their ad campaigns.
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I love MissManly’s comments about business clothes being modelled in magazines by teenage girls. It drives me crazy too! Why can’t labels use women that are the age of their target market and size to model their clothing range? I would love to see a magazine spread with the same outfit modelled by a variety of different shapes and sizes. How cool would that be!
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FWIW I think Tahnee won because so many people hated Cassi – I didn’t even watch the final I am still pouting that Clare did not make it through to the final 2! – bring on Project Runway!! – I LOVE it!
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I think it’s also interesting that Dawson commented on the ANTM final that Mikarla (who was an unhealthy looking skinny, and was the one who called Tahnee fat) had actually gained 10kgs since being eliminated from the show, and she looked much better for it.
Yes Tahnee is much more relatable, but in today’s world, Cassi has model written all over her. Which is a real shame that the fashion industry continues to ignore what is real out there.
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I didn’t follow the series, but of the photos I’ve seen of Tahnee she looks much more womanly. I think it’s sad that the fashion industry is calling her “large” – she’s not.
If she’s large, than what about the rest of us? I’m size 18-20 and I love my body the way it is – I’m a burlesque dancer and I get out there and show it off. And men and women love it. My best friend is tiny and is constantly envious of my voluptuous build.
I think it’s important to honor ourselves, no matter what size or shape we are – because we’re all different, and our genes are different, and life is too short not to have that slice of cake. It can be difficult to find clothes which I like, but it’s certainly not impossible.
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I don’t think you should look at the result as the great white hope re: body size Mia. I think it was more an anti-Cassi vote than a pro Tahnee vote…Australia just is’nt ready for a boganista superstar yet. I found it a bit boring anyway, bring on Project Runway, its way more exciting to watch.
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in the black dress photo, which one is which? neither of them look like the girls in the other photos! freaking out…
are these kids really only 16? does anyone else find that REALLY WEIRD AND SCARY? the fashions being designed for women aged 20+ are being modelled by high school girls.
i could also be a bit paranoid here, but the message this sort of show sends to me is that at 22, i’m way over the hill…
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Don’t worry Betty Boo’s Mummy – America’s Next Top Model starts next week!!!! Hooray!!! Same bat time, same bat channel.
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Soooooooooo sad that ANTM is over! What will we watch when eating our Thai takeaway on Tuesday nights???
Loved this series: best ever. Ah, Charlotte and Expensive Alex Perry – hilarious.
Tahnee was our favourite model. She is truly gorgeous. Cassi’s personality worked against her. Busting in on Clare in the shower and punching the elevator wall. WTF?
Sarah Murdoch was great too. There is something so attractive about her, she seems so geniune and down to earth.
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I’m a size 10 (well 8-12, depending), I’m about 3.5-4 inches shorter than Tahnee, and my boobs are 3 cup sizes bigger than hers…
Does that make me fat?
I highly doubt it.
I am finally at a point where I am perfectly comfortable in my skin and how I look. I got really over moaning at my reflection that I’m fat, so I just got over it and love myself for how I am. Ever since I decided to love how I look instead of wishing I looked different, I think I look more beautiful.
Worrying is just too much effort.
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I was very happy to see Tahnee win this series of ANTM. She is stunning, has a great personality, a strong work ethic and a to-die-for figure. Although I followed the series from the start, I wouldn’t normally take the time to vote, but rather sit back and see what the rest of the viewing public decides. In this instance however, I felt a very strong urge to vote AGAINST Cassi. Which meant I voted for Tahnee. I don’t believe Cassi’s behaviour or her actions throughout the series warranted any sort of reward. That would simply be a repeat of the season before, when all of Demelza’s bullying and abhorent behaviour was rewarded when she was given the crown over hard-working, well-mannered Alex. I think Sarah Murdoch summed it up perfectly when she called upon herself to vote. She stated that although she thought Cassi had the most potential in the modeling world, she was simply not ready enough or focused enough to be given such a huge opportunity. I totally agree. And while I commend Cassi for the obvious hard work she has done, and the great leaps she has taken in controlling her temper etc. I really think that Tahnee showed the maturity, the professionalism and the ambition to have earned the title. Oh, and did you see her in that Alex Perry dress at the finale? Amazing.
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In that picture at the top of them in the black dresses i cant see a difference in the size, they both look like freaking pins!
If you had to get picky the brunette looks smaller, look at the size of her waist.
Sorry i didnt watch the show i missed all the drama!
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Indi, once again I second that…Alex Perry was indeed a traitor. He cra*pped on about Tahnee being a “Goddess” and still chose Cassie? And there I was, thinking his designs were meant to celebrate a classical female shape.
May be it was to pis* off Sarah, who voted off his other favourites – first Adele then Clare (who should have won, by the way).
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Yah to Tahnee – a gorgeous girl inside and out. I am so glad she won. I seriously couldnt see Cassie having the motivation to pursue a career like Tahnee will. I thought she just wanted the bucks. An awful role model and a huge manipulator.
OK, maybe I am missing something and I know my maths skills leave a lot to be desired, but the votes were Cassie 4, Tahnee 3, with the public vote to go. I thought the public vote was worth 1, therefore a tie??? Only found out today Tahnee landslided with 80 odd % – was this then worth 2 votes? I am not complaining the best girl won but what did I miss?
And what a traitor was Alex Perry!!!!
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Skinny skinny girls bore me, really they do. I understand why they are used to model clothing. Of course whatever they wear, it’s going to look amazing. But for me a healthy looking girl appeals to me soooo much more. And not because she looks “normal”. Because she looks healthy. She has definition, she has shape.
Tahnee and Casey are both skinny, of course they are, maybe one slightly more than the other. When I saw them in those lovely black dresses I really couldn’t see any difference, it was more their body shape’s that varied than their size.
I do hope the fashion industry does get over the stick insect models… It’s not a matter of wanting to see so called “plus sized models”. It’s more like wanting to see a “Yep, she is a woman” type I guess.
Is it more challenging for designers to design and produce clothes that will look good on size 10+ women? Is it unfashionable to design those type of clothes? Is it embarrassing seeing your work on a size 10+ woman? Is that why they have the skinny skinnies in their shop fronts to intimate you? Or in my case, bore me – clearly you can not think outside the square?
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Yes, Angie, Sarah#2, I agree it defies logic to compare an obese girl with a healthy size 10. And that wasn’t what I was doing. I was comparing a girl who is amazingly talented at singing but didn’t have the looks to make it in the MUSIC industry (where, really, looks should be irrelevant), to a girl who is very talented and has the looks but is slightly over the ideal size for the modelling industry (where, in my opinion, looks should be important and size secondary).
Look, Mia herself said that Cassi was going to get more work out of ANTM. I was simply trying to explain why I thought that was.
I was not making ANY kind of comparison between the sizes of the two girls, I wasn’t saying they look the same, rather, they both fit the PUBLIC ‘ideal’ for their industries, but they are outside what their INDUSTRY ‘ideal’ is. Winning over the audience of a television show is totally different to winning over the critics and the suits in the actual industry. Being chosen by the public doesn’t mean that they will fit into the pre-fabbed BILLION DOLLAR marketing machine that is the fashion (or music) industry(ies), and if the marketing machine doesn’t do you favours, then you’re screwed all round.
If we were really that passionate about not buying into the image of size zero perfect women, we’d vote with our wallets and shop at K-Mart. But when it comes down to it, we don’t.
I wasn’t being bitchy, I was simply trying to explain why I think the industry is f*cked, to be honest. We hate this aspect of it, but it still sucks us in.
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Oops, I “think it’s so outrageous” to hear size 10 being described as fat.
Not “I am so outrageous” – I sound like Jem, truly outrageous ; )
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I didn’t see ANTM (we don’t have foxtel – sniff!) but I am just so outrageous to hear size 10 being described as fat!!
In the real world, a size 10 is skinny!! Especially a tall size 10 (I don’t know how tall Tahnee was). It’s such a warped view they’re promoting.
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I followed the show and was pleased to see Tahnee win – I think we will see a lot more of her beautiful smile but I have to be honest and say she probably won most audience votes through the backlash to boganista Cassie’s attitude.
It would have been interesting to see if the final two were Tahnee + 3rd runner up Clare. Both displayed excellent attitude, maturity, potential and were positive role models – but with two very different looks – it may have been a different outcome.
Regardless – I just have to say I LOVE LOVE LOVE Sarah Murdoch and every time I see her my admiration just grows and grows – natural, beautiful, healthy, smart and warm – what a role model for all women!
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I think Tahnee has a huge career ahead of her. She reminds me of some of the original ‘super’ models. Elle was probably Australia’s ‘top’ model at a point in her career and she could do much more than just walk the run way. Cassie has the typical of the moment ‘model’ look but Tahnee has it all ..beauty, personality and the ‘wow’ factor. I think she apeals to men and women alike.. just like Elle.
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I love Tahnee and am so glad she won BUT I think it is like any reality show and the voting public were voting for the most likeable contestant. I don’t know that you can draw anything else from her winning really.
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Little Miss Moi, I agree with Sarah #2′s comment about Tahnee and Casey Donovan being completely different. I see what you are trying to say with your comment, but to compare a morbidly obese girl with a size 10, very healthy and stunning girl, well it really defies logic.
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Mali, I saw that episode and agree with you. I think Mia already wrote a report on the British Vogue editor complaining that designers only send super tiny samples for the editorials. Why the heck designers choose to display unrealistically tiny sizes to the public?! Most of buyers are edult women for whom it is just impossible to be as tiny as a 16 year old…
What also pis*ses me off, is the way they use 15-16 year olds to model business clothes in magazine spreads. That cracks me up. I refuse to even look at those. You want to sell it to me, 30 year old, and you choose someone who is barely in high school to model it?!! Get real!!! There is so much choice, it is very easy for me to boycott a lable!
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I think these people and this show put the “real” back into “reality televison”. Wouldn’t you just want to die a thousand deaths having a bleeding nose at that time?!
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I am a size 6/8 25 year old female and I would LOVE to have a body shape like Tahnee’s!! I voted for Tahnee because of her body shape but also because of her attitude and I think she is a great role model for young Australian girls. Even Mirkala has gained 10kgs and looks 100 times better than she did during the show!!!
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Little Miss Moi – I really don’t think you can draw comparisons between Tahnee and Casey Donovan! That just seems ridiculous to me. Tahnee is far from an underdog! She was voted for for her looks just as much as (or even more so, really) her personality. Otherwise she would not have made it all the way through the competition. Tahnee is NOT overweight, she is FAR from it, she’s just not a model size 0.
And yes, I WOULD love to see Tahnee modelling designer materpieces, splashed all over the pages of magazines I read, and looking at me from the TV, billboards etc. I would MUCH prefer to see her everywhere than Cassi.
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I am SO, SO glad Tahnee beat Cassi. Not just because she is stunning, is a ‘normal’ size and (I think) is far prettier than Cassi but because Cassi didn’t deserve to win. How many times throughout the competition did she say she didn’t want to be there and/or there were other things much more important to her? And I totally agree with Charlotte’s statement about seeing Cassi taking the winnings and spending them on her and her boyfriend/fiance, rather than a career in modelling. Plus, although her catwalk improved towards the end, it was still pretty dodgy.
I also really loved Claire and would have been happy for her to win. She was a natural at every aspect of modelling and was much more mature than many of the other girls.
Perhaps Tahnee will get booked by Victoria’s Secret, who prefer curvy models and is her ultimate dream? Good luck to her!
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It frustrated the hell out of me, when Wayne Cooper said “she’s all woman” as Tahnee walked for him. He then said I just don’t think you are right for our clothes.
Newsflash… Wayne Cooper makes up to a size 4 (14ish) so how is Tahnee not right for his clothes when she would have been a size 2!!
I have a couple of Wayne Cooper dresses and I’ve seen some celebrities and models in those same dresses… and you know what… i have the curves and I have the boobs to fill these dresses in the right places!! Just like Tahnee!!
It’s about time Fashion Designers took note! We can all look great!
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Dear Mia. No, it won’t change anything. And to be honest, I don’t think she’s was the public *really* wants. Sure, they wanted someone curvy with a nice personality to win a TV show. But do they really want a curvy model modelling designer masterpieces? I’m not sure….
And I say “I’m not sure” only because of this:
Australians wanted an overweight girl to win Australian Idol, but once she won, Australians didn’t want to buy her album.
There is a big difference to us, whether we realise it or not, between who we want to see triumphing on TV that’s beamed into our living room once a week… and who/what image we’ll spend our hard earned dollars on when it really comes to the crunch.
It sounds harsh, but I really think it’s a subconscious part of our psyche. We’ll go for the underdog until it comes to the dollar sign. When dollars are involved, we’ll demand to buy our share in the image, the dream… and only the best will do.
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I could never get past Cassi’s crooked teeth. Not being mean but how do you book a model with awful teeth for photographic work or are they photoshopped in the final version?
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In my opinion, Tahnee is far more attractive the Cassie. However, I voted for Tahnee because I thought Cassie’s behaviour throughout the competition was disgraceful and she certainly didn’t deserve to win.
I agree with MissManly about Cassie in the Anna&Boy swimwear. Cassie looks, and has the body shape, of a boy– not a beautiful young woman like Tahnee.
Congratulations Tahnee, you deserved to win!
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No, nothing will change on the body image front. They don’t care what the public wants, full stop. Cassie has already been offered a contract with Elite New York. I don’t think Tahnee was offered one.
Cassie also had ‘the look’ /’x factor’ they look for internationally, moreso than Tahnee. The photographers and agent throughout the whole series always singled Cassie out.
Great season this year, bit of a bitchfest as always but funny. The judges, I agree were classics this year, especially Charlotte.
Sarah Murdoch did so well hosting- she was so much better on this than she was on the Today Show but I guess fashion is more her turf.
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Whoops, wrong link
http://www.cosmopolitan.com.au/aussie_men_prefer_size_14_women.htm
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Re: Men’s ideal, sorry I should’ve quoted my source!
http://www.theage.com.au/cgi-bin/common/popupPrintArticle.pl?path=/articles/2008/04/05/1207249536770.html
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I get so angry hearing the nonsense that comes out of fashion designers/stylists mouths about their clothes having to be modeled only be size 0-6 girls. So angry.
I’m really happy a curvy girl won the day though, it’s a start right?!
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I would say a man’s ideal is a size 10-12…
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Frankly, I think the public vote had nothing to do with body shape/size/looks at all. I think Tahnee won because she wasn’t the “boganista”. Cassi’s lack of drive and want to move back home to shack up with her boyfriend probably also worked against her, as the public gave their vote to the other girl who actually wanted to model.
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I adore Tahnee. She kills it on the catwalk and I think is much more relateable than Cassi. And, Cassi was quoted on ninemsn today as saying her 25 year old fiance’s bricklaying business was more important than her going to fashion week overseas in September. At least Tahnee has her wits about her and seems to embrace the opportunities coming her way. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Cassi fade away very quickly now – she doesn’t seem to have the passion for the industry however much she would be likely to work.
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*modelled not moddeled
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This is absolutely right, Mia. Tahnee looked resplendid in that pink one-piece she moddeled during the Anna&Boy casting. Cassie was just way, way to thin to give an idea what the bikini would look like on a woman, rather than a young skinny girl…Yet, they chose her! I showed the video to my husband and he was shocked.
I got so disappointed that two ladies running the lable would choose to perpetuate the idea that only a very thin body should deserve a display on the catwalk, I swore off buying anything from the new range….Despite having an eye on a couple of designs.
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While it’s great that the public want someone like Tahnee what scares me is how many times I’ve heard her being referred to as ‘plus size’.
When a slim, healthy size ten girl is called plus size (or fat by her fellow contestants) doesn’t that just send body perception another 20 steps backwards? I can imagine thousands of young girls who might be a bit bigger than Tahnee watching and thinking “well if she’s plus size what does that make me?”
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So a man’s ideal size for a woman is 14.
Women’s ideal size for themselves is 10.
The public who voted for Tahnee obviously see a size 10 as ideal.
SO WHERE AND WHO ARE THE SIZE 0 LOVERS?
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