Plus Size, Curvy, Mid-Size Boudoir Sessions
Plus Size Women, Mid-Size Women, Curvy Women…EVERY woman should have a boudoir Session regardless.
It wasn’t too long ago that we published a blog titled, “There’s No Such Thing As Plus Size Boudoir,” which we still firmly believe because The Adore Girls do not photograph women any differently based on their size. In fact, we aren’t even fans of using terms like “plus size,” “mid size,” “curvy,” etc. However, as it turns out, “plus size” and “curvy” are some of the top searched terms used by women who are researching boudoir photography online. So, unless we include these specific keywords on our website, The Adore Girls’ Nashville boudoir studio is not likely to show up in search results for people looking for “plus size boudoir photography” or “curvy boudoir photography near me.” We sincerely hope that anyone reading this blog is not offended by our use of these terms, and we assure you it is purely for the sake of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
We truly believe that EVERY woman deserves to be pampered, treated like a supermodel for a day, and experience the tremendous confidence boost that comes from having a boudoir session! This especially applies to the numerous women who have searched specifically for “plus size boudoir photos” or “flattering boudoir poses for curvy women,” because they have likely been made to feel ashamed of their voluptuous bodies, or believe that their curves somehow make them less attractive, sexy, or desirable. To that, The Adore Girls are here to say, “F#CK that noise!” In fact, we are eager to explain three VERY good reasons why every curvaceous woman should have a boudoir photo shoot!
1. Because curvy women deserve to see themselves as the beautiful women that they are! We see you!
A past Adore Girl, Miss R. (from Lebanon, TN), once told us:
“I had always wanted to do a boudoir shoot but never felt I was skinny enough…I almost didn't recognize myself in the pictures, and at the same time I was like, ‘There she is.’ The world conditions us to fit in this certain box, and I have worked so hard on breaking those walls down and truly showing the world who I am. So, it was time to celebrate ‘her,’ if that makes sense.”
Being able to TRULY see yourself through someone else’s eyes not only benefits you, but it is also such a gift to your loved ones, as well. For example, past Adore Girl and Nashville native, Miss S., told us:
“My husband knew how much I loved your work, but I didn't think of myself as worthy due to my weight gain... He would tell me how beautiful I was and I'd look at him as if he lost his mind. So, he bought my session as a gift so I could see myself as everyone else, especially him, sees me - as beautiful inside & out.”
Now that Miss S. and her husband have experienced the positive effects of a boudoir session, she has this advice for other women who may be on the fence about booking a plus size boudoir photo shoot:
“Do not let your size, perceived imperfections, or negative self-talk tie you down. If you can't stop thinking about having a session, if you check the site every day for gorgeous sneak peaks, then your inner powerful, awesome, sexy self is screaming at you to let her out. Just DO it. It is 100% a no-judgment zone. I honestly didn't think I'd be able to pick 10 photos I liked, but I bought them ALL! These women know what they are doing. You will be so happy you did this. It is truly a freeing and empowering moment in time.”
2. Because according to dumb beauty standards the majority of American women are “plus size”.
Did you know that only 2 percent of women shown in the media are plus size, leaving the MAJORITY of women in this country (with a size 16 average) feeling like their curvy bodies somehow make them less attractive or less worthy of attention than women with smaller bodies? And although the fashion industry and media HAVE made some positive strides towards being more size-inclusive, this can sometimes be a skewed representation, as the majority of plus size models have perfectly proportional hourglass figures. In fact, the models that are often used for plus size campaigns aren't actually plus size at all, but rather mid-size (typically categorized as being size 8 to 14).
According to a recent article by Eliza Huber for Refinery29.com, the good news is that more brands, like Torrid, Girlfriend Collective, Wray NYC, and Universal Standard, have begun hiring models that better represent the entire plus size range. “Every time I see [Girlfriend Collective] campaigns, a part of me just wants to cry because they use a plus-size model that's a size 24 or 26 and you can just see her belly and her back rolls and I think: that is what I look like,” says plus size fashion influencer Stephanie Yeboah. “Now, I can see what an outfit will look like on me, and therefore I want to purchase it.”
The same can be said about the boudoir photography industry, as well. For many years, especially in the early days of boudoir photography, you were much more likely to see women with slender bodies featured on a boudoir photographer’s website than curvy women, making it difficult for plus size women to envision how THEY might look in such sexy boudoir poses. Even today, boudoir photos of plus size women are often placed in a special “Plus Size Boudoir” gallery on many photographers’ websites, which only perpetuates the idea that women with curves need to be photographed differently somehow. (Completely untrue, by the way.) This lack of plus size representation in boudoir photography has understandably made far too many women question whether or not they were worthy, or even capable, of having a boudoir photoshoot.
For this reason, ever since The Adore Girls first opened our studio doors in 2012, we have felt a great responsibility to showcase women of ALL shapes and sizes in our boudoir photo galleries. One of our more recent Adore Girls, Miss K. (from Indiana), told us:
“My friend [who is also plus size] told me about The Adore Girls in Nashville. She had been following you guys on social media for a while and at her recommendation, so did I. Every shot that I saw posted of every body size/type looked amazing. It truly looked like a body-friendly place and that was very important to me…Between you guys actually showing real bodies in amazing ways and her shining comments, I knew this would be the place for me, even though I was not a local.”
As a plus size or mid size woman, having a boudoir session and sharing your experience with others (even if you choose to keep your images completely private) not only empowers yourself, but you are also empowering other curvy women to believe in their own worth, as well! This amazing testimonial from Miss R. (Murfreesboro, TN) perfectly illustrates our point:
“It was life altering. I don’t look at myself with disgust anymore. I now see a strong, loving, caring, kind, sexy woman! I am a better role model for my daughter. I’ve learned to walk with confidence instead of embarrassment! I make a point of telling women they’re beautiful or I love their hair or smile. I want to focus on the joy of being a woman and not focus on my weight! Thank you so much!”
3. Because no matter what the future holds, you should have boudoir photos of yourself to appreciate where you are right now, today.
Most women have at least one REALLY flattering photo that was taken when they felt good about themselves, which they hang onto as a reminder of their own potential. Transversely, some women also hang onto photos that were taken back when they didn’t feel good about themselves at all, just as a reminder of how far they’ve come. Trust us when we say that there’s no better way to appreciate where you are, how far you’ve come, or where you’d like to be again than a beautiful set of boudoir photos!
In fact, it is for this reason that women often choose to book a photo shoot to document their bodies before and/or after embarking upon a weight loss journey. Such was the case for our two-time Adore Girl, Miss K. (now living in South Dakota), who had boudoir sessions with us both before and after undergoing gastric bypass surgery:
“I had my first Adore Girls shoot in 2017, I think. I wanted to do something empowering for myself that was completely outside of my comfort zone…Fast forward to 2021. When we booked our first trip back to Nashville, I booked my session right after I booked my plane tickets. I was excited to have another session in my new body and check out the new studio. I had gastric bypass surgery in 2020 and lost over 150 lbs. So I have photos of myself in all stages of my life, now!!”
We also have just as many plus size and mid size women book a boudoir session because they are on a mission to love themselves and their bodies exactly as they are today, just like Miss R. (from Nashville), who told us:
“I have been really working on self love and personal development for myself for the last 5 years, and I absolutely love the badass woman I am and still becoming, and with that comes a whole new love for my body! [I booked the session], honestly, to empower myself and to prove to myself I could do it and see myself in a whole new light. And that I did! I truly felt sexy and empowered after my photo shoot! I felt like I had a normal body for once and wasn't ashamed of my curves or thickness! I love my curves now!”
A boudoir photo shoot has also been known to help women begin to reprogram their minds and heal from all the negative messages they’ve been fed about curvy bodies from years of poor representation in the media, toxic relationships, and even negative self-talk. Past Adore Girl, Miss B. (also a Nashville native), says:
”This boudoir experience made me appreciate my body for everything it has taken me through over the last 33 years. I’ve always been conditioned to hate my body and this year I’ve been trying to focus on loving myself to make up for all the lost time. I left the studio feeling so good about myself and it definitely has made me feel more confident day to day since my session.”
In conclusion, if you are a woman who considers herself to be “plus size” or “mid size” or “curvy” and you’ve been hesitant about booking a boudoir photo session, we hope we’ve been able to convince you that curvy bodies absolutely deserve to be photographed (and SHOULD be photographed) just as much as petite bodies! So, whether you’re wanting to make a gift for someone special, document this phase of your life, see yourself in a positive light, empower yourself and inspire other women like you, or you simply want to treat yourself to a sexy, fun photo shoot, The Adore Girls would be honored to have you in our extremely body-positive Nashville boudoir photography studio!
ALL bodies are Adore Girl bodies!
Contact our office Monday - Friday, 9:00-5:00, via call to 615-336-4256
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