3 Plus-size influencers to follow for style & self-love inspiration
Baraka McCann also known as shesimplychic, is a plus-size influencer and fashion blogger based in Houston-Texas. With 8,000 followers on Instagram, Baraka is inspiring women to always be self-confident in their day to day outfits. As a Social Native Super Creator, Baraka has worked on over 10 campaigns with notable brands such as Savage x Fenty, Zales, Karen Kane and TOMS. With her social posts, blog, and sponsored collaborations, Baraka shares her “simple and elegant” styling prowess to encourage women everywhere to feel beautiful inside and out.
Q: Have you found social media to be a welcoming place for plus-size influencers, or has it been a challenge?
I think it has been both. More welcoming than a challenge, plus-size creators are seeing more people that look like them, and more comfortable, and have more confidence. We will always have negative comments. But being plus size is hard when you feel like nobody can create or look like you.
Q: Has there been a moment in your career as a creator when you felt you made an impact?
Yes! I was the first black creative for the Black creative project for ELOQUII!
Q: What advice would you give creators who are just getting started?
Don’t be hard on yourself to thinking you have to be perfect! Being yourself is what people want to see! Your tips, your opinions. Also quality over quantity!
“Being yourself is what people want to see!”
@shesimplychic
Q: What was your favorite campaign that you have worked on with Social Native and why?
My favorite campaign was Savage X Fenty. I felt like that was my very first real big campaign!
Q: What are some of the trends or buzzwords you are seeing lately in plus-size inclusive fashion campaigns?
I’m seeing more brands featuring models who are not only curvy but also of different ethnicities. It feels like we’re starting to see more models and influencers who are curvy, plus-size, and working in the fashion industry.
Q: Would you say plus-size influencers are underrepresented in e-commerce and social media campaigns? If so, what can brands do to remedy this? What can creators do?
Most definitely, I can say proudly, pay plus-size the same amount of pay as a normal size creator. Especially black plus-size creators!
Kat Stroud is a “petite plus” model and micro-influencer with 21,700 followers on Instagram. Her eclectic, outgoing personality shines in her lifestyle content as a “self love enthusiast.” As a lingerie blogger and plus-size influencer, Kat has worked with major fashion brands such as Savage x Fenty, Parade and Adore Me in campaigns that promote body positivity and positive self-image. By encouraging body acceptance, Kat hopes to convey the message that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.
Q: What led you to become a creator?
I was actually interested in becoming a model and sadly there isn’t a large calling for alternative plus petite models, but the funny thing is I was finding so many people with a body shape like mine looking for representation and that’s where my creator journey really began.
Q: Have you found social media to be a welcoming place for plus-size influencers, or has it been a challenge?
I’m going to be honest, it’s a challenge being a plus size creator. There is an inherent need for trolls to harass plus size content creators, from vitriol comments to reporting every post, to joining hate groups that bombard your content as soon as it’s live with nothing but negative comments. It’s rough dealing with that much hate just for existing and posting an outfit we wore that day. Then we have the social media platforms themselves that allow this harassment with no real punishment, while punishing the content creator by removing their content, shadowbanning the account, or shutting down the content creators account completely. And don’t even get me started on the double standard these platforms allow – a woman who is a size 2 wearing a bikini is no different than a woman who is a size 28 wearing a bikini, and yet the size 28 nine times out of ten will have her content removed.
I will say though that the plus size community is the only reason I still have a presence on social media. When I receive messages from other plus size people letting me know I somehow helped in their self love journey by being so open and loving towards myself while sharing my vulnerabilities truly makes the hate worth it. I have had so many walks of life thanking me for my openness on my own journey that I would gladly field that hate to continue showing others that the world is better with them in it and their size has nothing to do with it.
“[People] want to be able to relate to what they are seeing.”
@katstroudofficial
Q: What makes a paid partnership “successful” in your eyes?
Great feedback from the brand, content that resonates with your followers and staying true to your brands values.
Q: Plus-size is often seen within the fashion campaign demo, but why do you think it’s important to see plus-size influencers working in other demos as well?
I believe it’s important to show plus creators in areas like travel, beauty, and gaming because just like everyone else, plus size people are also doing these things. Travel is not just for straight size people, foodies can be any size, and the same goes for beauty and gaming, etc. By not showing plus creators in these areas brands are perpetuating a fatphobic rhetoric that plus size people don’t travel, shouldn’t be foodies, etc. People want representation, more and more they are demanding inclusive marketing because they want to be able to relate to what they are seeing. And that’s not asking for much, more like the bare minimum.
Janetha Danielle is an Atlanta-based content creator and plus-size influencer who specializes in women’s fashion, travel, and lifestyle. She has been featured on many campaigns with brands such as Clinique, David’s Bridal and Calypsa. Her bright and confident personality shines through each post as she encourages others to “live joyfully & authentically.” Through her blog posts, Janetha shares self care tips, work outfit inspiration and much more “straight from her heart.”
Q: What led you to become a creator?
I became a creator because I did not see myself represented in the influencer industry. I wanted to be more than a creator who only talked about fashion or the latest news, I have always aimed to be a creator with substance.
Q: Has there been a moment in your career as a creator when you felt you made an impact?
Yes, when I hosted a Galentine’s brunch in 2022 and 7 women showed up. They were all members of my online community and some of them drove nearly an hour just to attend. It was a small intimate setting and we were able to talk and get to know each other. Those genuine connections online led to them supporting me offline and that is something I am so grateful for.
Q: What advice would you give creators who are just getting started?
For creators who are just getting started I would say do not worry about the numbers. Focus on building a strong community and the people will come. It makes no sense to have hundreds of thousands of followers if you haven’t made a genuine connection with any of them. You want to build a community, not just a large online following.
“No one should have to guess what something will look like when they wear it because brands are not being inclusive of their audience.”
@janethadanielle
Q: What was your favorite campaign that you have worked on with Social Native and why?
David’s Bridal was my favorite campaign because I had a great in store experience and it was fun to create content for such a large and well known brand.
Q: What attracted you to join the Social Native platform in the first place?
It was easy to join and I loved the variety of campaigns.
Q: Would you say plus size influencers are underrepresented in e-commerce and social media campaigns? If so, what can brands do to remedy this? What can creators do?
Yes, I have seen many campaigns where all of the creators are slim women. There are hardly plus size women represented on press trips, national campaigns, and especially in e-commerce. Very few plus size brands actually show women larger than a size 16 modeling their clothing. If a brand has products that go up to a size 26, there should be a size 26 model. No one should have to guess what something will look like when they wear it because brands are not being inclusive of their audience. Brands should seek out plus size women for more campaigns and pay them fairly.
