Tess Holliday

A plus-size model, Tess Holliday is a self-described "body positive activist.” She was bullied in school for her weight and pale skin, having a disabled mother and because they lived in a trailer behind her grandparents' house. To get away from the bullies, she left school at the age of 17 and earned her GED instead. Today, Holliday talks at public events about body confidence. She proudly advocates that people should be able to eat as much and whatever they want without suffering from social ostracism. In 2013, she started the #effyourbeautystandards movement. It demonstrates that people do not have to be a certain size to love their body and that their size should not dictate their fashion choices. Since February 2015, Holliday has employed a team of six social media specialists to help manage her message across the world. The movement has led to women letting her know that they now feel good about how they look and wear what they like, according to Holliday. 

Photos courtesy Instagram

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