Beyonce once sung, "I don't think you're ready for this jelly..." but the pageant world is finally ready for the "Bootylicious" girls that Destiny's Child championed. It's no secret that society's version of a beauty queen is a slim, trim, long haired beauty with impeccable speech and posture. She is virtuous and kind, the traditions set back in the 1960's where beauty queens were to be unmarried and without children. Fast forward to 2016 and now any woman can compete for that crown, whether they are skinny, curvy, married, have children, tattoos, pint sized and even, shock horror, divorced! There are so many pageants that have become more accepting, rather than asking for a certain size and height. It's a new era of pageant queens, the ones who truly love their bodies and don't let a number change what they can and can not do! Here are just a few curvy pageant girls who rocked the runway this year....
Sarah Pritchard- Mrs Galaxy 2016
(Photo by Brain Hayes)
One of the biggest pageants in the UK today, which sees thousands of girls from all of the UK travel up north for a four day weekend consisting of sparkles, crowns and as many high low swishing as you can shake your fist at! The winner's then go onto America to compete internationally which us Brit's always do well. Welcome Mrs Pritchard onto the stage, who at a size 14/16 blew the competition out of the waters to be crowned Mrs Galaxy and dare I say the first size 14 UK winner for Galaxy?! I asked for a few words from our inspirational new winner!
"The reason I wanted to do a pageant was because for the last 4 years I have watched my daughter compete and always thought , if I was younger I would of been brilliant at that. I watched the Mrs Galaxy and always thought how glamorous and slim the contestants are and if I was slimmer I would compete, so I entered with the thought of me losing half my body weight in 6 months. In the meantime I noticed my teenage daughter losing weight and commenting how "FAT" she was, she is a size 6 . I realised that me constantly going on about my weight and trying to diet wasn't giving my girls the right message .So I have tried to be happier with my own curvy body . I will be honest being a curvier contestant filled me with dread. I was very worried about what I would look like on stage , especially in the swimwear round ,Madly enough I found my swimwear round was probably the best round I did. I went into the competition never thinking I would win . I wanted just for my Husband whom I love incredibly to think wow that's my wife ,and my kids to be proud."
When they called my name , I honestly didn't believe it , I thought it was a Miss Universe moment and there had been a mistake ! I was that shocked I burst out my dress by taking the biggest gasp !!
They day after I had a few negative comments, about how the fat girl had won the pageant which made me think am I really that different and unworthy of the crown? But that soon disappeared with all the messages off woman I didn't even know, telling me how happy they was that I had won ,that I was an inspiration and for what ever reason Galaxy Pageants had broken into the world of curvy which was fantastic! I must admit I am thinking internationals in Aug , should I lose weight? Should I grow my hair? Should I start bathing in milk every day? Then I look at my husband who returns my glance, I look at the way he looks at me, like I am the most sexiest, beautiful woman in the world and I think of all the other beautiful mummies I know that aren't size 8, that pop their Spanx on on a night out, and live life to full ... I think I am one of you. I will wear my crown with pride!"
Abi Hill- Plus Size model and past Miss England Grand Finalist
I first met Abi back in 2011 for our first time competing at the Miss Galaxy England finals, back when I had only been in pageantry a few months! Abi stood out a mile, not for her size, but for her amazing walk and model ability. You could see she was a natural, which led her winning the Simply be model search, and gracing magazine, editorial and catwalks around the UK. I asked Abi how she felt being a "curvy" pageant girl, and some of the struggles we face!
"I have been competing 6 years now and when I first started out, I was one of only a handful of 'plus' contestants. Now, there's so many more girls getting the confidence to enter and it makes me really proud to be part of that change! I don't feel like people see me any differently, as I try to make sure my actions - like charity work and appearances - speak for me, not my dress size. Sourcing dresses has got a lot easier in recent years, as more companies see the need for particular sizes and styles that flatter, but I am used to struggling because i'm also just shy of 6ft tall so everything is short! I tend to stick to known brands such as Jovani, but I am looking at getting a custom gown next year - it is my last eligible year in the Miss England system so I want to give 100%. I wouldn't swap my pageant experiences for the world - it truly has changed my life! I've seen places and done things I never could have imagined, as well as making friends for life"
Rebecca Argent- Miss British Beauty Curve 2015
Rebecca won Miss British Beauty Curve last year, a pageant which celebrates curves, embraces them and puts a whole show dedicated to them!
"It’s 100 per cent the best thing I’ve ever done, I’ve had loads of opportunities to do modelling work, done photo shoots and I’ve started a blog. It’s a great platform to get the word out that you don’t have to be a size six to love your body. There’s nothing more beautiful than a confident woman.There’s some stigma that plus-size modelling is all about obese people, fat girls, but it’s not, It’s about people’s body types, it’s the way they were born – with some women having bigger hips and so on. I've been competing for 3 years in "regular" pageants and went for curve last year! Best decision ever!"
Jade Dando- FOTG Regional finalist 2016 and multiple Publicity award winner!
I've competed with and attended several appearances with this pint sized beauty queen, and she is just as sassy on stage as she is in real life. Jade is only 19 but has already competed in several UK finals, which can be daunting for her age and for her size in a age where body image is drilled into you from a young age more so now than before. I asked Jade about her experiences in the pageant world being that little bit curvier than her fellow contestants.
"Pageants have helped me improve my confidence and embrace my curves, they have taught me that I don't have to be a certain size to wear a tiara and a pretty dress. Society has become more accepting but then some people still have negative views, but it's so reassuring knowing that I've had so much success being curvy!"
Of course I can't finish this without a couple of other curvy girls making waves in the pageant industry, one lovely girl being Megan Goldberger who raises the bar when it comes to fundraising, winning the Miss Charity award at both Miss Teen Galaxy Wales and also Face of the Globe Wales, taking a Top Five place. She oozes confidence and is the most genuine pageant girl around, ask any girl on the pageant scene! As well as Megan, we also have Vanessa Morgan, who took the Miss Curves Inspiration title at the South West heats last year, as well as Rio Woolford, one of the first Miss British Curve winners who still continues to fundraise and inspire long after she hung up her crown.
Last but not least I will include myself into the mix. Competing for 6 years, I've competed at a size 8 and now at a size 14. Being a personal trainer, I get alot of negative comments about my size, yet I know I have the VO2 Max of an athlete and can stack the leg press comfortably for 15 reps. The reason I became a personal trainer was to install confidence in my clients, that they were fit and health, comfortable in their own skin. We are not all built to be a size 6, some of us are naturally that way and there is nothing wrong with that, the same goes for a size 16 girl who may be a little curvy and store a little bit more than usual around the midriff area, but works out every day and wakes up with a smile! I have been lucky to represent England twice internationally for Face of the Globe, as well as be an ambassador for Style Xl, and most importantly be a rolemodel for younger generations.
So love the skin you are in girls, rock that runway regardless of what jiggles, if you want to eat that delicious cheesecake even though pageant season is round the corner, do it! Don't ever feel guilty for being who you are, remember a smile is the prettiest thing you can wear!
Written by Hannah Golding
Ms Sparkling Beauty 2015
Facebook: Hannahgoldingbeautyqueen
Instagram: @hannahbarbieg
Twitter: @englandperfectm
