You guys know Crystal Renn? We’ve talked about her a bit here before. If not, Crystal, meet the readers; readers, meet Crystal. Crystal is a former plus-sized model who’s run the gamut of sizes ranging from 00 to 16. Most recently, she’s settled at a size “six or eight,” where she feels most comfortable. And I agree – there’s nothing more amicable than splitting the difference, right?
Well a lot of people are up in arms because Crystal Renn isn’t-but-is still considered plus-size. She most recently posed for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, and talked about her weight fluctuations and how there “are very few” sixes and/or eights floating around the fashion world:
“I have been a double-zero to a 16 even, for a bit. Now to settle at a [size] six or an eight, it’s a really interesting place to be, because there are very few sixes or eights.”
“There’s a woman at SI who’s made it a point to make sure that the models are healthy. They’re not interested in who’s the thinnest model of them all, they’re about the girl. We all have different bodies. There’s not one type that’s idealized.”
Renn also noted that she’s got a great outlook on body image. “I felt comfortable with my body. I’ve been doing yoga for a while now. That makes you aware of how your body moves. I have found a place of stability when it comes to how to view my figure.”
Before we go into it, though, let’s look at Crystal as a size 00, shall we?:
And then here’s a photo of her at size 16:
See, the thing about Crystal Renn is, though, that she’s 5’9″. And that’s good for someone of her dimensions, if she is a six or an eight. The SI spread looks pretty Photoshopped, so it’s really hard to tell whether or not she is what they’re portraying her to be, but I’d consider her to be very (beautifully) average. Kind of amazing, if you will. There’s no sign of protruding sternum bones and there’s no sign of sag – not that there’s anything wrong with a little sag; it’s just that for someone who was once a 00 and entered into the 16 range, only to drop half of her size, it’s a little surprising that she looks as … tight as she does. She looks great.
There’s a lot of people out there, though, who are flaming Crystal because she turned tail and lost weight from her once-size 16 and they’re saying that she sold out to the fashion industry and isn’t representative of a “real” woman because of it.
What we have here is obviously a woman who’s struggled with her weight for a very long time, and I think to tell her that she’s anything but beautiful – you’re too fat! you’re too thin! – is just encouraging dangerous behavior one way or the other. Can we please just let Crystal Renn be? You know, just the way that she is?
The photo that says shes a 00 is incorrect. That photo was taken not too long ago, she was only a 00 when she was a teenager starting out her modeling career:
http://maxcdn.fooyoh.com/files/attach/images/591/084/142/004/crystal2.jpg
Oh dear. She’s got no bum! Thanks for the photo.
It’s so annoying that size 8 isn’t considered ‘real’, for some people it is! As a size 6 I’m too big to be fashion skinny, but too small to be ‘real’… it’s nice to see someone who’s my size, its not selling out – she obviously just wants to feel comfortable in her body
lease, I completely agree. In what world is size 16 considered “real”? As much as super-skinny certainly shouldn’t be the benchmark for women, to fall so far on the other side of the spectrum isn’t really very healthy either.
Yes, but a size 16 at 5’9” is not the same as a size 16 at 5’0”.
I’m a size 14 or so and if I’m being honest, I don’t have a great body image, but at 5’11”, there’s no way I’m substantially overweight.
Besides, if you mean ”real” as in average, then a size 16 is probably not far off the mark nowadays, regardless of how you feel about the ever-increasing pant-size of western culture.
Looks like me! I bet that’s what a lot of people are thinking. She’s lovely.
I’ve never met you so I couldn’t say. ;-)
The main thing I see here is proof that some people are just born to be models. Girl WERKS the camera and looks amazing at every weight. I, on the other hand, will always photograph like a doofus no matter how much or little I weigh. :P
She is a beautiful woman who looks amazing at any size. However, I think the size 6 or 8 she is now is just perfect on her.
She looks great but I wouldn’t say she was plus sized! As a size 16, yes for sure and THAT is NOT a nice photo. It is disgusting. As a size 0, she looks like death warmed over, a bag of bones.