Mac duggal 
Getting to be part of the Mac Duggal #thisiswhyimfabulous model search was amazing. My entire life I’ve always wanted to go to NYC, I’ve never really had a reason or an opportunity to go. Until I was a semi-finalist in the Mac Duggal Model search. It isn’t just a model search, it’s the beginning of revolution for plus size girls and women everywhere. Mac Duggal really pulls at the strings attached to my heart with this one. After I read every single word on their website regarding the model search. I kept reading “real plus size”, can I get a big A** hand clap for Mac Duggal?!? Plus size teens and women deserve to wear the same amazing stunning dresses as someone with a much smaller build. We are all people, when prom was created, it was created for ALL. Only designers barely had a plus size market for ball gowns, girls everywhere spend an outrageous amount of time searching for the perfect gown. As a plus woman and then teen, for my prom i got to choose from three gowns. That’s right, the store had 3 plus size gowns, a couple more, but they surely wouldn’t have been contenders. Luckily one of the dresses was beautiful and fit perfectly, I had luck with me that day. Mac Duggal is getting on the plus size train, all designers need to. Plus size is an up and coming market. We are finally getting recognition and the clothing we deserve! 

Friends, friends for life! 
Going to this casting in NYC opened my eyes in so many ways. Mac Duggal had literally accepted all body types in the search. It was AMAZING, refreshing, to see so many other women and young girls (teens) there, looking to represent the plus size market. The line to wait for headshots was insane, as the day went on the line for the casting for even more insane. It’s amazing, I had the opportunity to meet so many beautiful faces, hear about their journeys. Make new friends, meet girls that I had already met via IG. Literally it felt like I had known some of these babes my entire life, like we were friends who hadn’t caught up in ten years. We just picked up where we might have left off, even though it was our first time meeting. 

What did I wear to the casting?! 
Well this was my first ever casting, naturally I had no idea what to wear! Literally I had picked out 3 outfits, at the least. I talked to a couple of other babes who were also going. Twice I was told that models generally wear jeans and a nice top. Showing your figure was most definitely a necessity. Well, all of the outfits I had picked out were dresses. I LOVE DRESSES, dresses are LIFE! Everyone I had talked to was not going to be wearing a dress. I went to bed that night, I got no sleep, thinking I was going to be the only girl there in a dress (wrong SOO many girls wore dresses!). I went shopping, of course I went shopping, shopping is ME! Hahaha I stumbled into Lane Bryant, no idea what I was even looking for. I’m not like everyone, I never have been, I knew jeans were not going to be me. Yes I wear jeans, they do not depict who I am. I knew my outfit also needed to say something about me. A sales associated showed me an amazing jumpsuit! I had literally NEVER WORN ONE! I had it on for 30 seconds and I was freaking IN LOVE! That was it, I wearing the green jumpsuit with a pale pink cardigan!

Why did I choose to wear the jumpsuit?! 
SIMPLE! 1) I freaking loved it. 2) I had never been to a casting before 3) I hadn’t ever worn a jumpsuit. To me this meant, I HAD to mix those two firsts together! I felt so honored to be part of this, that I needed an outfit that made me feel powerful. The jumpsuit did nothing short of that. Mixing two firsts together really is powerful! A big fat girl in a jumpsuit?! That never sounded appealing until I put one on and I was fucking beaming, once again, I proved myself wrong. 

The fashion Show! 
We waited in line with our super neat VIP passes for at least an hour taking selfies and dancing around. When we finally made it in, it was such a hot comity that it was packed! We didn’t know where to go, to we went to the balcony and watched the show from where we could. It was amazing! So many gorgeous gowns, I can’t even imagine someday walking in one. They were incredible! 

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This really was a trip of firsts for me! First time on a train, first time in NYC, first casting, and my first ever jumpsuit! All of them were FABULOUS! This is why we run away from the things we fear, often times it’s exactly what we need. 

Here’s some trip extras for you to enjoy! 

xoxo ~ Leah ~