Shopping for swimsuits can be overwhelming, time consuming, and mentally taxing, especially in the age of overabundance. Just the thought of so many styles, shapes, trends, price points, in-store and online destinations—it can make your heads explode, without even stepping foot in the dressing room (or opening all of those online orders). But imagine if wearing a bathing suit was literally your job. Would that make the process any easier? If it’s any consolation… Apparently, no.
We asked some of the most experienced, on-the-front-lines—or, more accurately, on gorgeous white sand beaches—professionals this question: a bunch of Sports Illustrated swimsuit models (mic drop). And, spoiler, shopping for a bikini can be an endeavor for them, too.
“Honestly, I think swimwear is one of the hardest things to do,” Kate Upton tells Glamour during the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit on Location event in Miami, celebrating its 2019 issue. “I always say, emotionally, jeans and swimwear are the hardest things to try on.”
“Just go in with an open mind,” says Danielle Herrington, last year’s Swimsuit Issue cover star. “Be nice to yourself!” Body-positivity activist, swim designer, and model Tara Lynn agrees: “It’s best to just go for what you’re most comfy in and try as many things on as possible. You might surprise yourself with what you feel most gorgeous in.”
Sports Illustrated’s 2019 class of swimsuit models are diverse in age, shape, size, and background. Halima Aden made history as the first model to appear in modest swimwear in the issue; Tyra Banks came out of retirement to appear on its cover. And, having spent a cumulative hundreds of hours (if not more) in bikinis, one-pieces, and burkinis, they know a thing or two about swim. So, we asked them to share their expert advice about trying on and finding the perfect fit and style to look our personal best and, most importantly, feel most confident.
The next time you’re out shopping for bathing suits and feel frozen by indecision or overwhelmed by too many options, just ask yourself: What would Upton or Banks or Lynn or Lais Ribiero or Kelsea Merritt or Winnie Harlow do? Read on to find out.
Straps can make or break your suit.
Banks made history in 1997 as the first African-American solo cover model. And over the years, she’s developed a preference for a swim top with strong shoulder straps. “I’m busty, so when there’s a string at the back of my neck, it’s digging and, sometimes, it can create chafing,” she says (A thicker strap neck-tie works, too.) Upton, three-time Swimsuit Issue cover model, suggests a tie-less halter top: “So I can actually enjoy my beach day. I can go swimming; I can snorkel; I can be with my daughter.”
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Lynn recommends paying attention to what your one- or two-piece is made of and how it sits on the body. “Anything with a really rigid edge is going to cut into any soft spots and cause some discomfort,” she says.
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“I honestly think I look better in a one-piece than a two-piece,” says Banks. “There’s something about a one-piece… I feel stronger.” Plus, having one in the arsenal brings versatility for say, going from beach to cocktails. But not all one-piece trends—low-back, strapless, super-strappy—will work on all bodies. “Cute one pieces with open backs for big boobed ladies… That doesn’t roll with us,” warns Upton. But there are options. For instance, Banks advises finding a one-piece with a covered or high back detail to balance out support in the front. Straps on each shoulder, instead of a tie around the neck, also help when you have a big bust. If you want to highlight the waist, Merritt recommends suits with a belt or a wrap tie at the waist to create dimension.
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Shoshanna Black Tide Jacquard One-Piece Swimsuit With High-Neck
Everyone can benefit from an underwire, regardless of bust size.
No matter your bra size, an underwire-lined top can offer some additional support, maybe even a little boost. Herrington likes light padding, too, “just because my boobs get all over the place.” Visible underwires are also a huge trend in swim right now. Kelsey Merritt, the first Filipino model to walk the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show runway and appear in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, suggests “trying a corset-style, especially with tiny little straps.”
Banks makes it a point to “find a bottom that’s slightly too big in size, because I have hips and I’m not super muscular, so when suits are too tight, they dig into my flesh and cut off my blood circulation,” she says. She suggests finding a bikini bottom with ties on the side, which you can adjust to rest right on top of—and not cut into—your hips.
Be it for cultural reasons or because sun damage is real, modest swimwear—or some variation on it—could make sense for you. Aden says to “really treat it like a bikini,” picking colors, prints, and other style elements that fit your tastes and also needs. She recommends looking for a stretchier, flexible material that won’t contract too much in the water. Oh, and don’t be afraid of the accessories: Layer up with colorful scarves, overalls or cover-ups, throw on some jewelry, play with hats, plus go high drama with the sunglasses. “They will transform it from a bodysuit to ‘oh, she did not come to play,” Aden says.
That ‘80s-style, hipbone-revealing silhouette has made a comeback in recent years. The look makes Banks think, “Elle Macpherson,” she says. “That for me is everything, and it makes the legs longer.” Even Merritt, who’s petite, recommends trying one that’s “not super high but has a low back” for that elongating effect.
Victoria’s Secret Angel Ribeiro cites neon as the swimwear trend she’s most excited to try this summer. “It makes your tan pop, so it seems like you’ve been in the sun a long time already.” Upton, like everyone else we talked to, can’t wait to cop the trend, either: “It’s so fun, especially with a spray tan.” Merritt wants green and pink—maybe with leopard print thrown in for some extra fire.
These models are exposed to any and all trends that have touched swimwear over the years. And they’re not afraid to embrace some of the fun, playful elements that are now all over your bikinis and one-pieces. And you shouldn’t be, either. Winnie Harlow’s recommendation? “Ruching always makes the butt look cute,” she says.
If you’re buying your swimsuit IRL, bring along “one of your best girlfriends, who can hype you up and get you trying things on that are outside the box,” says Lynn. Make sure she’s someone you trust to give honest, but always encouraging, feedback, like “‘this looks good’ or ‘no, don’t buy that,’” says Herrington.
“Online shopping is underrated,” says Lynn. Over the years, online-only swim brands have offered more options to shoppers who felt they weren’t being catered to—either because of their budget, their size, and so forth. It can be harder to gauge what will fit you and what won’t, though. Lynn suggests “finding a retailer who uses models with your body type [online], so you can really visualize yourself in the suit.” Upton normally “gets a million different sizes [to try on],” she says. She’ll “start with the biggest size and go down” and recommends always reading the fine print and return policy.
Yes, there are specific windows that are ideal for shooting your swim #OOTD. According to Banks: “before 10 a.m. and after 2 p.m, when the sun is lower in the sky.” Now smize.
Just before the start of New York Fashion Week, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) published an open letter to designers: “As you cast your New York Fashion Week shows, please remember to promote diversity and inclusion, on and off the runway,” Steven Kolb, the organization’s president and CEO, wrote. “American fashion can lead the path.”
That message made it into the casting rooms: At New York Fashion Week, the fall 2019 shows featured 94 appearances by curve and non-sample-size models. It’s the most size diversity we’ve seen since the spring 2018 season, when Glamour‘s count reached 208, largely thanks to a handful of plus-size companies appearing on the schedule. For spring 2019, the tally was 72.
The fall 2019 shows kicked off with a special moment, courtesy of 11 Honoré: The luxury retailer for sizes 10 through 20+ staged its first-ever runway, which featured curvy models exclusively. Meanwhile, designers like Christian Siriano, Cushnie, Prabal Gurung, and Chromat continued their multiseason history of casting models of all different sizes. Area and Veronica Beard had curve models for the first time as part of their lineup.
No matter how many curve models appear at Fashion Week or where they’re walking, we’ll always celebrate body diversity on the runway. Ahead, catch up on all 94 appearances by curve models at the fall 2019 New York Fashion Week shows.
The defining characteristic of Aerie’s campaigns is their commitment to portraying a group of diverse women as they are: with no retouching, allowing them to present the most authentic version of themselves in their intimates (which is one of the most personal items of clothing, after all). Its spokespeople aren’t called “stars” but rather Role Models. They include the likes of Iskra Lawrence, Aly Raisman, Yara Shahidi—and now Busy Philipps.
If you’ve followed her on Instagram (which, uh, you really should), read her memoir, tuned into her late-night show, or kept up with her two-decade career in Hollywood, you know Philipps has always kept it real. That makes her an obvious fit for the whole #AerieReal message. Philipps says the partnership “is actually such a huge deal for me,” and much bigger than just getting to appear in some ads—it’s about endorsing the brand’s underlying philosophy of representing women and celebrating their diversity. (Aerie stopped retouching its models in 2014, a decision that had an immediate effect not only on its parent company’s sales but also on the advertising industry at large.)
The actress remembers noticing the brand’s #AerieReal efforts a few years ago—she was walking down a street in New York and was impressed by a billboard featuring models of different shapes and sizes. “I remember seeing those [Aerie] ads and feeling like, That is so dope. That is so cool. Those women are beautiful and look incredible,” she tells Glamour. “I loved it. It made me so happy to see.”
Ali Mitton
“I’m the mom of two little girls—one daughter, Birdie, is 10 years old now—and I have already seen the influence that magazines and ads and seeing different types of humans and bodies [has] had on her,” Philipps says. “Aerie taking this position of no retouching and being one of the first companies to do so is so powerful and has had such an impact. And hopefully, it’s going to change a lot of industry standards for others.”
Philipps came up in the heyday of the “Nothing comes between me and my Calvins” campaigns of the nineties. And even to this day, she still feels insecure about parts of her body. “My stomach didn’t look like Kate Moss’s stomach when I was a preteen and a teenager,” she says. “It was the thing that has been the hardest for me to overcome, that programming.”
Even as supermodels like Emme started to come up later in the decade and the industry began slowly introducing plus-size bodies into its imagery, she still didn’t see the in-between space she occupied—the not sample-size, not plus-size—represented. “I’ve got hips and a butt and boobs, but where do I see what [something] looks like on me?” she says. That’s where Aerie has been a game changer for online shoppers like her, she adds, “[using] women of all different shapes and sizes, not just the two that we were accustomed to for so many years.”
Ali Mitton
On top of appearing in Aerie’s campaigns, Philipps now wears the title of Role Model for the brand. (Other new members of the class: Samira Wiley, Jameela Jamil, Brenna Huckaby, and Molly Burke.) If you know her work, you know the multihyphenate surrounds herself with a lot of incredibly strong women, from Tina Fey (who executive-produces Busy Tonight) to longtime agent Lorrie Bartlett (who became the first African American woman to join the board of a major Hollywood talent agency in January). One of the most important ones, though, has been her mom. “I mean, obviously, a lot of people say their mother, but my mom is an incredibly strong woman and one of my role models,” she says. “That’s why I dedicated my book to her and really why I feel my book was a love letter to my mother and how unwavering she always was in her support and love of me.”
As the name implies, New York Fashion Week is usually about the fashion, plus the beauty looks that complete the scene. But Thursday evening saw a new frontier: Models of diverse skin tones, shapes, and abilities walked in “skinvisibility cloaks” without any makeup, in a very interesting first for the runway. The show was held by Olay for the brand’s new “Face Anything” campaign, and where it’s usually easy to spot a brand stunt from a mile away, the individual triumphs of the models who walked actually made it feel groundbreaking.
The show’s roster included two-time Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, beauty influencer Jackie Aina, comedian Lilly Singh, curve model Denise Bidot, and fashion blogger and cancer survivor Mama Cax, among others. It’s impossible to look at those names and the rest of the cast, and not see the ties. All raised their voices, largely through self-made social media platforms, to take on restrictive, harmful norms and double-standards. The show paid those facts attention: before each woman walked, a clip played of her addressing the thing that she’s always been told she’s “too much” of.
Too strong, too defiant, too emotional, too ambitious—the collection sounds like the press before the last election. As Cax points out, none of the traits are a negative when a man is associated with them. In her words, the campaign sees women refusing to dim their lights, instead striking out the “too” and owning what they are.
But Bidot says that in her experience, the brand asked all the right questions. “The first time I met with them, they were asking me about where I feel we’re at as women, what we feel is empowering, and how they can help the community. Those are the dialogues and the narratives that we need to continue to push. Because alone, we can only get so far.”
Bidot, who started modeling 12 years ago, says that she’s walked runway shows since 2014, but it’s taken until now to see an actual shift in terms of inclusivity. “We always said [plus-size women] we could do beauty campaigns and skin care campaigns, but no one was willing to give us a shot,” she tells Glamour. “Now here we are, breaking the norms.”
Growing up, Bidot, 32, says she “didn’t really see girls that looked like me, not just ethnically, but also physically. And I always wondered why that was. I couldn’t imagine why we couldn’t be the leading ladies—why we couldn’t have all the same careers that everyone was allowed.” The work’s not over yet, she says, both in models and who’s invited to shows. While size-inclusion surged this time last year, the last two seasons left her wondering whether designers saw it as a fad rather than a movement.
“We need to make sure we support the brands that support us, and keep pushing the brands that aren’t quite there yet,” she says. “We’ll wait. You can’t make people move faster than they want to, and we’re not going anywhere. I think that’s what this solidifies.”
The beginning of fall might herald the return of pumpkin spice lattes and cozy sweaters, but it also signifies the countdown to the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. With T-minus two-ish months until the big event—it usually films at the end of November, though no official date has been announced—models have begun taking to Instagram to confirm their casting as models in the iconic show.
While we can’t yet say for sure yet if some of the star-powered angels from the past—like Gigi and Bella Hadid, Martha Hunt, and Karlie Kloss—will be strutting their stuff on this year’s runway, Victoria’s Secret has confirmed a number of models who will be making an appearance in the show. Forever favorites, like Devon Windsor and Herieth Paul, will be donning their wings this year, as well as a number of new faces. For many of them, this is a lifelong dream come true, which means there’s no shortage of adorable videos on Instagram of their reactions to the news.
Winnie Harlow
“I had a break down before i walked into the most nerve wrecking casting of my life. I asked my driver to go around the block twice before i could walk into the @VictoriasSecret offices so i could re coup, and remember (while my trainer @bodybymato reminded me on the phone through sobs – thank you lol) how hard I’ve been working! I went in and made new friends and saw old friends and it already felt like home! We patiently waited while @ed_razek @johndavidpfeiffer @monica.mitro @10magazine carefully took time to get to know each girl. When it was finally my time, within my nervous storm of anticipation i changed into a black Victoria Secret set and stepped out!!!! I spoke to them about Jamaica, Nick Knight, my abs, and how i was beyond honoured to be given the opportunity to try out.. then I walked for my life!!!! I can’t believe this!! Thank you for giving me all the energy and kindness in that room! Thank you for allowing me to walk for VICTORIA’S SECRET Thank you to my agencies @firstaccessent @womenmanagementnyc @women_paris @thesquadmanagement my pr @remibrb my agent @mannyuk and mama bears #sarahstennett & @thelilmisse for having my back supporting and believing in me! I love you guys you’re FAMILY!! Thank you mommy for praying with me everyday for the past 3 days. And thank you so much to my fans who have been pushing me forward to this point in my career. I’m so blessed thank you Lord!! IM WALKING THE VICTORIA’S SECRET SHOW! Thank you @voguemagazine for the exclusive interview ?????”
Herieth Paul
PHOTO: Matt Winkelmeyer
“I watched my first vs show when I was 13 years old. I am so beyond excited to be walking my third @victoriassecret fashion showI am so grateful for this opportunity,” she wrote on Instagram. “Thank you @johndavidpfeiffer @monica.mitro @10magazine @ed_razek1 and my amazing team @womenmanagementny @angiesmodels Ya’ll dreams do come true ❤️ #3”
Grace Bol
“Happy to be back @victoriassecret #victoriafashionshow @ed_razek @monica.mitro @10magazine @johndavidpfeiffer Thank You…♥️?”
Sadie Newman
PHOTO: Gotham
“I am so excitedhappyproudemotional to announce that I am going to be in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show!!!!!,” She shared in an Instagram post. “10 years modeling and this has always been a dream of mine AND I DID IT. Keep grindin’ and being kind ?So much love to @luke_simone and @women360mgmt who put up with me being an emotional wreck. THANK YOU SO MUCH to @ed_razek, @johndavidpfeiffer, @monica.mitro and @10magazine for giving me this opportunity, I won’t let you down. ?❤️?❤️?❤️?❤️LESGOOOOOO #VSfashionshow”
Georgia Fowler
PHOTO: FRED DUFOUR
“When you get the call that it’s going to be round three! ?,” she captioned her celebratory ‘gram. “Honored to be walking the @VictoriaSecret show for the third year ??? It means more and more each year, THANK YOU for seeing my dedication and realizing my dream once again @ed_razek @johndavidpfeiffer @monica.mitro @10magazine @insta_bobb and to all my friends family and agents for your ongoing support through this journey. Feeling full of love and oh so blessed ??? #VSFS2018”
Estelle Chen
PHOTO: Presley Ann
“? #2 ALL SMILES! So happy to announce that I will be walking the @victoriassecret #VSFashionShow for the second year ?,” Chen wrote on Instagram. “Thank you @ed_razek @10magazine @monica.mitro @johndavidpfeiffer for believing in me and for making my dreams come true once again ✨ Thank you to my agents, family and friends for the continuous support, wouldn’t be here without you! ?Feeling honored, blessed, thankful, grateful for everything that’s happening to me ? And big congrats to ALL the girls who worked so hard for this ?”
Barbara Palvin
“Wooowww!! Im speechless. So happy to share the news with you all that i’ll be walking the Victoria’s Secret fashion show this year. Thank you @victoriassecret for making my dream come true!! ♥️ @ed_razek @10magazine @monica.mitro @johndavidpfeiffer”
Cheyenne Maya Carty
PHOTO: Timur Emek
“Dreams do come true. Lost for words right now,” Carty wrote on Instagram. “I’m just a normal girl from Tottenham who’s been given the opportunity to show the world who I am. So excited to announce that I will be in the Victoria Secret’s show 2018!!!! Forever grateful to everyone who has helped me on this journey so far! Onwards and Upwards ❤️❤️❤️ #vsfs2018”
Maia Cotton
“This is my face permanently for a little while!!! ✨✨✨ I am so ecstatic to say that I’ll be walking this years VICTORIA’S SECRET FASHION SHOW!! I used to think about what this moment might feel like, and it is simply indescribable. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined I would get the opportunity to cast, let alone confirm the show of a lifetime. A big thank you to my amazing agents for all that you have done. I LOVE YOU ❤️❤️ @alikavoussi @andreaplowright @thelionsny @62management and lastly to @ed_razek @10magazine @monica.mitro and @johndavidpfeiffer THANK YOU for making my dreams come true! I am on a cloud right now!!! ????”
Lorena Rae
PHOTO: Nicholas Hunt
“Smiling from ear to ear and couldn’t be happier about finding out I get to be in the @victoriassecret Fashion Show this year !! I’m absolutely thrilled and keep pinching myself every 5 minutes!!” she captioned an Instagram announcing her casting. “Thank you so so so much @johndavidpfeiffer @monica.mitro @10magazine and Ed Razek ??? and of course to everyone else who believed I could do this and was sending supportive messages my way ?? #VSFashionShow2018”
Kelsey Merritt
“WE DID IT PHILIPPINES!!!!!! ?????? What an honor it is to be the first Filipino to walk in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2018!!! Ahhhhhh I can’t believe this!! Thank you soooo much @johndavidpfeiffer, @monica.mitro, @10magazine, and @ed_razek for making my dream come true!! ❤️❤️❤️ And to my agents at @suprememgmt @nomadmgmt @romanyoung @david_kimm @marissasurmenkow thank you for believing in me and being there for me throughout this journey!! ??? But most of all thank you to all my followers you guys are my rock!!! I couldn’t have done this without you guys. Thank you for your never ending support I LOVE Y’ALL para sainyo to!!!????? #VSFashionShow”
Alexina Graham
PHOTO: Sean Zanni
“This ? is going to be STRUTTING her stuff this November!!!!!! ? ? ? ? ArGhHhHh!!!!!!,” Graham wrote on Instagram. “I am so so excited and so happy to announce that I will be walking the @victoriassecret runway this November 2018!!!!. Thank you to Monica, Ed, Sophia & John for believing in me and making my dreams come true. This red head is coming for you Thankyou to my agents @womenmanagementny for believing and trusting in me. ❤️❤️#redhead #vsfs2018 #dreamscometrue #workhardforyourdreams”
Lesha Hodges
“???O M G ?? This is the moment I’ve been praying for! Beyond Speechless!!! Thankyou all from the bottom of my heart ??? .”
Yasmin Wijnaldum
PHOTO: Bryan Bedder
“Super excited to announce that i am going to be walking in the VICTORIA’S SECRET FASHION SHOW 2018 !!! ?,” the model captioned her casting announcement on Instagram. Thank you to everyone who believed in me (and who didn’t) @ed_razek @monica.mitro @10magazine @johndavidpfeiffer @victoriassecret for giving me this insane chance, forever grateful???”
Shanina Shaik
PHOTO: CNBC
“I had a few visitors turn up to my photoshoot today. It was my amazing agent @lisamariebenson & my bestie @jastookes … a little confused ??♀️ then began to realize I’m going to receive the most outrageous news!! I WILL BE WALKING IN THE @victoriassecret FASHION SHOW!!!! ??✨✨????????!!,” Shaik wrote on Instagram. “A challenge for me because I couldn’t cry … I was in makeup for 4 hours. I’m overjoyed and so beyond grateful . Thank you so very much @johndavidpfeiffer @monica.mitro @10magazine @ed_razek ??? I’m excited to make this 2018 #VSFS an unforgettable show !!”
Isilda Moreira
“I DID IT OMG ?if words could make justice to what i feel right now i would try to find a thousand of them and to describe what i am going through right now. as time rushes by i can only feel more and more overwhelmed by having one of my lifetime dreams coming true. every step i took with alongside all these amazing beings who have believed in me have brought me to simply tell you: I WILL BE WALKING FOR @victoriassecret 2018 SHOW #vsfashionshow thank you soooo much @victoriassecret ❤️??”
Devon Windsor
PHOTO: Presley Ann
“Wow. I’m not honestly sure what to say, or how to begin, to thank these people who have come and forever changed my life for the better. Thank you to all my friends, family, agents and the people from VS who have believed in me 6 years in a row!!!!!,” Windsor captioned her announcement post. “I think people think it gets easier every year, and I can honestly say that is not true. Every year gets more and more difficult and I find myself wanting it even more ! I have never worked so hard or wanted anything in my life so badly. So, to be rewarded for that is a feeling I cannot describe! Congrats to all of the other girls walking as well, I know you all have been working your booties off for this, and I can’t wait to share this incredible moment with you! #VSFashionShow2018 #Number6 ❤️???”
Sofie Rovenstine
“I am so so excited and honored to be able to announce that I will be walking in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2018. Still don’t think it’s quite hit me yet but this is such a dream come true. Thank you to all of you who have supported and believed in me along the way. So incredibly grateful to @johndavidpfeiffer @monica.mitro and @10magazine for the opportunity to be in the show of my dreams. God is good ⭐️ @victoriassecret @jagmodels #vsfashionshow”
Leomie Anderson
PHOTO: Matt Winkelmeyer
“The face you make when you find out you’ve bagged @victoriassecret show for the fourth time in a row!,” Anderson wrote on Instagram. “Big thank you to @ed_razek @johndavidpfeiffer @monica.mitro @10magazine @fusionmodelsnyc for believing in me and everyone else for the constant support and encouragement, this achievement means EVERYTHING to me ?❤️? #VictoriasSecretFashionShow”
Myrthe Bolt
“I’m soooo excited, I WILL BE WALKING THE VICTORIA SECRET SHOW!!! ❤️❤️❤️ I still can’t believe it! Big big thanks to @ed_razek @johndavidpfeiffer @monica.mitro @10magazine @mrs_k_chow @victoriassecret for giving me this chance! ✨?✨?I also want to thank my sweet Natascha @modelsrockagency and @nextmodels for their ongoing support ?”
Megan Williams
PHOTO: Matt Winkelmeyer
“Very proud and honoured to be back on this legendary runway for my 3rd year ✨” Megan captioned her Instagram post. “Thankyou @ed_razek @johndavidpfeiffer @10magazine @monica.mitro for believing in me to represent the @victoriassecret brand once again ? can’t wait to share this experience with all the other dedicated ladies in the #VSFashionShow”
Gizele Oliveira
“Thank you everyone that believed in me since the beginning, thank you for always rooting for me and making me feel the luckiest girl in the world! I’m so so so happy to announce that I’m gonna be walking at the @victoriassecret fashion show 2018 ♥️♥️♥️ thank you @ed_razek @monica.mitro @10magazine @johndavidpfeiffer for trusting me one more year ? thank you thank you thank you thank you”
Barbara Fialho
PHOTO: Matt Winkelmeyer
“N 7 ! Thank you my loving @VictoriasSecret family for this amazing gift! It gets more special each year. I love you with all my heart!,” Fialho wrote on Instagram. “I know how hard you all work to make this dream possible for us. Forever grateful for our beautiful journey together. ???????? N 7 Obrigada minha família linda @VictoriasSecret por esse presente! Cada ano fica mais especial! Eu amo vocês com todo meu coração, e sei o quanto trabalham para tornar esse sonho possível para nós. Gratidão eterna por nossa linda jornada juntos. Lucky 7? @Ed_razek @Monica.Mitro @JohnDavidPfeiffer @10magazine Love ?”
Mélie Tiacoh
After attending casting calls for the VS show for four years in a row, model Mélie Tiacoh has her wings.
Maggie Laine
PHOTO: FRED DUFOUR
“This feeling will never get old it just keeps growing and growing!! I’m so excited to announce I’ll be walking my 3rd @victoriassecret fashion show! Thank you so much!! @ed_razek @mrs_k_chow @johndavidpfeiffer @monica.mitro @10magazine,” Laine wrote on the ‘gram.
Toni Garrn
“IM BACK B*****s?? Here’s some of my favorite looks on the most fun runway ever❤️ Excited to be back and let’s make 2018 the best one yet @victoriassecret”
Frida Aasen
PHOTO: Matt Winkelmeyer
“I got the best surprise today at work – I’ll be walking in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for the second time!✨????,” Aasen captioned an Instagram post. “I couldn’t be happier! Thank you for believing in me once again @10magazine @monica.mitro Ed Razek @johndavidpfeiffer @victoriassecret @womenmanagementny ❤️”
Alanna Arrington
“I FINALLY GET TO TELL YALL I’LL BE WALKING IN THE 2018 VICTORIA’S SECRET FASHION SHOW!!!!!! ?????? I can’t even put into words exactly how amazing this feels to be coming back for my 3rd year. From growing up and prancing around in my moms heels, to being a lil 10 year old girl watching Adriana walk out on that runway and only dreaming of doing it myself… It always felt like it was meant to be so when i finally got the “congratulations call” in 2016, and again 2017, AND AGAIN 2018 ALLLLLL of my dreams came true…….. I’m so thankful to the team at @victoriassecret @monica.mitro @10magazine @johndavidpfeiffer and Ed for bringing me back to rock the runway once again! And thank you to @nextmodels @mothermodel & my trainer @john_benton_model_fitness for being the most supportive team of people during the months of prep for the casting… Now starts the real training!!!! SEE YALL ON THE RUNWAY!!!!!”
Josie Canseco
PHOTO: Daniel Zuchnik
“literal MOOD because IM WALKING IN THIS YEARS VICTORIA SECRET FASHION SHOW!!!!” Canseco captioned a smiley shot on Instagram. “I can’t believe I’ve been given this opportunity thank you SO much to the team @10magazine @ed_razek @johndavidpfeiffer @monica.mitro for seeing something special in me and an even bigger thank you to the team behind all my work @nextmodels. You guys constantly push me and never gave up on me no matter how many ups and downs we went through. forever grateful for the chance to prove to everyone that I’m meant to be here. I won’t let you guys down!! I love each and every one of you that have followed me and supported me and we’re just getting started❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ #VSFashionShow”
Kelly Gale
PHOTO: Theo Wargo
“Woooohoooo!!!!???? Yaaayyy, so thrilled to let you all know I’ll be walking in the Victorias Secret Fashion Show for my 5th(!!!) year!,” Gale wrote on Instagram. “Its a dream come true every single year and I’m so thankful to everyone who make it happen!❤️✨??Forever grateful Ed Razek @monica.mitro @10magazine @johndavidpfeiffer @fordmodels Thank you @jasminejaye_ @bethjnicely @kirkmyersfitness for always kicking my? LET’S DO THIS @victoriassecret ?? #VSFashionShow”
Cindy Bruna
“2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and now 2018 !!! I still can’t believe it ! I feel so blessed and forever grateful to this amazing family ?? Merci Merci Merci @ed_razek @monica.mitro @10magazine @johndavidpfeiffer for believing in me for 6 years now, you guys changed my life ! ❤️ @victoriassecret”
Jourdana Phillips
PHOTO: Matt Winkelmeyer
“Words can not express how I feel right now but I’m going to try lol. ?Thank you @victoriassecret for giving me the opportunity to walk for a THIRD time!!,” Phillips wrote of the news. “I’ve been in and out of the modeling industry for aaaaaaaminute ⏱, and didn’t get my first break till I was 25? I would literally be in a classroom teaching first graders right now if it wasn’t for some really amazing people in my life that encouraged me to give modeling one more shot (i still love the kiddies tho ?? lol). I hope my journey encourages you to never give up, to trust, to believe in your dreams. To always remember what is for you is always for you. Follow your heart and trust me you will always be abundant. Thank you so much @johndavidpfeiffer @10magazine @monica.mitro @ed_razek not only for believing in me but being kind, genuine, sweet, loving people in the processs. Every girl that leaves the VS casting has the biggest smile on their face because you all are so loving and positive. It’s such a joy to have the privilege to work with you all. I’m so lucky!! I feel so alive on the VS runway because you are truly able to be 100% yourself. You can be sexy, laugh, sing, cry, fall, dance whatever because it’s not about being perfect, it’s about letting the real you shine for the world to see. #3 #thankyougod #victoriassecret2018 Thank you @suprememgmt for always havin ya girls back! And thank you @rjathayde for getting my booty right! ?”
Mayowa Nicholas
PHOTO: Gotham
“Words cannot describe how happy and honored I am announcing that I will be walking the Victoria secret fashion show this year, Looking forward to sharing the runway with all the powerful and beautiful women in the show,” Nicholas wrote on Instagram. “Thank you so much to the entire Victoria secret team @10magazine @monica.mitro @ed_razek @johndavidpfeiffer @victoriassecret for believing in me again ❤️ Indeed God’s time is always the best??”
When Abby Sams entered a contest to model for Aerie, she didn’t know that a viral online moment would come with the winning package. The 20-year-old college student, who has multiple chronic illnesses and uses a wheelchair, saw it as a chance to increase representation for disabled women in fashion. “My immediate thought was, There are never disabled models that enter these things, or at least enter and win,” she tells Glamour via email. “Which was then followed by my second thought, [It] wouldn’t hurt to try!”
So Sams completed the contest entry requirements: She filmed a video explaining what “Aerie Real” meant to her (“It means beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, and abilities,” she says), submitted it, and moved on with studying for her finals. She got the news that she’d be starring in the brand’s “Aerie Bras Make You Feel Real Good” campaign in late May. “I was in utter shock,” she remembers. “I literally couldn’t believe it was real.”
PHOTO: COURTESY OF AERIE
Sams joined 56 other women—from brand spokespeople (or Role Models) Iskra Lawrence and Aly Raisman to fellow contest winners, which included a cancer survivor, a woman who uses crutches, a woman with a colostomy bag, and a woman with an insulin pump—for an unretouched photoshoot at Aerie’s Pittsburgh headquarters.
She recalls being impressed by the care that went into making the set accessible to all participants: “The world is an obstacle course [for me], and I was ready to not be able to participate in a lot of things on set,” she explains. “I was beautifully surprised with how accessible they made everything and how much they went out of their way to help me if something wasn’t accessible.”
On July 11 Aerie quietly released photos from the bra campaign on its website. As soon as she saw them, Sams shared the images with her Twitter followers: “@Aerie just sneakily released some of my photos! Look at this disability representation people!!!” she wrote.
Overnight, Sams’ tweet went viral. Her initial post racked up over 24,000 likes and 5,000 retweets.
It’s not hard to see why the Internet had such a strong reaction to those images: The “Aerie Bras Make You Feel Real Good” campaign, which officially launches on August 2, embodies a new level of commitment to portraying “real” shoppers, one largely fueled by actual customers. There are a range of women—at various points on the spectrums of ability, age, illness, and size—represented, proudly wearing the same Aerie bras.
But Sams didn’t anticipate the flood of positive feedback from social media users. “I was initially afraid that there would be a lot of rude comments, since disabled models aren’t really a thing,” she says. “Instead, I was overwhelmed with support and love and so many people saying how much it meant […] that they had someone that looked like them, or had the same chronic illnesses as them, in big media.”
“I’ve had a lot of people with my same chronic illnesses message me and say that finding out we shared illnesses made them feel less alone[,]” Sams says. “It gave a lot of people confidence in themselves and started a fire in a lot of people.”
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PHOTO: COURTESY OF AERIE
Sams was a fan of Aerie’s body-positive ethos before modeling for the brand. “Seeing models with stretch marks and belly rolls meant a lot to a lot of people, myself included,” she says of the first #AerieREAL ads from 2014. She believes featuring women with chronic illnesses and disabilities is an even bigger move for the company.
Sams became chronically ill during high school, which was a critical time for her body image and mental health. “I had never seen myself represented after I got sick in media like this,” she says. “When I was younger, I was able-bodied and didn’t really think about it—at that time, I was upset [that] all the models were tall and thin.” She wants Aerie’s campaign to change how able-bodied shoppers perceive women with disabilities: “I want to normalize diversity and disability. I want [people] to see it and know that limitations don’t mean I’m sitting at home, wallowing in self pity. I can do things and have fun and be a model, all while being chronically ill, and that’s normal.”
PHOTO: COURTESY OF AERIE
According to Sams, representing all of their customers in their promotional imagery is just the start of what brands can do to become more inclusive. The in-store shopping experience is often difficult for her—boutique-style stores are too narrow for her to maneuver her wheelchair, and “accessible” dressing rooms are often crowded with furniture for able-bodied guests. “I’m very unlikely to go back to a store if I didn’t feel welcome because I was in a wheelchair or because I couldn’t maneuver through the store,” she says.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF AERIE
Sams sees her appearance in Aerie’s campaign—which will appear both on its website and in its stores—as an opportunity for more brands to recognize their diverse customers and cast their campaigns accordingly. “We’re here. We exist. We want to feel beautiful,” she says. “Aerie really set the bar high with the diversity in [its] models, so I’m hoping I can expect to see the same level of diversity in other brands as well.”
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