Instagram is a place of opportunity and a mirage in your deserted life. Because of Instagram, a new type of occupation called Influencers have been introduced in the market. Influencers make a lot of money and are the modern-day marketing strategy. Plus-size modeling has been highly contentious even in the 21st century. This has to do with the lifestyle and the society in which one resides. The role of models and influencers on Instagram is challenging and at the same time, fun. Life can be unsettling, and there are various products to choose from. There is a notion that people who eat clean, exercise, and have a perfect curved body and a pretty face have a higher possibility of becoming a model.
The idea has been challenged in the recent decade. It has been stirred with the death of George Floyd triggering the racism aspect of modeling. People are aware of their bodies and are always trying to change themselves to survive. It is essential to love your body and be happy with the way you are. Adding to this, many plus-size models have broken down the glass ceilings and have been accepted with wide arms in the Instagram community to make them famous. If you notice, most plus-size models are females, and they are backing an enormous follower’s community. If such is the case, do you think there is some kind of gender bias in this observation?
Even if you google famous plus-size models, you will get top plus-size models in the world who are women. For instance, Ashley Graham was the first plus-sized model that changed the way people looked upon healthy individuals. As the world got matured, the number of famous plus-sized models kept on increasing. The most popular plus-sized models include Kate Wasley, Georgia Platt, Barbie Ferreira, Robyn Lawley, Tara Lynn, Paloma Elsesser, Candice Huffine, Nadia Aboulhosn, Denise Bidot, and Tess Holiday. This, therefore, suggests that many famous female individuals are plus-sized models. The statement seems to be factual, and many plus-sized models are consequently women. Thus, the question needs to be asked; Why is plus-size modeling on Instagram dominated by females only? Are only women plus-sized?
Understanding the statistics
The Instagram demographics statistics reveal that around 510 million users are female, whereas 490 million users are male. This gives an idea that there are many more female users than male users on Instagram. A difference of 20 million can indeed make a difference while understanding the business behind it. Imagine this, as a female model targeting a female audience, can have a higher probability of getting likes, followers, and views. At the same time, the likelihood is lowered for male users. Men tend to stalk women and often check out Instagram accounts of female models as an attraction and to have some fun. While doing so, the female user accounts get higher followers and likes.
Another way to understand this is by experimenting with a male and female user opening a new account on Instagram. You will notice that female users get drastically higher follower requests than men. Women also tend to support each other and build a more robust social profile than men. These are the factors that help women get famous quickly on Instagram than their male counterparts. The same case can be applied to plus-sized female models.
Trending themes on Instagram
The trending type of Instagram accounts includes makeup, fashion & lifestyle, gym, and travel. Except for gym and travel, makeup and lifestyle-themed accounts tend to attract female users who come under the significant demographics on Instagram’s Statistics. The narrative is men do not strictly use those female makeup brands. Many women on Instagram are attracted to makeup brands to enhance their beauty and to look presentable in society. While makeup brands can also attract men, male users on Instagram are attracted to the power of makeup that enhances female beauty.
In this scenario, there is an attraction of male and female audiences boosting followers and likes. Women tend to be particular about the things they wear. They check if their accessories go with their wardrobe, so fashion accounts are mainly run by female Instagram models, including plus-sized models.
Why are there few plus-sized male models?
Plus-size male models are usually gym lovers and food lovers. Most of the male crowd do not care about their looks and focus on their gains, while food lovers care about trying new foodstuffs. This might seem like a male stereotype at first, but the truth is based on statistics. For men, a flannel and loose-fitting shirt will suffice as fashion, and trying out different brands might not be something they would like to do.
Most men hate shopping and investing in fashion; they would rather spend it on sports goods, gaming equipment, protein shakes, and food. Men can be stingy when it comes to fashion. This can be attributed to the few plus-sized models on Instagram, as men don’t focus on fashion as much as women do.
Medical conditions in females can be a factor
While there are very few thyroid cases in men, thyroid in females is becoming a common disease for women. One of the side effects of having a thyroid includes gaining weight. Most women are being affected by thyroid worldwide, and despite not eating much, their weight keeps growing. Females being sensitive about themselves think of gaining weight as a shame and quickly link it with their marriage. Therefore, ways to enhance their beauty are often done by shopping for plus-sized clothing.
As plus-sized clothing tends to be loose-fitting and comfortable, women tend to enjoy the comfort and gain confidence. Men do not face such an issue. As a result, healthy women tend to be attracted to plus-sized models and influencers to find the right kind of apparel suited for them.
Another medical condition where women gain weight is during pregnancy. During the nine months, pregnant women tend to be moody and demanding. Therefore, not finding the right apparel might sadden them, or they might get frustrated. Since Instagram can be a calming agent, pregnant women can search widely for plus-sized brands, and the models can make them purchase them. Millions of women get pregnant every year; therefore, a large audience can be attracted to gain followers and likes thereby, making you famous.
Women Understand Women
It has been said that women tend to have a sixth sense. In the majority of cases, it seems to be true. Female models tend to attract more women because they can connect instantly. It is unclear if women have telepathic ability, but women do understand each other instantly. Compared to men, women are sophisticated and have a heightened sense of color and fashion. Therefore, they can make their account more vivid and attractive, and more comprehensive thought processes in women make them create awesome content and captions. This can be an attribute for many women being a plus-sized model.
Societal Pressure to look Good
Women are always pestered upon to look good in society to land up a wedding ring. This stigma has been affecting many women worldwide. Despite their condition and not losing weight, they tend to search for fashion advice for plus-sized bodies. It is suitable for marketing and getting customers for plus-sized clothing brands, but it is ferocious for women living in such a society.
Conclusion
The world is not black and white when it comes to modeling agencies and self-made Instagram models. People don’t focus on helping out people but rather find ways to make themselves rich and famous. The biased nature of the plus-sized modeling demographics is due to the increased response by female users and how to monetize it. Fashion attraction seems to be limited for men, and especially plus-sized men are not even bothered about fashion on a more considerable aspect. Due to such reasons, female plus-sized models tend to get more Instagram followers, likes, and views than men.
