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11 Plus-Size Models That We'd Like to See in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Is it too unrealistic to hope that these realistically sized women could one day walk the runway of the infamous fashion show?
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The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is just around the corner and you know what that means: a bevy of superskinny, Amazonian models will traipse down the runway in barely-there skivvies and oversized angel wings. Google some of the models' measurements and you'll get some jaw-dropping stats; the average angel's height is a statuesque 5'10" and her weight hovers somewhere around 120 pounds.

And while we're not slamming the runway walkers for their natural body shapes, we're disappointed that Victoria's Secret failed to include any plus-size models in the show -- particularly since many a plus-size catwalker strutted her stuff at New York Fashion Week, and that consumers petitioned the lingerie brand to end its "Perfect Body" campaign late last year.

Add to that the fact that, in the fashion industry, the term plus-size really translates to everyday women with realistic body shapes (anyone above a size eight is considered plus-size), and our case to have Victoria's Secret include models born out of the slim -- literally! -- supermodel gene pool only becomes stronger.

To that end, we've rounded up 11 plus-size models we'd like to see in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Not only are these gals gorgeous, many of them are striving to change the fashion industry's narrow beauty standards. We'd take that over a "perfect body" any day.

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Robyn Lawley
The lovely Lawley made history this year as the first plus-size model to grace the pages of Sports Ilustrated's swimsuit edition. Not only was the size 12 beauty the first woman of her stature to appear in the glossy, but it turns out she was pregnant at the time (not that you could tell by looking at her). Post-birth, Lawley took to Instagram to proudly show off her "#tigerstripes" aka stretch marks, calling them "bad ass."

"We put an unbelievable amount of ridiculous, time-consuming pressure on women to care so much about their flaws, they forget how truly beautiful they (you) are today," she wrote in an accompanying Facebook post.

It's a refreshing, body-positive outlook that we'd like to see more of on social media -- and the runway.

Image via Boux Avenue

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Ashley Graham
Graham is no stranger to showing off her gorgeous curves in skimpy outfits, having walked the runway at New York Fashion Week in a lingerie line she created with Canadian brand Addition Elle. She also appeared in the first plus-size swimsuit ad to run in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition.

The stunner makes sure to use her celebrity to celebrate women of all sizes -- and to challenge the all too often confidence-crippling standards of the fashion industry. "We need to work together to redefine the global vision of beauty," Graham said in an inspiring TED talk she gave earlier this year.

Image via Getty Images

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Candice Huffine
The 31-year-old model was one of a handful of plus-size models to star in Lane Bryant's campaign for its Cacique lingerie line, which ran with the tagline #ImNoAngel -- a dig at Victoria's Secret angels (Buuurn!). In a social media post written in conjunction with the Lane Bryant campaign, she asserted, "I redefine sexy by being bold and by refusing to be anyone but me."

Huffine was also the first full-figured woman to land a spot in the famous Pirelli calendar. If you ask us, her moment in the spotlight should last longer than one month out of the year.

Image via Lane Bryant

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Iskra Lawrence
Talk about keeping it real; not only does Lawrence proudly show off her physique in an ad campaign for American Eagle Outfitters' Aerie intimates line, but she does so without the aid of Photoshop -- a rarity for a model of any size.

But the bold beauty's promotion of a realistic body type doesn't stop there; Lawrence is an ambassador for the National Eating Disorder Association and the managing editor of Runway Riot, a site that bills itself as a "fashion, style and beauty site for women of all sizes."

Image via Aerie

BY ROSE CURIEL | DEC 4, 2015 | SHARES
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