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Marie Southard Ospina

https://www.instagram.com/mariesouthardospina
Bio
Marie Southard Ospina is a freelance writer and editor covering body image, parenthood, sex and relationships, pop culture, books, and size acceptance. As an advocate for body- and fat-positivity (as well as a mother of two little girls), she hopes to de-stigmatize cultural standards of beauty and worth that lead to so much unnecessary and painful self-criticism and greater marginalization. Her bylines have appeared in Bustle, Romper, Everyday Feminism, Refinery29, BuzzFeed, Dazed, Huffington Post, Healthline, Self, and Men's Health, among others. Her face has appeared on The Today Show and StyleLikeU's What's Underneath Project to discuss toxic aspirational beauty tropes. She earned a Bachelors degree in journalism from New York University and a Masters degree in modern and contemporary literature and culture from York University in the UK. When she is not cleaning up one of her children's bodily fluids or re-watching Frozen for the umpteenth time, she is likely investigating taking up a second career in mortuary sciences, reading or watching the latest dystopian series on the market, or trying to enjoy a plastic toy-free bath in total solitude.

Fuller Figure Fuller Bust & Playful Promises' Collab Is A Cabaret Dream In Sizes 8-26

Lingerie lines that cater to both straight and plus-size consumers are rare enough, let alone ones that evoke such dreamy vibes you'll feel like you're in a production of Chicago or Moulin Rouge. When it comes to the Fuller Figure Fuller Bust x…
By Marie Southard Ospina

25 Plus-Size Wedding Dresses Under £300 That'll Have You Feeling Like A Queen

When I was searching through potential plus-size wedding dresses under £300 for my own "big day" three years ago, I was brought to tears on several occasions. Not only were there almost no brick and mortar shops carrying my size (a 24/26) that also…
By Marie Southard Ospina

5 Independent Plus Size Brands In The UK That Are Changing The Fatshion Game

When it comes to the world of plus-size fashion in Britain, it's often independent UK plus-size brands and size-inclusive designers that make the most waves. Where bigger names may be weary of taking certain risks, be it experimenting with…
By Marie Southard Ospina

Why Miley Cyrus' 'Mother's Daughter' Video Matters In Our Fat-Shaming Society

Only 27 seconds into Miley Cyrus' new video "Mother's Daughter," viewers are treated to a cameo by Angelina Duplisea. Duplisea, an actor, model, and self-described "professional fat shaker," as noted on her Twitter, sits on an elegant chaise lounge;…
By Marie Southard Ospina

How 'This Is Us' Perfectly Underscores What Loved Ones Don't Understand About Being Fat

I've lost track of how many times a "well-meaning" relative has remarked upon my weight with wide, sullen eyes and a fearful tone. "I love you no matter what size you are," they'll begin. "But I'm worried about your health." "Why are you actively…
By Marie Southard Ospina

I Never Related To Comedy Until I Watched British TV & Now I Won't Go Back

"Everyone at this party isn't as young, fit, and single as they're making out. Yep, let's face it, we're all falling apart piece by piece. Doesn't matter if you're single or in a couple: You. Are. Going. To. Die." Like so many scenes in Peep Show,…
By Marie Southard Ospina

Get Involved Because These Super Affordable Plus Size Brands All Ship To The UK

Besides a shared language (sometimes), many might argue that the U.S. and the UK actually have very little in common. Where more than three-quarters of Americans identify as Christian, according to the Washington Post, nearly 50 percent of Brits are…
By Marie Southard Ospina

What It's Like To Be Fat In The UK Vs. The US

“Excuse me, but where did you find that outfit?” The question was one I’d admittedly been asked on social media many times before, whenever I’d shared a new fashion post for friends, followers, and fellow bloggers. In real life, however, it felt…
By Marie Southard Ospina

I Couldn't Find A Beauty Campaign With Plus Size Models, So I Made One Myself

In the fall of 2015, I visited relatives in my hometown, a small suburb of New Jersey. There isn't much to do there, apart from dining at Applebee's or hitting the mall. As a plus size woman, cruising through a shopping mall is a mixed bag. Certain…
By Marie Southard Ospina

This Coffee Table Book Is The ULTIMATE Celebration Of Fashion & Fatness

Flipping through Bethany Rutter's Plus+ is an experience as stimulating to the eyes as it is to the heart — no matter if your heart is inside a size 10 body or a size 30. Over 100 images of plus size street style can be found within the hardcover…
By Marie Southard Ospina

How ‘This Is Us’ Did Wrong By Plus Size Women With Kate’s Storyline

Sometimes I look at my 11-month-old daughter and I cannot help but think of all the people who once insisted that she would never exist. People who truly believed that getting pregnant when you're plus size is always dangerous, and often entirely…
By Marie Southard Ospina

A Body Project: Sarah Martindale On Her Joints

With award-winning photographer Substantia Jones of The Adipositivity Project and Manchester-based photographer Paddy McClave, Bustle presents A Body Project. A Body Project aims to shed light on the reality that "body positivity" is not a button…
By Marie Southard Ospina

What It's Really Like To Be Plus Size & Pregnant Like Kate On 'This Is Us'

When the hit television show I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant aired in 2009, I used to joke about how that would someday be me. As someone who spends a lot of time in their own head, and is subsequently pretty unobservant, I just figured I wouldn't…
By Marie Southard Ospina

'Fattitude' Is The Documentary On Size Discrimination That Everyone Needs To See, Activist Or Not

Like it was for so many advocates of size acceptance, the premiere of the new documentary Fattitude has been on writer and plus size style blogger Alysse Dalessandro's mind for years. "I think as a society, we view the mistreatment of fat people as…
By Marie Southard Ospina

I've Been Told That A Thin Woman Lives Inside Me. This Is What I Need Her To Know.

Hey you, my thin woman within. It's been a while, but don't worry. I have not forgotten your alleged existence. First let's establish who, exactly, you are. You're a figure I'd wager most people of size are acquainted with — even if they never…
By Marie Southard Ospina

This Body Image Documentary Is Starting New Conversations About Diversity In Media

Not long into the start of body image documentary Straight/Curve, we see a group of high school students flicking through glossy magazines. They are each asked to choose an image of "beauty," as defined by American culture: An image of the kind of…
By Marie Southard Ospina

29 Plus Size Caftans That Can Easily Transition Into Your Fall Wardrobe

Bustle and Coveteur are working together to bring you the best mix of the season's fashion and beauty releases, shopping tips, and service stories in ways that are both inspirational, and attainable. Check The Fall Style Edit channel weekly to see…
By Marie Southard Ospina

Gabi Gregg Wants Plus Size Women To Embrace Their Sexuality In Her New Lingerie Collection

Scrolling through images of the Gabifresh x Playful Promises plus size lingerie collection, it's clear that these are pieces Premme co-founder and style blogger Gabi Gregg designed with outspoken, unapologetic sexiness in mind. The 11-item line is a…
By Marie Southard Ospina

How JIBRI Founder Jasmine Elder Created A Brand That Fills A Gap In The Plus Size Market

Although JIBRI designer Jasmine Elder wasn't exactly studying the lack of trendy, upmarket plus size goods on the market when starting her brand in 2009, she did know that she wasn't seeing the kind of clothing she wanted to wear. "I always made my…
By Marie Southard Ospina

This Powerful Video Shows What Unapologetic Self-Love Looks Like

"Do I make you feel uncomfortable?" The question is posed by plus-size style blogger Leah Vernon, of Beauty And The Muse, in the introductory scenes to her latest video Muslim Girl Dance #BodyProject. "Are you afraid that if we could love, really…
By Marie Southard Ospina