Whitney Thompson; Plus-size supermodel, spokesperson for NEDA and creator of "Supermodel".

My goal is to encourage and inspire you to celebrate your miraculous, exquisite, and unique body. I want you to resist the negative messages being sold to you by the media. You are beautiful. You are unique. Here, we want to help you remember that.

If I can convey one message to you:
Healthy is Beautiful. Beautiful is not a size, not an age, and not a procedure. Healthy is beautiful."

“Beautiful” is celebrating the characteristics and qualities of your body, while nourishing and exercising
it to be as uniquely healthy and fit as only you can be. We are all created differently and I want you to stop trying to fit into a mold that someone else has defined as "beautiful". No one size will ever be accepted by everyone and it's important to accept that we are all different. I want you to be the best that you can be.

Your comments are welcome here, even if we don't agree. I appreciate all comments as long as they don't hurt others.

Always remember, life is too short to not live like a SuperModel!


Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Travel Like a SuperModel


          I am currently cruising at 36,000 feet and I've realized that I've become almost as comfortable on an airplane as I am at home. I know that this is strange, and it didn’t happen naturally, so I thought that I would give a few tips to all of my frequent fliers and soon-to-be supermodels on how to be your best at a mile high.
         I’m a plus-size model so it shouldn’t come as a surprise when I say that traveling without snacks is no way to travel. Airport food is over-priced, bland, and  pre-packaged (read: not fresh) so I don’t recommend wasting your money on it. I recently found out that you can now take food with you through security, so I've started bringing food from home whenever I fly. Right now I have a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich on wheat, an orange, pretzel chips, and a hunk of lemonade cake that I wrapped in an old grocery store bag (it keeps my purse from getting messy if something gets squished). I don’t have to worry about spending $10 on a happy meal or trying to find something healthy at an airport (which is nearly impossible). Flying is stressful enough. Bring your own food and your only purchase will be water.

        Sleeping on planes is pretty impossible for me. I have to take a lot of red-eyes (flights through the night) where everyone around me is asleep, and I’ve realized that the best way to be on a plane is comfortable. Essentially, I set up camp in my tiny seat space. I fill my purse (because you never know if your roller-bag will get gate-checked) with my pink Snuggie, ladybug Pillow Pet, and a good book. Trust me, you don’t want to use any blanket or pillow that the airline gives you. Bringing your own is sanitary, lightweight, and so much more comfortable. If I’m not sleeping, the Pillow Pet supports my lower back, and the Snuggie can lay on my lap like a blanket. Personally, I love to read when I fly because it keeps me focused on the book (what else am I going to do?) and my mind isn’t buzzing about meetings, photo shoots, and any other stressful thoughts that I can’t fix while flying. Hurling through the air at 600 mph is stressful enough. Give yourself a mental break.

         Clothing is key when you fly. Personally, I have a reputation to uphold. I don’t want to get recognized in sweatpants but I also refuse to wear stilettos at an airport. Ouch! Clothing needs to be practical (remember that you will have to remove most of it at security and you don’t want to be “that” girl, trying to look all cute but holding up the line) but you still want to look good! I have a couple staple pieces that I consider “travel-wear. One is a black Maxi dress by Ella Moss. It’s so long that it feels like a blanket and I can move in it, but the top has a keyhole opening which makes it uber sexy. Plus, I don’t have to remove anything at security!
You need to remember that planes get very cold and I always bring my C.Z. Falconer cashmere sweater with me. It’s so warm and soft but it’s also a trendy cut with a fashionable zipper, so I don’t feel like an old lady. And, I can use the Snuggie as a blanket for extra warmth.
     
         Leggings are another absolute must when traveling, but there are some very uncomfortable leggings out there. I don’t want anything that has an elastic waistband, and I also don’t want some cheap fabric that is going to be sheer or slide down while I’m walking to my gate. That’s why I wear AlliStyle leggings made from organic fabric with zero chance of ever being sheer. They fit perfectly every time without stretching out and the organic fabric is always so soft on my skin. 


        Fly like a supermodel!

4 comments:

  1. Great information!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've never been in other countries...
    I very much want to travel. My grandmother was in all countries! She liked to travel very much. She always took with herself a pillow and her favourite blanket too. And she always took food from home and interesting book too!:-)
    If she could have read your article she would have liked it very much! :-)
    Whitney, thank you for remarkable advices. I hope that I will use it once))
    Love, Lola

    ReplyDelete
  3. Helpful stuff Whitney! Totally agree about the travel snacks - I always do that.
    Useful tips with the clothing, because I always struggle finding something comfortable that really looks good - and I am ALWAYS stressing at the airport, the last thing I want is to worry about my outfit as well. What sort of shoes do you wear?

    ReplyDelete
  4. It depends on where I'm flying to. Sweater Uggs if it's going to be cold and flip-flops for warm weather. Both work for Maxi dresses or leggings. To glam it up, try a flip-flop with some sparkle. I like Cowgirl jewels flip-flops. They use Swarovski crystals!

    ReplyDelete