The Mail Online has reported that Essentials magazine will ban models, celebrities and air-brushing from its covers and use ‘real women’ instead.

“The upmarket monthly publication, has pledged to only use real women as cover stars. Many feel the constant barrage of re-touched famous faces and size zero models in magazines is damaging and distorting women’s body image and fuelling the rise of eating disorders.”

This is a UK first, American and Australian glossies have already pledged the change or featured ‘real’ women but the UK has been reluctant to take on board the effects images have on men and women. Read more on the story here.

Is this a step in the right direction? Will this really help make a difference to the rest of the fashion industry or do we need to be targeting a younger audience too? If you believe unrealistic imagery should be abolished in favour for body and beauty diversity then please sign the Real Bodies Unite petition.

As I was searching the web for some inspiring fashion finds and news, I came across behind the scenes photographs of Crystal Renn at her Evans photoshoot.

Look.co.uk had the exclusives and captured Crystal  looking beautiful, check out the full array of images on their website.

I can’t wait to see the final photographs and find out what Evans has got in store for us. What do you think to the feathered skirt and statement necklace?

September is America’s National Childhood Obesity Awareness month. Fresh Choice Restaurants and NourishInteractive.com have teamed up to provide children with important tools for healthy eating.

Fresh Choice Restaurants (www.freshchoice.com) and NourishInteractive.com (www.nourishinteractive.com) have teamed up to support the first ever National Childhood Obesity Awareness month. Children in the U.S. are becoming overweight or obese at an alarming pace. Since the 1970s the rate of obesity in children ages six to eleven has increased by four hundred percent!

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Get this seasons denim right with plus size retailer Evans, who have just launched a new selection of denim clothing to see you through the autumn and winter months.

“Find the perfect pair of plus size jeans at evans. From boot cut jeans, straight leg jeans, jeggings and wide leg and slouch jeans.”

A selection of their jeans are on offer at 2 for £30 or if you’re just wanting the one pair they start at only £19.50.

The new selection is beautiful, and I believe you will find the right pair for you if not more than that!!

I just came across this article in Grazia entitled ’A magic moment for plus sizers!’. The news of a plus size retailer to feature at New York Fashion Week is a step in the right direction. Why should there be two different fashion weeks? Plus and straight. There should be one for all, depicting size diversity. Read below and let me know what you think.

Whether or not Marc Jacobs decides to go up a size or two and produce a plus sized range, he won’t be the first to stage a plus sized catwalk show at New York Fashion Week. He’s been pipped to the post by US e-tailer OneStopPlus who have confirmed they will be holding a catwalk show as part of NYFW next month.

“The recent confluence of events and energy within the plus size movement makes this the perfect time for OneStopPlus.com to debut at New York Fashion Week” Stephanie Sobel, president of the site, said.

“Top plus-size models like Crystal Renn and Lizzie Miller in Italian Vogue and others magazines validate that this is the magic moment for plus sizes.”

It certainly seems like 2010 might be the year when everything changes on the clothes size front. If things carry on like this and fashion normalises a whole range of other sizes, we can’t see the trend being reversed at any time in the future.

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