There’s something missing from my Instagram feed. I follow artists and illustrators, activist accounts, plus-size women, mid-size women and more. But where are the men? More significantly, the plus-size men.
They’re out there. The plus-size clothing industry in Australia is worth $1 billion, according to information from Ibis World. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, both Aussie men and women are growing taller and heavier over time.
So, I went looking for plus size men to follow on Instagram. And in my hunt, I discovered that like every other area of my life, Rihanna is miles ahead of me.
Lauded for her diverse runway shows, her latest Savage x Fenty show featured gorgeous plus-size men on the catwalk. And not one to half-ass an effort, brawny men feature on the Fenty website as well.
A tweet thirsting over the models went viral in October and between all the thirsty comments – including “I want him to slam me on the table” and “I’m ready for him to crack my back” – one stood out.
User Cody Jacob revealed that he felt emotional after seeing a plus-sized male model on the Fenty website, writing: “I finally can buy something I saw and want and KNOW it was made for people like me in mind”.
Here are just a few of our favourite plus size men to follow on Instagram (we’re sure Rihanna would approve).
The man from the thirst tweet, Steven G
Not only is he a model for Fenty, but he’s also a photographer and creative director. Of his unexpected Twitter fame, he told Byrdie, “I didn’t realize the impact that this would make on other men. I thought it was gonna be something for me but it became something so much bigger.”
Fenty Model Soouizz
You may recognise him from the Fenty runway, but Nigerian-born model Emeke “Soouizz” Okeke also works as an ASOS Insider and has modelled for Gucci. Speaking about the plus-size industry, he said: “Plus is not a bad thing. Plus means more”.
IMG’s first brawn model, Zach Miko
A trailblazer in the industry, Zach’s modelled for Nordstrom, Levi’s and even The Iconic. In terms of body positivity, he believes “men still have such a long way to go,” which might be why he posts about body-acceptance and supports other brawn models on his Instagram.
Plus Size Men Matter
Created by London-based blogger and Instagram ambassador, JoJo Slipzz, as “plus size men struggle as much as curvy women.” This account features a variety of plus size men from around the world. The one thing they all have in common? They’re all gorgeous.
Chubstr
A style destination for big and tall or plus-size men, Chubstr was founded from the frustration of not being able to find stylish clothing in larger sizes. Bruce Sturgell, who started the site, said he’d go shopping and “see things I loved, but I’d leave empty-handed because nothing would fit”.