1. am 1,7m tall and by no means a
‘one-slice’, to borrow my mother’s
term. A quick flip through the
pages on either side of the one you’re
reading now will eliminate all doubt
that I’m the biggest woman in this
skinny world. But outside of these
paper-thin pages, a lot of people
wouldn’t necessarily call me big.
Either way, whether it’s being called
‘u-my size,’ ‘dudlu’ or ‘thick’, the
message in local songs and on the
streets is that a fuller figure is
nothing to be ashamed of in SA.
In fact, the irony is that pictures
of Alice Dogruyol (former plus-size
model and Mail Online columnist),
Ashley Falcon (Marie Claire US’s
‘Big girl in a skinny world’ columnist)
and Queen Latifah make me wonder
if I am big enough. That is, big enough
to validate the advice and ideas that
I’ll be offering in this column.
So I’ve been pondering on the
following: how big is big? Though
my stomach is nowhere near flat,
my thighs are chunky and my arms
could benefit from a session with
some shake weights, I do get a lot of
compliments on my shape. (Although
I know that this has a lot to do with
the way I dress – I’m in touch with
what suits my body, and I’m not afraid
to try wearing anything once.)
I wasn’t always comfortable with
the attention, though. When I first
started reading magazines, I was
13 and dreamed of being a model.
Then puberty and, not long after, the
15kg spread that hits most first years
squeezed the modelling plans out
of the picture. When I was still slim
in high school, I punished my body
for developing and tried to beat back
all signs that pointed to the obvious:
I was becoming a slightly bottom-
heavy, ample South African woman.
At university my complex became
worse when relatives remarked,
‘U-gainile!’ (‘You’ve gained weight!’).
My grandmother, one of the most
colourful characters in my life, used
words such as ‘buxom’, ‘rotund’ and
‘handsome’, her tone indicating
a genuine intent to flatter.
It took a stint in 2009 in New York
to change the way I engaged with
my body. Food took on a new meaning
as I became a facilitator for new
experiences and dined with the
Greeks in Astoria, the Dominicans
in Harlem and the beautiful people
Meetournewcolumnist,ZaneleMji,22,
whoshareswithusalittleaboutherself
andwhatherplansareforthisspace
body
politics
PortraitAlexisfotiadisHairandMake-updesirefouchezanelewearstbconlayoutallotherphotographsinpra
size matters
i
‘The message in local songs
and on the streets is that
a fuller figure is nothing to
be ashamed of in South Africa’
00 january 2011
downtown who don’t eat
much. I was having such
a good time that I just didn’t
want to compare myself to other
women and feel guilty any more.
And I’ve had plenty of time to
make peace with the fact that clothes
in magazines are modelled by skinny
women, and that not all of us are built
that way. For us fuller-figured women,
there’s definitely more trial and error
involved in adapting the clothes on
models’ bodies to more common
body types, which typically include
larger hips, buttocks and stomach.
Rather than ‘problem areas’, I see
these as variations of the female
form. Skinny women have them, too.
Every month in this column I’ll
explore how culture, diet, upbringing
and society all contribute towards the
way we view our bodies. I’ll present
flattering pieces I find after trawling
stores. I’ll give you tips on working
your waist. And I promise to find the
perfectpairofjust-long-enoughshorts.
I’ve found that dressing with
a focus on celebrating your best
features, rather than to just cover
what you don’t like, makes all the
difference. Much like a sense of
humour in the change room when
you’re shopping for new jeans. So
let’s share laughs, successes and
dilemmas. I’ve tried everything on
once, remember, so I’ve got more
than enough experience to share.
To contact Zanele, e-mail her
at mcjhb@assocmags.co.za.
Top Zanele Mji admires plus-size
model Toccara Jones because ‘she’s
in such great shape. She’s 1,75m tall
and so toned’. Toccara appeared on
season three of America’s Next Top
Model. Above ‘The combination of
Christina Hendricks’ [Joan Holloway
on Mad Men] red hair, green eyes
and hourglass figure is a knockout.
She dresses perfectly for her figure:
feminine cuts that flatter and play
up her gorgeous waist,’ says Zanele.