Key Takeaways
- Emma Arletta’s Journey: Emma transitioned from being a speech therapist to a plus-size influencer, focusing on fashion and confidence.
- Community Impact: Her TikTok videos sparked a community of women seeking plus-size fashion advice.
- Fashion Philosophy: Emma believes plus-size fashion should be diverse and exciting, moving away from traditional norms.
- Fitness Advocacy: She is now a Pilates instructor, promoting body positivity and self-acceptance in fitness.
Emma Arletta is taking her message beyond social media and into fashion, fitness and the real world.
Emma remembers the exact moment she realized there was a need for what would eventually become Big Girls.
It was COVID. She was finishing graduate school, living on an air mattress in her dad’s Missouri condo and scrolling through TikTok like everyone else. One day, a video showing places to shop for plus size clothing appeared on her feed. One of the boutiques featured in the video was familiar because Emma had modeled for the brand during college.
Then she saw herself.
Emma had spent years figuring out how to dress a bigger body, mostly through trial and error. But she had never really considered that the things she had learned along the way could be useful to thousands of other women.
So, she made a reaction video.
She was sitting at her dad’s kitchen table, phone in her lap, and she wasn’t exactly feeling camera-ready. In fact, she almost didn’t post the video because she thought the angle was embarrassing.
Then she decided that nobody she knew was really following her on TikTok anyway, so why not?
The next morning, she woke up to 30,000 new followers.
Her comments were filled with women asking where they could shop and how they could find clothes that fit.
That was Emma’s “Oh, there is something here” moment.
“I’ve done the trial and error for 20-something years of my life,” she told us. “And so that’s when I was like, oh, my gosh, there’s a need for me to share these things.”
Those early videos were not exactly the polished content we’re used to seeing today. Emma was using Snapchat filters, saving the videos and uploading them to TikTok.
She cringes looking back at them now.
But they worked.
And more importantly, they created the beginning of a community.
Before Big Girls, There Was Speech Therapy
Today, Emma’s work centers on fashion, confidence, fitness and entrepreneurship. Before that, she was a speech therapist.
Emma Arletta grew up in Missouri and eventually moved to Los Angeles after graduate school, where she worked in LA public schools. She had studied speech therapy because she wanted to help people, something she says still connects to the work she does now.
The transition into content creation wasn’t some carefully mapped-out five-year plan.
In fact, Emma is very much a planner. She likes knowing what’s coming next and knowing that she’ll be able to pay her bills. Leaving a stable career for something as unpredictable as content creation was not an easy decision.
She spent her first year working as a speech therapist while building her platform on the side. Then she found herself in an unexpected position: The side hustle was starting to bring in serious money, but she was also exhausted from trying to do both.
Emma remembers coming home from work and moving clothes off her bed just to make enough space to sleep.
Her laundry wasn’t getting done. She was eating out constantly. There was no real routine because she was spending her days trying to keep up with her job and her brand deals.
Meanwhile, social media was full of women documenting their 5 a.m. routines before heading into their nine-to-five jobs.
Emma couldn’t relate.
“I would feel so defeated,” she said. “I’m like, OK, how are these people getting up every day and doing these things? And, like, I can’t even clean my laundry.”
Eventually, she had to stop comparing her life to what she was seeing online.
Sometimes, she realized, doing your job, coming home, eating dinner, working on your side hustle and going to sleep is enough.
That period also forced Emma to seriously consider whether content creation could become her full-time career.
She had initially thought she hadn’t completed enough hours to become fully certified as a speech therapist. Then she received an email confirming that she actually had.
Around the same time, she landed a brand deal worth almost her annual speech therapy salary.
The decision suddenly became a lot less theoretical.
“If I can make this much money working on the weekends for maybe, let’s say, 10 hours a week, imagine what I could do if I could work for 40 hours a week on this side hustle,” she recalled thinking.
Five years later, she’s still working for herself.
Emma Arletta on Reclaiming “Big Girls”
The name Big Girls wasn’t chosen randomly.
Emma knows what it means to grow up hearing the word “big” used as an insult.
She remembers being a child and going shopping at Gymboree with her mother. The store’s sizing was based on children’s ages, and Emma realized she couldn’t fit into the sizes intended for girls her age. She was already wearing teenage sizing.
That feeling of being different can stay with you.
As she got older, Emma noticed how often being the “big girl” was treated like a negative part of her identity.
Eventually, she decided she was done accepting that definition.
Her work as a speech therapist also gave her some perspective. The children she worked with weren’t concerned about the size of her jeans. Her friends weren’t measuring her worth by her clothing size. Her family wasn’t either.
There were so many things about her that mattered more.
So, Emma reclaimed the phrase.
There was also a little strategy behind it. When she started her videos, she wanted a phrase that people would remember. “Big Girls” became her introduction and eventually grew into the name of the community.
Now, women recognize her in public and tell her, “You’re the Big Girl girl.”
And she knows exactly what that means.
Confidence Is Something You Keep Working On
One of Emma’s biggest misconceptions about confidence is that people think you eventually arrive at it.
According to her, it doesn’t work that way.
She still has days when she looks in the mirror and doesn’t like what she sees. Social media can make that reality difficult to understand because we’re constantly watching people present their most confident selves.
Emma believes clothing, makeup and beauty can absolutely help you feel good. Anyone who has put on an outfit and immediately walked a little differently knows that feeling.
But she doesn’t believe those things are where lasting confidence comes from.
For her ,confidence has been built through doing things that challenge her: learning new skills ,showing up for peopleshe lovesand taking risksinher career .
Whenshe ’s havinga particularly rough daywithnegative self – talk,she doesn’t force herselfto immediatelybecome positive .
She gives herself24 hours .
Emmalets herselfhave the bad day ,then thinksaboutwhatshecan do thenext dayto feelmore likeherself .Thatmight meandoingaface mask,wakingupearlierforaslower morningor putting togetheranoutfitshealreadyknowsmakesherfeelgood .
It’sless aboutpretendingthe bad feelingsaren’tthereand more aboutmaking surethey don’tbecome thedefault .
The Body You Have Today Deservesa Life ,Too
Emma’sthoughtsonconfidence naturallyextendintohow shes thinksaboutbody image .
She often thinksaboutoldphotosofherselfand howdifferently sheseesthoseimagesnow .Thereweremomentswhenshethoughtshewas too big ,onlyto lookbacklaterandwishshecouldhave thatbodyforaday .
That realizationmakesher thinkabouther futureself .
She doesn’twanttoreachthe endofherlifeandrealize shespentyears worryingaboutthesizeofherbody .
“I don’twanttobemydeathbedandthink,dang,I wastedhoursandyearsof my lifeworriedaboutthesizeofmybody,”shesaid .
It’sasimplequestion,but itchangestheperspective .
Howmuchofyourlifeareyouwillingtospendwaitinguntilyoulookdifferent ?
Plus Size Fashion Doesn’t Needto Be Boring
EmmaArlettaisn’tinterestedinfollowingevery fashion ruletraditionallyhandedtoplus sizewomen .
Herapproachismuchmorepersonal.Somedays,shewants somethingoversizedandloose.Otherdays,shewants somethingfitted.Itdepends onwhatmakesherfeelgoodwhen sh gets dressed .
Shealsodoesn’tlimither fashion inspirationtoplus sizeretailers .
Emmaregularlylooksatstraight-sizewebsitestoseewhat’shappeninginfashionandfiguresouthow sh cantranslate thoseideasintoher ownwardrobe .
Sometimes sh’llfindasimilarpieceinplussize.Other times,shemightalter somethingorpull inspirationfromaccessories .
Thatapproachcomesfromgrowingupwantingtowearwhat everyone elsewaswearing .
Plussize womenshouldn’thavetowaituntilatrendmakesitswaytothem .
And Emmhasapretty specificpersonal uniformwhen sh wantsfeellikeherself: afuller bottomwithafitted top.Thinkbaggy pantswithafitted tankorsweater .
Hercurrent closetessential?
Capris .
Shelikes themwithakitten heelanda funnel-neck jacketfor fall.Swapthe heelforaflatandaddsomeglasses,and shestillhappy .
Emmaisalsoreadyforcolortomakeacomeback .
Afteryearsof muted wardrobesand“sadbeigemom”aesthetics,she’s cravingmorecolorandthatplayfulearly2000senergyagain .
Honestly,she’sontosomething .
Designers ,PleaseTalktothePlusSizeWomanattheTable
Emma’sexperienceworkingonplussizecollections hasreinforcedsomethingshehasbeensayingto brandsforyears: Youneedplussizewomen involvedinthedesignprocess.
APLUS SIZE BODY ISN’T SIMPLY A STRAIGHT-SIZE BODY MADE LARGER.
FIT CAN CHANGE DEPENDING ON WHERE SOMEONE CARRIES THEIR WEIGHT , THEIR BUST , THEIR HIPS , THEIR STOMACH , THEIR HEIGHT AND A HOST OF OTHER FACTORS.
EMMA THINKS DESIGNERS NEED SOMEONE AT THE TABLE WHO ACTUALLY UNDERSTANDS THOSE REALITIES.
HER WORK ON A PLUS SIZE BRIDAL AND AN EVENTWEAR COLLECTION ALSO CHALLENGED SOME OF HER OWN ASSUMPTIONS.
SHE INITIALLY THOUGHT PLUS SIZE SHOPPERS MIGHT WANT MORE SIMPLE , SAFE PIECES BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT THE MARKET HAS HISTORICALLY GIVEN THEM.
THE FEEDBACK TOLD HER OTHERWISE.
WOMEN WANTED LACE.THEY WANTED STATEMENT PIECES.THEY WANTED FASHION-FORWARD OPTIONS.
THE LESSON WAS CLEAR TO EMMA: SHE DIDN’T NEED TO PLAY IT SAFE ON BEHALF OF PLUS SIZE WOMEN.
THEY WEREN’T ASKING HER TO.
EMMA HAS GONE FROM CALLING OUT FASHION TO DESIGNING IT
THIS YEAR HAS BROUGHT A MAJOR SHIFT IN EMMA’S CAREER.
FOR YEARS , SHE WAS THE CREATOR EXPLAINING WHAT BRANDS WERE GETTING WRONG ABOUT PLUS-SIZE FASHION.NOW , BRANDS ARE ASKING HER WHAT SHE WANTS TO CREATE.
SHE’S HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON A BRIDAL COLLECTION WITH G.I.A / IRL , A SWIM COLLECTION WITH GOLDIE SWIMWEAR AND ANOTHER G.I.A / IRL COLLECTION FOR FALL.
THAT CHANGE HAS BEEN EXCITING , BUT IT HAS ALSO BEEN HUMBLING.
IT’S ONE THING TO SEE A GARMENT ONLINE AND THINK YOU WOULD HAVE DESIGNED IT DIFFERENTLY.IT’S ANOTHER THING TO ACTUALLY SIT IN THE ROOM AND MAKE THE DECISIONS.
NOW EMMA HAS TO THINK ABOUT GARMENT COSTS,FIT,DIFERENT HEIGHTS,DIFERENT BUST SIZES AND DIFFERENT BODY SHAPES.
“THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO THINK ABOUT,” SHE SAID.
SHE’S ENJOYING BEING IN THAT LEARNING PHASE AGAIN.
SHE FEELS LIKE SHE UNDERSTANDS CONTENT CREATION AND KNOWS HER COMMUNITY DEEPLY.NOW SHE’S FIGURING OUT HOW TO TRANSLATE THAT KNOWLEDGE INTO CLOTHING AND EXPERIENCES THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT TO WEAR AND PARTICIPATE IN.
THE UPCOMING FALL G.I.A / IRL COLLECTION INCLUDES WORKWEAR , GOING OUT PIECES , COMFORT AND ATHLEISURE.
AND EMMA ARLETTA GAVE US A LITTLE PREVIEW: THERE’S A DARK BROWN ATHLEISURE SET WITH FOLD OVER PANTS DESIGNED TO ACTUALLY COVER THE BELLY PLUS A ZIP-UP TOP.
CONSIDER US LISTENING.
HATING YOURSELF HAS NEVER BEEN A FITNESS PLAN
EMMA’S NEWEST CHAPTER IS TAKING HER INTO ANOTHER SPACE WHERE PLUS SIZE REPRESENTATION IS STILL LACKING:FITNESS.
SHE’S NOW A PILATES INSTRUCTOR AND HER APPROACH TO MOVEMENT IS CLOSELY CONNECTED TO EVERYTHING SHE BELIEVES ABOUT CONFIDENCE.
HER PHILOSOPHY IS STRAIGHTFORWARD:HATING YOURSELF HAS NEVER GOTTEN YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.
EMMA ISN’T INTERESTED IN TREATING MOVEMENT AS PUNISHMENT FOR EATING,GRAINING WEIGHT OR NOT LOOKING A CERTAIN WAY.
SHE ALSO ISN’T INTERESTED IN TELLING WOMEN THAT WANTING TO LOSE WEIGHT MEANS THEY DON’T LOVE THEMSELVES.
FOR HER,BODY POSITIVITY MEANS BEING ABLE TO CARE FOR YOURSELF AND APPRECIATE YOUR BODY REGARDLESS OF WHAT SHAPE OR SIZE IT IS.
PILATES HAS ALSO GIVEN EMMA ANOTHER WAY TO PRACTICE CONFIDENCE BECAUSE SHE HAD TO BECOME A BEGINNER AGAIN.
THERE’S SOMETHING HUMBLING ABOUT WALKING INTO A CLASS WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING.YOU DON’T KNOW HOW YOUR BODY WILL RESPOND,YOU DON’T AUTOMATICALLY FEEL COMPETENT.
THAT’S EXACTLY WHY EMMA VALUES IT.
HER PLUS SIZE PILATES EVENTS AREN’T JUST ABOUT COMPLETING A WORKOUT.SHE’S EXCITED ABOUT WOMEN SHOWING UP AND SEEING OTHER WOMEN WHO LOOK LIKE THEM DOING THE SAME THING.
SHE REMEMBERS HOW NERVOUS SHE WAS TEACHING HER FIRST CLASS.NOW,SHE’S PLANNING TO BRING THAT ENERGY TO NEW YORK DURING FASHION WEEK AS PART OF A BIG GIRLS WEEKEND WHICH WILL INCLUDE A PLUS SIZE PILATES EVENT.
FOR EMMA,THE ROOM ITSELF IS PART OF THE EXPERIENCE.
THERE’S SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT LOOKING AROUND AND SEEING OTHER PLUS-SIZE WOMEN NAVIGATING THE SAME COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP WITH FITNESS.
BIG GIRLS IS GETTING BIGGER THAN THE INTERNET
EMMA’S VISION FOR BIG GIRLS HAS EXPANDED BEYOND CONTENT.
SHE’S THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN ONLINE COMMUNITY GETS TO MEET IN PERSON AND EXPERIENCE SOMETHING TOGETHER.
THAT’S WHERE SHE BELIEVES SOME OF THE REAL MAGIC HAPPENS.
THE NEXT PHASE INCLUDES MORE EVENTS,MORE FASHION AND MORE FITNESS WITH THE GOAL OF MAKING BIG GIRLS A SPACE WHERE PLUS SIZE WOMEN CAN ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF SIMPLY SCROLLING PAST IT.
OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO TEN YEARS EMMA ESPECIALLY WANTS TO MAKE NOISE IN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY.
SHE SEES A SHORTAGE OF PLUS SIZE INSTRUCTORS AND BELIEVES WOMEN DESERVE TO SEE PEOPLE IN BIGGER BODIES LEADING MOVEMENT SPACES.
HER GOAL ISN’T TO MAKE FITNESS ANOTHER PLACE WHERE WOMEN ARE TOLD THEY NEED TO BECOME SMALLER.
SHE WANTS IT TO BE A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN LEARN WHAT THEIR BODIES ARE CAPABLE OF.
AND THEN THERE’S LIFE OUTSIDE OF BIG GIRLS
FOR ALL THE CONVERSATION AROUND BUSINESS,FASHION AND FITNESS EMMA ARLETTA IS ALSO THINKING ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT PERSONALLY.
SHE’S CONSIDERING STARTING A FAMILY WHICH BRINGS A WHOLE NEW SET OF QUESTIONS FOR SOMEONE WHO ADMITS SHE DOESN’T LOVE UNCERTAINTY.
HER HUSBAND ALSO WORKS WITH HER ON SOCIAL MEDIA SO THE TWO ARE ALREADY THINKING THROUGH WHAT THEIR BUSINESS AND FAMILY COULD LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
IT’S ANOTHER CHAPTER SHE CAN’T FULLY PLAN YET.
AND MAYBE THAT’S THE POINT.
EMMA’S CAREER STARTED WITH A TIKTOK SHE ALMOST DIDN’T POST BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT NOBODY WOULD SEE IT.
NOW SHE’S BUILDING COLLECTIONS TEACHING PILATES PLANNING EVENTS AND CREATING A COMMUNITY THAT REACHES FAR BEYOND THAT KITCHEN TABLE IN MISSOURI.
SHE DIDN’T KNOW WHERE THAT FIRST VIDEO WOULD TAKE HER.
SHE JUST KNEW THERE WERE WOMEN LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTOOD HOW THEY FELT.
FIVE YEARS LATER,SHE’S STILL ANSWERING THEM.
AND SHE’S GIVING THEM PLENTY MORE REASONS TO TAKE UP SPACE WHILE SHE’S AT IT.
BIG GIRL CONFESSIONS
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW EMMA SKIP THE POLISHED CAREER BIO AND ASK HER ABOUT HER CLOSET,HERSNACKSANDTHE STORY OF HOWHER HUSBAND INITIALLY SWIPED LEFT ON HER.
HER FAVORITE SNACK IS NACHO CHEESE DORITOS,PREFERABLY WITHA DIP.HERCURRENT OBSESSIONISTHE UPCOMMIG GIAIRL FALL COLLECTION WHICHSHEISANXIOUSLY WAITNGTO RECEIVEINHER SIZE.
HER FASHION COMEBACK IS COLOR BECAUSE SHE’S READY FORTHESADBEIGEMOM ERA TOMAKE ROOMFOR SOMETHIG ALITTLE MORE FUN.
HER UNPOPULAR OPINION?LOSIN WEIGHT DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN’T BE BODY POSITIVE.
ANDTHE ONE THINGSHE’LL ALWAYS SPEND MONEYON?
AHOUSE CLEANER.
EMMA PROUDLY ADMITS SHE’S MESSYAND CONSIDERS PROFESSIONAL CLEANIGAN INVESTMENTINHER SANITY.
THEN THERE’SHER DATING APP STORY.
WHENHER NOW-HUSBAND FIRST SAWHER PROFILE HE SWIPED LEFTBECAUSE HE THOUGHT SHLOOKED HIGH MAINTENANCE.THE EVIDENCE? SEVERAL LOUIS VUITTON BAGS INHER PHOTOS.
<PCLASS=”WP_BLOCK PARAGRAH”)THEBAGS WEREFAKE
<PCLASS=(‘W BLOCK PARAHG’)EMMA WAS BROKEINCOLLEGE
<PCLASS=(‘W BLOCK PARAHG’)THEY EVENTUALLY FIGURED IT OUT
<PCLASS=(‘W BLOCK PARAHG’)NOW THEY'RE MARRIED
<PCLASS=(‘W BLOCK PARAHG’)SO YES THERE IS HOPE FORTHERRESTOF US
<PCLASS=(‘W BLOCK PARAHG’)FOR EMMA THOUGH THE BIGGER STORYISWHAT HAPPENSWHEN YOU STOP LETTING OTHER PEOPLE'S EXPECTATIONS DETERMINEHOW MUCH ROOMYOU'RE ALLOWED TOTAKE UP
<PCLASS=(‘W BLOCK PARAHG’)BIG GIRLS STARTED AS APHRASE ON TIKTOK
<PCLASS=(‘W BLOCK PARAHG’)NOW IT'SBECOMMIG AWORLD OF ITS OWN
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