Lydia Hudgens on Plus: Expanding the Frame, Body Confidence, and Meaningful Representation

Some collaborations come full circle. Before becoming the celebrated photographer and creative voice behind Plus: Expanding the Frame, Lydia Hudgens first connected with Curvy Couture as an influencer, sharing her perspective on confidence, fashion, and representation. Years later, we’re reconnecting to celebrate the launch of her book — a powerful tribute to the beauty, individuality, and stories of curvy bodies.

At Curvy Couture, we share Lydia’s belief that confidence starts with feeling supported, celebrated, and represented. Together we’ll explore conversations inspired by the book, from body confidence and meaningful representation to the role that fashion, fit, and self-expression play in helping women embrace every curve.

What inspired you to create Plus: Expanding the Frame?

I was originally approached by Smith Street Books to create Plus: Expanding the Frame, but the idea of making a book centered around plus-size representation was something I had thought about before. With Smith Street, I felt genuinely supported. They understood the larger vision of my work and the kind of imagery I had been creating throughout my career.

For the past 10 to 15 years, so much of my work has been rooted in fashion, beauty, confidence, and representation. I’ve worked with publications and brands including InStyle, Teen Vogue, Anthropologie, Eloquii, Bombas, Simply Be, Catherine’s, Premme, Dia & Co, and 11 Honoré. A lot of my career has intersected with the plus-size fashion space, whether through photography, creative direction, content creation, or my own experiences in front of the camera.

On a personal level, I know what it feels like to grow up in a body that did not always feel seen or supported. I was always on the curvier side, regardless of my weight, and when I was younger, I did not see much imagery that reflected me in a way that felt aspirational, beautiful, or considered. That lack of representation stayed with me.

I was also inspired by the plus-size women and industry leaders I watched shape the conversation over the years — people like Nicolette Mason, Gabi Fresh, Kelly Augustine, Kelly Brown, Chastity Garner, and so many others who helped expand what visibility could look like.

So when the opportunity came to create this book, it felt aligned. It was not just about making a beautiful photography book. It was about continuing a conversation that has shaped so much of my life and career, while contributing something lasting to the larger conversation around beauty, body image, and representation.

Do you think there is pressure on plus-size women to feel confident all the time?

I do think there is pressure, and it can be complicated. Plus-size women are often expected to either shrink themselves or perform confidence in a way that feels almost superhuman. A lot of people in larger bodies have heard comments like, “I love how confident you are,” or “I don’t know if I could be that confident.” Even when those comments are meant as compliments, there is often an underlying assumption that confidence is surprising in a plus-size body.

That creates pressure from both sides. If you are confident, stylish, charismatic, and self-assured, you can be treated as an exception. If you are not feeling confident, or if you are simply existing casually and not presenting yourself in a polished way, there can also be judgment. It can feel like society expects plus-size people to either be invisible or inspirational, with very little room to simply be human.

To me, confidence is not about loving every part of yourself every second of the day. Some days you feel powerful. Other days you may feel disconnected, frustrated, or neutral. A more realistic relationship with your body allows for fluctuation, grace, and respect.

What does meaningful representation look like in fashion imagery?

Meaningful representation means representation across the board. In fashion, we have historically been used to seeing a very narrow range of bodies. From my experience in the industry, “straight size” is typically around a 0 to 6. The “curve” category often sits around a 6 to 12 or 14, and plus-size representation usually starts around a 14 and up. But even within plus-size representation, there is still a lot of limitation.

I would love to see more representation across the full spectrum, especially larger bodies. I would love to see more brands using models above a size 18, because that is still something we do not see enough of. Around 2019 and 2020, it felt like the industry was expanding in a meaningful way, but in the past few years, I do feel like there has been a noticeable downtick.

With the rise of GLP-1 medications and the renewed cultural focus on weight loss, it feels like some of the progress around visible size diversity has softened. A lot of the representation we do see now is still concentrated in a smaller curve range, rather than showing the full range of plus-size bodies.

To me, meaningful representation is not just about placing one plus-size model in a campaign. It is about treating that person with the same level of care, creativity, styling, lighting, and intention as anyone else. Plus-size people deserve imagery that is editorial, romantic, glamorous, sexy, commercial, soft, powerful, and artistic. Sometimes the most powerful thing is simply allowing someone to exist beautifully.

As a photographer, how do you help someone feel genuinely seen?

The biggest thing is allowing the person in front of the camera to feel like they are not a problem to solve. There is beauty in every single person, regardless of size, shape, or how comfortable they feel being photographed. When someone comes to set feeling nervous or unsure, I want them to feel guided, considered, and supported.

Feeling comfortable in front of the camera takes time. It does not always happen immediately, and that is something I talk about often in my posing classes. The more you are in front of the camera, the more comfortable you become. But it also matters who is guiding you through that process.

A photographer has a huge influence on whether someone feels seen. It is not just about knowing flattering angles. It is about communication, pacing, creating trust, and helping someone understand how small adjustments can completely change an image. The goal is not to force confidence. The goal is to create space for someone to settle into themselves and see themselves in a way that maybe feels different from how they arrived.

What did the people featured in the book teach you about beauty and self-image?

Many of the people featured in Plus: Expanding the Frame are close friends, models I have worked with for years, or people who have become close to me through the process of photographing them. Some were people I had tested with, some had hired me in the past, and some were people whose work and presence I had admired for a long time.

I do not know that they taught me one single lesson as much as they grounded me in the importance of this kind of representation. So many of the people in the book are incredibly beautiful, self-assured, talented, and present, and yet I still feel like many of them do not get the visibility or opportunities they deserve.

Photographing them reminded me that beauty is not one thing. It is not one body type, one size, one age, one style, or one kind of confidence. Some people bring softness. Some bring strength. Some bring glamour. Some bring humor, vulnerability, or stillness. I think there is something really powerful in that kind of self-assuredness.

What are your tips for feeling more confident in front of the camera?

One of the biggest things is trying to move away from the idea that your body is something you have to shrink or control. A lot of people become very focused on what their body is doing, when often the bigger issue is how the clothing is fitting, how the body is positioned in relation to the camera, and how the person is being guided.

I always tell people to think less about how their body fits into clothing and more about how the clothing is fitting their body. If something is too tight, too constricting, or constantly needs adjusting, that is not a failure of your body. Sometimes it simply means the garment is not the right fit, cut, or size.

From a posing perspective, small technical adjustments can make a huge difference. Posture, stance, perspective to camera, and creating shape all matter. A lot of people instinctively shrink in front of the camera, but often a stronger image comes from creating shape — placing a hand at the waist, elongating a leg, creating an S-curve, shifting weight, or allowing more space between the arms and body.

Movement also helps. You do not have to know how to pose perfectly right away. Sometimes confidence builds through the process.

What role can fit, lingerie, and styling play in confidence?

Fit, lingerie, and styling are huge components of confidence. If your clothing does not fit properly, it can be easy to internalize that as something being wrong with your body, when really it is about the garment. The clothing should be working for your body, not making you feel like your body is the issue.

Lingerie is a major part of that, especially bras. When you are wearing the right bra size and shape for your body, you feel more held and supported. It changes how your clothing sits, but it also changes how much mental energy you spend adjusting yourself or feeling uncomfortable. Proper fit is not about fixing the body. It is about allowing the body to feel supported and considered.

That is why brands like Curvy Couture are important. When intimates are made with fit, support, and a wider range of bodies in mind, it can directly affect how someone feels in their clothing and in themselves.

Styling also gives people room to express who they are. For a long time, I stayed in a narrower lane with my own personal style. I wore a lot of black and did not experiment as much. But through photographing plus-size influencers and creatives, many of whom are featured in the book, I felt inspired by the way they used fashion. The more you allow yourself to experiment, the more you learn what feels like you.

What changes would you like to see in fashion and beauty?

I would like to see the fashion and beauty industries care more consistently. Around 2019 and 2020, it felt like we were seeing a high point for representation. More brands were expanding size ranges, including plus-size models, and participating in conversations around body diversity. It felt inspiring.

Now, it feels like we are seeing some of that progress pull back. That is why it matters to support brands that continue to show up for plus-size people and larger bodies, rather than treating representation as a trend.

There are still so many brands creating oversized silhouettes, relaxed fits, and flexible shapes, but not offering them in plus sizes. That tells me the issue is not always design capability. Often, it is care. Plus-size people want beautiful clothing, options, lingerie that fits, fashion that feels current, and imagery that reflects them with the same creativity and respect given to smaller bodies.

There is a larger cultural conversation happening around weight loss right now, but that does not erase the work that has been done through body positivity, fat representation, and fat activism. At the end of the day, people deserve respect, care, beauty, and access regardless of their size, shape, or relationship to their body.

Representation matters because people matter. When we show a wider range of bodies with intention and respect, we help create a world where more people can feel seen, considered, and worthy exactly as they are.

Lydia Hudgens reminds us that representation is about more than visibility. It is about creating space for people to feel seen, supported, and celebrated. Through Plus: Expanding the Frame, she encourages us to rethink beauty, confidence, and the stories we tell through fashion and imagery. At Curvy Couture, we are proud to support that vision by creating intimates designed to help women feel comfortable, confident, and supported at every stage of their journey. Because when women feel seen and supported, they are empowered to embrace every curve and express themselves with confidence.