When Ashley Falcon shows up for work at one of the country's most popular fashion magazines, she is surrounded by beautiful women and designer clothing in tiny sizes, while her own closet is filled with plus-sized clothes. "I normally am the biggest girl in the room," says Ashley. The 21-year-old started as an intern at Marie Claire and now writes her own column. Her philosophy is simple: "I don't believe you have to be thin to wear fashionable clothes or to work in the fashion industry!" she explains.

The college student caught the attention of one of the editors while explaining how tough it is to find fashion-forward skirts and sweaters in her size. "I was like, 'I never find clothes, it's such an issue. I can't run in and pick up the latest trends so I kind of have to go to unconventional standards to find great pieces and shop everywhere.' She looked at me and said, 'You're going to write a column about this!'"

The result is "Big Girl In a Skinny World," appearing in the magazine and gaining a huge following online in a related blog, where Ashley connects with other plus-size women. "The key really is to not be afraid to shop. You have to go out there and try on 100 things and forget about size. Whatever works, works!" she says encouragingly. "The truth is, a lot of trends are made for very specific body types, but you can do hints of a trend."

Still, no matter your size, Ashley says it's important to keep it all in perspective. "Why am I going to focus on my weight? I'm focusing on the job that I love and the things that I'm trying to get to. This is such a small part of who I am," she says. "If I describe myself, I'm not going to say 'Well, I'm a fat girl,' No. I'm young, I'm independent, I go to school and I work, I love my family - and I'm chubby. So what?"