America's Next Top Model Winner: Whitney Thompson, "I'm totally confident."

Her favorite food is French fries. When she's not jet-setting across the globe as a model for Elite, she loves to play with her rescued Bassett Hound named Baxter. And she believes if you've got "it" --flaunt it!

Whitney Thompson, 21, is the latest winner of America's Next Top Model and Fashion Bug's new ambassador.

Thompson took some time recently to fill the Divas in on everything from her new life of as a busy model to the best holiday fashion tips for girls with curves!

Check it out...

Deal Diva Nicole: So Whitney, how's your career post-Top Model?

Whitney Thompson: Busy. I'm a normal working model in New York City. I go to castings and photo shoots everyday. It's just as exciting as it sounded before I won.

DD: You're a Florida girl, right? How has that influenced you as a model?

WT: I'm from Atlantic Beach, Florida. I'm a beach bum. I wear flip flops everyday and people in New York look at me like I'm crazy. But when someone else isn't dressing me, it's all about comfort.

DD: So tell us about your Fashion Bug campaign. Why did it appeal to you?

WT: I don't like to work with brands that I don't like to wear or use. I love Fashion Bug. It's great prices and great style. I have designers who send me $1,000 jeans and $500 dresses. But at the end of the day I'm not interested, if I don't look good or feel good in them.

DD: What are some holiday fashion tips you can share that will help our readers -- who aren't a size 2?

WT: It's important to accentuate your positives. I'm very curvy and I like waist belts and things that show off the bust.

You can do a lot of black over the holidays and pair it with chunky accessories. It's very slimming, but also sexy.

I also love pencil skirts.

DD: Really? A lot of people with curves might stray away from those.

WT: People think that something form fitting might be scary, but it shouldn't be. I see a lot of girls who are bigger try to wear bigger clothes to cover up their bodies. But it's quite the opposite. If you have curves you should wear form fitting clothes. If you have problem areas, like a tummy, maybe you go with a burgundy pencil skirt with a black top. Everybody has something on them they don't like. But if you cover up everything you're just going to look dumpy.

DD: What's your must-have Fashion Bug item?  

WT: Definitely the Right-Fit jeans (pictured left.) I've been in every single make that they have.  

DD: So what size do you really wear?

WT: 8 to 10.

DD: What's your take on the whole debate about whether or not a size 10 is truly a "plus-size." Do you consider yourself plus-size?

WT: I'm actually below average. But you know, in the fashion industry I am (plus-sized). But a size 6 is also considered plus-size. In real life, I'm absolutely not. I'm totally confident. I mean, I'm from the beach. I grew up wearing bikinis. I have no problem with that and frankly you look better in a bikini when you have breasts and a butt. That's just the bottom line.

DD: So what effect does your size have on your career?

WT: In the modeling industry I never feel like I'm the right size. Because I'm always too big or too small.

DD: Is it hard for you to actually keep on the pounds that make you a "plus-sized" model, since you're on the go so much?

WT: That's funny. I kinda thought that would happen when I moved to New York. But I haven't lost any weight. That's another thing I like about Fashion Bug -- they don't push me to gain or lose any weight. In other cases, I've been told I need to be a size 16. And I've said no. I'm not going to be unhealthy.

DD: How did you mentally prepare yourself for America's Next Top Model?

WT: I was in cycle 10, so I saw a lot of girls before me and I saw what they did wrong. I went in saying, "None of the clothes are going to fit me and people aren't going to be necessarily nice about it." So if they did fit me - great. If they didn't I knew it was coming. 

DD: How did you keep your morale amidst all those super-skinny girls?

WT: Well going into this I looked at statistics and I saw that over the majority of 9-year-old girls in this country have been on a diet. It's sickening. I went on the show with a greater purpose than just being pretty and winning. So, when I got beaten up or knocked down and thought I couldn't do it, I just thought to myself: "If I don't do it nobody else is going to do it."

DD: Ok, here are a couple questions from our readers...

Stephanie B wants to know if you received any backlash from the other girls on the show or if they were genuinely happy for your success?

WT: (Laughs) Yes, most of the girls have been really cool. The interesting thing though is that the girls who I was really close with during the show I've gotten the most backlash from. I really don't know why, something snapped I guess. A lot of them have gone off the deep-end.

DD: Oh really, how?

WT: I went out to breakfast with one of them recently and she said: "You know, you've gained a lot of weight since the show." I mean, obviously I was upset by this, but the fact is I haven't gained weight. So I just thought it was rude.

DD: Can you tell us who it is?

WT: (Laughs) I can't.

DD: Okay. Well, Marisol wants to know if you're booking only plus-size gigs or do your jobs run the gamut?

WT: I do all sorts of stuff. I've done some swimwear and some plus size. But for the most part I just do normal jobs -- whatever comes my way. I don't know what I'm going to be doing the next day until the night before when I get an e-mail from Elite. Like, if I'm flying to LA tomorrow, I won't know until about 7 p.m. tonight. It's great and it's fun, but it does make my life a little crazy.

DD: Last question: Who was more fabulous, Miss Jay or Mister Jay?

WT: Miss Jay. (Laughing) I love Miss Jay!

DD: Thanks Whitney and keep doing your thing girl!

~ Deal Diva Nicole

(pictures: courtesty Fashion Bug, AP)

Comments

[Deborah]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Deborah

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[RH]

A plus size is an 8 - 10? Just shoot me now!

[Karen]

Interesting interview. Loved the pictures.

There's also another, more detailed new interview with Whitney here:

http://www.judgmentofparis.com/whitney

She reveals a few secrets and surprises about the show, including scenes that never aired.

[KJ]

fyi..whitney is not thr ;atest winner, she was last cycles winner.

[Deal Diva Colleen]

An 8 or 10 is plus size?! Man, that's not cool.

[illiterategirl]

Ridiculous that she's considered "plus size." She's gorgeous and looks like an actual woman. G-d forbid.