IN my line of work as a fashion and beauty writer, I'm constantly surrounded by to-die-for bodies, pretty faces and gorgeous clothes that are not all made for women with real figures, mind you.

Yes, it can be a test to a person's confidence, if you're not a size zero. But do I let it stop me from enjoying fashion? Heck, no.

I'm a firm believer that women can be beautiful and stylish, regardless of size. The big girl may have to work just a lil' harder, but she can get there.

I know because I'm a real woman - all boobs, tummy and curves, my dress size fluctuating between a UK 18 at my heaviest to a UK 10.

Right now, I fit into a UK 12 on a good day and a UK 14 when I'm hormonal. But whatever size I'm at, I've never had a problem finding clothes or dressing thinner than I really am.

One of my favourite big girls is British model Sophie Dahl. While she's now a small UK size 8, she was the original plus-size icon when she was discovered years ago by the renowned Vogue stylist, the late Isabella Blow.

At a UK size 16, Dahl's sensual and voluptuous figure was a contrast to the waifish heroin chic embodied by Kate Moss in the Nineties. She wowed fashion greats like Karl Lagerfeld and Jean Paul Gaultier.

Then there was her controversial Opium fragrance ad for French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent in 2000, with her milky and lush figure appearing in naked glory, in nothing more than a string of pearls and stilettos.

Designer Tom Ford, then creative director for the house, said: 'I wanted someone who looks like she's had too much of everything - too much food, too much sex, too much love. I mean this is a woman who does not deny herself anything.'

Just as sexy is domestic goddess Nigella Lawson who makes eating look so sensual and orgasmic.

She often shows off her ample hourglass figure in corseted dresses, short denim jackets, fitted sweaters and knee-length skirts, and nobody would dare think her frumpy or matronly.

For younger women, actress Kelly Osbourne's eclectic sense of style shows strong character. Whether in goth getup or minimalist dress, she adds her own spin with a quirky accessory, like funky shoes, bag or outlandish hairband.

Embrace the curves

These mighty Aphrodites are no shy wallflowers and are inspirational to plus-size girls because they embrace their curves, not hide them, and you can tell they enjoy their fashion.

Being plus-size can actually help, not hamper you from being stylish, says Daniel Goh, editor-in-chief of fashion magazine Citizen K.

'Most runway trends are indeed made for skinny women. It does force bigger lasses to sift through each season's trends to find what works for them, instead of following fashion blindly. And when you have to find styling solutions that work for you, you do end up with a less cookie cutter look, and you find a personal style.'

Designers like Tommy Hilfiger and Liz Claiborne have launched lines tailored to bigger builds. Italian label and sister brand to fashion house MaxMara, Marina Rinaldi (in Singapore, the boutique is at Forum) also caters to plus sizes.

High street labels like Dorothy Perkins carry affordable (from $50 for a top, $60 for pants) and trendy clothes up to UK size 20, and others like Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Warehouse are now stocking more clothes in UK size 16.

Mr Goh said: 'Wear colour. Have a sense of humour and irony and always bring something of yourself to an outfit.'

This silver dress is about bearing just enough skin, not too much. Avoid looking blockish and add that subtle sexiness to your gorgeous self by not covering yourself up from head to toe.

Big girls don't always have to go black. Add some colour by sticking to a monochrome dress. Vertical pleats give an elongated look while the belt complements your curves, giving you a silhouette and a figure.

The cropped leather jacket is something Nigella Lawson would wear. Create a silhouette and some shape if you have an hourglass figure.