ABC News’ Felicia Patinkin reports:

H&M made headlines last month when it featured plus-size model Jennie Runk in its new swimwear ad campaign.

In an industry where swimwear is traditionally modeled by willowy or waifish models, Runk’s appearance in the retailer’s general –not plus-size — swimsuit campaign sent a strong message.

Runk, 24, is 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and wears size 12 or 14.

MORE: Abercrombie & Fitch Faces Protests, Backlash for Not Selling Larger Sizes

In an open letter this week posted on her Facebook page, and reprinted by the U.K.’s BBC News, Runk railed against the general obsession with size.

“People assume plus equates to fat, which in turn equates to ugly. This is completely absurd because many women who are considered plus-sized are actually in line with the American average,” she wrote.

Runk, who was discovered when she was 13 years old, had a choice to lose weight and remain a size 4 or gain weight and kick-start her career as a plus-size model.

“I knew I was going to end up gaining weight anyway,” she said in an interview with ABC News’ Bianna Golodryga that aired today on “Good Morning America.” “I was getting hips, I was growing into a woman, so I figured it was easier.”

That kind of confidence has served her well in an industry where some retailers – most recently Abercrombie & Fitch – don’t even offer clothing in her size.

Asked how she avoided negative thoughts about her body, Runk said: “I am the only one who can judge me. My opinion is the only one that matters when it comes to me.”

Runk credits her success to the many other so-called plus-size models who blazed the trial before her, including Robyn Lawley, designer Ralph Lauren’s first plus-size model.

“I met a lot of them and they taught me a lot of what I know now,” Runk said.

Runk hopes she has helped start a conversation that may change attitudes about beauty and the so-called “mean girl” culture that sometimes comes along with  it.

RELATED: Plus-Size Blogger Brittany Gibbons on a Bikini Mission

“Our bodies are built to be naturally different sizes,” she said. “To denote any of these body types negatively is only hurting all of us, because that’s where you get girls of one body type slamming another to make themselves feel better.”

Add Kirstie Alley to the list of Abercrombie & Fitch critics who take exception to the company’s refusal to carry clothing in larger sizes.

The Former “Cheers” actress and “Dancing With the Stars” competitor slammed the store Tuesday, telling “Entertainment Tonight” she would “never buy anything from Abercrombie.”

The popular casual-clothing retailer is under fire for filling its shelves with products for the smallest of customers.

Protestors gathered outside the retailer’s Michigan Avenue store in Chicago Monday, outraged about the store’s not carrying clothes in a size 14,  the size worn by the average U.S. woman. Plus-size shoppers now make up 67 percent of U.S. consumers.

“It’s body discrimination, and it’s bullying and it encourages bullying,” Cali Lindstrom, a former Abercrombie & Fitch customer, told ABC News.

The backlash is growing online on Twitter and Facebook, and several petitions on Change.org urge people not to shop at Abercrombie & Fitch until the New Albany, Ohio-based retailer starts carrying larger sizes.

One YouTube user started a “Fitch the Homeless Campaign,” asking customers to rebrand the popular retailer by giving their Abercrombie & Fitch clothes to the homeless.

An ABC News report last week revealed that the trendy retailer carries mostly double-zero and extra-small sizes inside its New York City flagship store. There was no clothing for women in sizes larger than a 10, and salespeople at the store confirmed that Abercrombie doesn’t carry XL or XXL sizes for women.

Andrea Neusner and her three daughters are taking more extreme measures to show their dissatisfaction with the retailer. They’re sending every article of clothing they’ve ever bought from the store back to its outspoken and controversial CEO, Mike Jeffries.

MORE: Small Sizes an Overweight Distraction for Abercrombie & Fitch

Jeffries has not commented on the recent controversy but has been forthright in the about not wanting any customers who don’t fit the cool, young and sexy demographic the company targets.

Jeffries gave a 2006 interview to Salon magazine in which he said the store goes after “the attractive, all-American kid … A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.”

The retailer declined to comment on the protests.

Nicole Patrick, who was among the protestors in Chicago, said she is hurt by the exclusion.

“As a woman who cannot shop in Abercrombie, it’s extremely hurtful to hear that I’m not cool,” she said. “I think I’m really cool and so does my daughter.”

In addition to sending back her children’s clothes, Neusner also wrote a letter to Jeffries explaining her decision.

“My kids have been wearing [Abercrombie & Fitch] clothes for a long time … now we can make an informed choice not to shop there,” she told ABC News. “I didn’t want my kids being walking billboards for them but I didn’t want to throw [the clothes] away. I wanted the company to know how I felt about them.”

ABC News’ Linsey Davis reports:

Blowout bars offer no cutting or coloring of hair in their salons, just washing and blowing it out. But they’ve become all the rage because they tend to be cheaper and faster than a full-service salon.

A typical blowout costs $35, and many women go as often as three times a week, which, once you add tax and tip, could cost you $500 a month, or $6,000 a year.

RELATED: ‘Blowout Junkies’ Spend Thousands on Perfect Hair

But as initially reported by Doree Lewak of the New York Post, there’s a new upscale salon in New York that is creating a way for husbands to make themselves extra-useful at home, by offering blow drying classes that teach men how to style their wives’ hair.

The new beauty school begs the question of whether this can actually be a way to save money.

Arsen Gurgov came up with the idea to teach a class at New York City’s posh Louis Licari Salon, where your husband can learn how to blow out your hair. But six, two-hour classes will cost you $2,400.

“Hold the hair onto the brush, hold it loose, not so tight,” Gurgov explains to one of his clients, husband Jeff Langberg, at his second class.

Langberg, an investment banker, says the most difficult part of learning how to properly blow out his wife’s hair is, “Making sure I don’t burn her.”

RELATED: Rachel Zoe Details New Blow-Dry Bar for Fast Hair Styling

But Gurgov says it all comes down to learning how to wield a 2,000-watt machine in one hand and a hair brush in the other.

Client Langberg said, “It’s just doing stuff together. It’s another activity.”

And a blowout alone can cost you $85 or more in New York (versus about $35 at a blowout bar), so perhaps there is really something to be said in the long run for training your husband in hairstyling.

InStyle magazine showed “GMA” how to incorporate the movie’s style into everyday life.  If you’ve ever wanted to channel a flapper, check out these lavish looks inspired by the film.

“Gatsby”-Inspired Looks

Beaded Top and Pants

Sabine beaded top, $89; piperlime.com

H&M cream wide leg pant, $49.99; at H&M

ShoeDazzle shoe, $43.95; shoedazzle.com

Echo fringe scarf, $38; echodesign.com

Charming Charlie pearls, $15; charmingcharlie.com

R.J. Graziano crystal bracelet, $75; rjgraziano.com

REVIEW: Is ‘The Great Gatsby’ Worth All the Hype?

Gown With Beaded Neckline

Jovani black dress with embellished neckline, $460; jovani.com

IMAN Global Chic necklace, $69.95; HSN.com

LEATHEROCK belt, $124; leatherock.com

Century 21 department store bracelets, $9-$19; c21stores.com

Badgley Mischka Monique heels, $98.97; piperlime.com

Beaded Dress

Unique Vintage beaded dress, $278; Uniquevintage.com

Ivanka Trump sandal, $84; shoes.com

Claire’s headband, $8.50; claires.com

Carolee bracelets, $65; carolee.com

Vogue

Model Kate Upton is known for her lush curves. Her figure has brought her fame, but it’s also brought its share of detractors who don’t believe she has a traditional model’s body.

Some of those detractors have even labeled her fat.

But Upton’s career has not suffered. In fact, the 20-year-old model appears on the cover of the May issue of Vogue magazine. This is Upton’s first time snagging the cover of the influential high-fashion publication, and in an interview with the magazine, the two-time Sports Illustrated cover girl acknowledged that the criticism took its toll on her.

RELATED: ‘Skinny’ Blogger Under Fire for Calling Kate Upton Fat ‘Piggie’

“It was hard at first,” Upton told Vogue. “You sit there and you’re like ‘Is something wrong with me?’”

When she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s special swimsuit issue earlier this year, she wore a bikini bottom and hooded parka that was opened to reveal much of her celebrated cleavage. Many asked if she was too fat.

Last year a blogger was lambasted when she likened the curvy model to a cow and a pig, adding that Upton had “huge thighs, NO waist, big fat floppy boobs, terrible body definition.”

The fashion industry rushed to Upton’s defense, swiftly condemning the blogger’s harsh words.

MORE: Kate Upton Graces Cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Edition

“She’s basically saying this is me, this is who I am. Take it or leave it,” Cynthia Bailey, CEO of the Bailey School of Fashion, told ABC News. “But I’m going to make you take it because I’m going to make you guys love me.”

Upton told Vogue that she learned to accept herself for who she is.

“The things that they’re rejecting are things that I can’t change,” she said. “I can’t change my bra size. They’re natural! I can work out and I can stay healthy and motivated, but I can’t change some things. I really just live my life. I love my body. It’s what God gave me! I feel confident with myself, and if that inspires other women to feel confident with their bodies, great.”

PHOTOS: Stars’ Sexy Magazine Shoots

“Her body is the epitome of healthy-looking,” said Bailey. “I mean, she’s got curves. She looks like what most women look like.”

Upton has also found a certain humor in the whole situation.

“It’s kind of funny to think, ‘Oh, wow, the news is talking about whether I’m fat or not,’” she added.

Upton also said she would like to have her own lingerie line and develop her fledgling movie career.

The Vogue issue featuring Upton on the cover hits newsstands on May 21.

Jennifer Aniston’s hair started one of the biggest style trends in America.

In the 1990s, Aniston’s haircut, called “The Rachel,” named after her character on “Friends,” became one of the most imitated hairstyles of all time.

“It gave women the opportunity to feel effervescent and bubbly and excited and still be found attractive,” celebrity stylist and product developer  Josh Rosebrook  told ABC News.

Now, the 44-year-old actress is opening up and revealing the truth behind the cut that changed everything, including her, in her new Living Proof webisode called “Good Hair Day.”

Stylist to the stars Chris McMillan created the look because, he says, Aniston’s hair was long and frizzy.

“Cut the bottom, layered it from existing bangs to bottom, took a bobby pin, pinned it over and blew it out smooth,” McMillan explains in the video.

“And you know what happened after that …” Aniston replied, jokingly.

Aniston confesses she finds the obsession with her hair surprising, because she had an unmanageable mane.

“It’s one of those things I think is hysterical,” she said. “That me of all people, who grew up with the worst hair, is known for that.”

And Aniston acknowledges how important hair is to a woman’s self-esteem.

“I think good hair days matter to women because we’re women,” she said in the webisode. “Our hair means something to us. It just does.”

The “Friends” star even confessed  to Allure magazine in 2011, “I think it was the ugliest cut I’ve ever seen.”

At the time, McMillan and Aniston didn’t know they were about to create a phenomenon.

“It’s amazing what a haircut can do,” he said.

“They came to you, and then all of a sudden everybody started coming in with this flicky, flicky hairdo and I was like, ‘What’s happening?!” Aniston says, laughing.

Sasha/Getty Images

Layers of sequins and metallic details adorned dresses which were designed with pleats and fringed skirts to allow for greater range of motion. This allowed wearers to perform the popular dance moves like the Charleston, practiced at night in venues from speakeasies to mansions.

General Photographic Agency/Getty Images

As the decade advanced, so did women’s hemlines.

Ruth Harriet Louise/Getty Images

General Photographic Agency/Getty Images

Women cut their hair shorter in bob cuts and curled it with irons, tucked into their cloche hats or adorned with art deco jewelry and hairpieces. Accent pieces such as anklets were popular as well.

Sasha, General Photographic Agency/Getty Images

Makeup could be applied more dramatically, specifically dark eyeliner and blush.

Edward Thayer Monroe/John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images

Dresses were cut to mask the female form not enhance it, with drop waists and no corset.

Sasha/Getty Images

Sasha/Getty Images

A spirit of opulence and frivolity was well reflected in the clothing worn at this time.

Image credit: Claudio Villa/Getty Images

Ottavio Missoni, the head of the Italian fashion brand known by its iconic zigzag prints, died today at age 92.

The world-famous fashion designer and company’s co-founder, called Tai by friends and family, “passed away serenely” in his home in Sumirago, Italy, surrounded by family, according to a statement issued by Missoni S.p.A., The Associated Press reported.

The Italian fashion house Missoni built became internationally known for its zigzag-patterned knitwear and bright colorful designs, a favorite of elite and celebrities alike, from Madonna to Kate Moss and Jennifer Lopez.

His death comes four months after his son, Vittorio Missoni, an executive at the family business, went missing. The plane carrying Vittori, his wife and other passengers disappeared in January after takeoff in the Caribbean, setting off a failed search-and-rescue effort.

WATCH: Vittorio Missoni’s Plane Vanishes Off Coast of Venezuela

The mysterious disappearance of Vittorio Missoni, who was credited with turning his father’s fashion house into a global empire, shocked the close-knit Missoni clan, who refused to give up hope. Their plane was never found.

Born in 1921 in the Republic of Ragusa, Ottavio Missoni was first heralded for his athleticism. At 16, the track-and-field star was the youngest athlete to ever compete for the Italian national team, according to the Missoni website. His first fashion venture was a line of knit track suits, which became the official uniform for the Italian Athletics Team at the 1948 London Olympics. Missoni competed at the games and was a finalist in the 400-meter hurdles.

In 1953, he founded the company with his wife, Rosita. The two presented their first collection in 1958, and gained international recognition at a showcase in Paris in 1967.

PHOTOS: In Memoriam – Ottavio Missoni, Founder of Iconic Italian Fashion House, Dies at 92

The Missonis built their main factory in Sumirago because Ottavio Missoni preferred “to work in a place considered ideal for passing the weekend,” according to the company.

The rest is fashion history. Today, the company sells not only apparel, but accessories and fragrances. Its products are sold all across the world from Asia to the United Arab Emirates and the United States

Missoni’s work – from patchwork tapestries to sweaters bearing his zigzag stitching – has been displayed at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum in New York in a retrospective for his 25^th anniversary and, most recently, in a 2012 exhibition in Maribor, Slovenia, where he was hailed as the “genius of color.”

He is survived by wife Rosita, daughter Angela, son Luca, and grandchildren, according to the AP.

READ MORE: Target Says Missoni Collection a ‘Hit’

ABC News’ Rebecca Jarvis reports:

Go to your nearest Abercrombie & Fitch, and you’re likely to find shirtless salesmen and the latest distressed denim. But if you’re looking for a women’s extra-large blouse, you’ll be out of luck. The trendy retailer apparently doesn’t want your business.

Critics have lambasted the popular casual-wear chain for eschewing clothes for overweight shoppers.

Robin Lewis, co-author of “The New Rules of Retail (2010),” says it’s all part of CEO Mike Jeffries’ master plan to cultivate what he considers cool.

“He’s been very, very successful, so he doesn’t want anybody in the store that doesn’t fit that cool, young and sexy definition,” Lewis told ABC News.

According to a University of Oregon Investment Group stock report, “Abercrombie & Fitch targets young adults aged 18-22 and sells jeans, dress shirts, shorts, fragrances, and a number of other products for both men and women.”

To get a closer look, ABC News visited the Abercrombie flagship store in New York City, where the company was founded 121 years ago, to see whether it offered something for the average woman, a size 14 in the United States.

But after scanning multiple shelves and racks, most of the sizes displayed were double-zeros and extra-smalls, with a couple of large tops and size 10 pants. Salespeople said A&F doesn’t carry XL or XXL for women.

A representative for the New Albany, Ohio-based retailer declined to comment, but in a 2006 interview, CEO Jeffries told Salon magazine, “We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.”

But author Lewis says it’s a model that might not fit the future. Plus-size shoppers now make up 67 percent of consumers.

“He is a brilliant visionary,” Lewis said. “He really crystallized this core consumer he was going after. I think the young people today want cool, but as they define it themselves.”

From Dove’s Real Beauty campaign highlighting heavier women, to H&M’s inclusion of plus-size swimsuit model Jennie Runk, many other brands are embracing that individualism and making their clothes more accessible.

Rival retailers H&M and American Eagle, for instance, carry sizes up to 16 and 18. The largest at Abercrombie & Fitch is a 10.

ABC News’ Abbie Boudreau and Bethany Owings report:

Eyelash extensions are among the hottest new trends out of Hollywood, but some experts warn that there are risks.

Actress Kristin Chenoweth had an allergic reaction, joking with David Letterman while wearing sunglasses during an interview shortly after the procedure, “It looks like I have lips on my eyelids.”

Experts say eyelash extensions are typically made out of synthetic fibers that are glued to the natural eyelashes, many times with formaldehyde-based adhesives, which can cause allergic reactions for some.

And Consumer Reports is warning women this week that longer lashes might not be worth it.

“The hidden dangers with eyelash extensions include infection, allergic reaction, irritation and loss of your natural lashes,” Dr. Orly Avitzur, a Tarrytown, N.Y.,  neurologist and medical adviser to Consumer Reports, told ABC News.

Tiffany Howard, a mother of two, got eyelash extensions to achieve superstar Adele’s popular cat-eye look.

“I wanted to feel that if I walked out of the house with nothing else, my eyes looked good,” Howard, 44, of Encino, Calif., said.

At first, she loved her new lashes, but then they started growing out.

“I needed to take them out and, when I did, unfortunately, out came my lashes with my extensions,” Howard said.

Dr. Neda Shamie, an associate professor of ophthalmology at Doheny Eye Institute in Beverly Hills, Calif., said, “Any chemical exposure to the cornea being so fragile in some ways or susceptible to scarring and irritations and infection, it could be harmful.”

But the Association for Damage-Free Eyelash Extensions defends the practice, saying, “Properly applied eyelash extensions are not dangerous,” and that the “adhesive should not contain formaldehyde,” and “hypoallergenic adhesives are available.”

Howard’s lashes eventually grew back, although she says the beauty treatment was “absolutely not” worth it.