Strength, defined by Abby Hoy:
I’ve learned to love who I am. I like to put out the message that femininity is still as strong as hell…. And I like to spread the message that academic intelligence and emotional intelligence can exist in a fat-wrapped package.
When Abby Hoy landed her first job—the day after graduating from college, “Something that never happens, right?,” she admits with a laugh—she immediately needed a business casual wardrobe.
“I didn’t own a dress—just black pants and v-necks,” she says. “I had about $90 to my name, so I bought a bunch of pieces to mix and match.”
She started gleaning clearance racks and thrift stores, then she discovered dress swaps. The community theatre where she worked had dance-studio style mirrors, so she started taking pictures of her outfits every day and posting them online.
That was about eight years ago. Today, Hoy’s messages are resounding more than ever with her 91k+ Instagram followers and a TikTok audience of 36k+.
“It started with being fat-positive,” says Hoy, 29, who goes by the handle Penny Darling, based upon a pseudonym she dreamed up back in middle school.
“But now, I’m trying to shift away from fashion. I advocate for body-positivity, fat-positivity, and mental health—all three,” Hoy says.
There’s also a dash of the theatrical. Well, maybe more than a dash.
“I have a vibrant personality … I like to say I exist loudly. And everything good that’s happened to me, has happened through the theatre,” says Hoy. “I met my husband while doing a show, we were engaged at a theatre, and married at a theatre.”
Hoy, who grew up in Reading, now calls Harrisburg home with husband Preston. And you might call him Penny Darling’s best supporting actor. Not only does he play a starring role in many of her photos and posts, but he’s often the one behind the camera.
This plus-sized social media darling is also on the brink of becoming a published author. Hoy’s first book, “Yes, You Can Wear That” is coming out this fall via publishing giant Simon & Schuster.
The title comes from conversations Hoy frequently has with her mother.
“Fat women often feel limited in what fat women can wear,” Hoy says. “My Mom will call me and ask, ‘Can I wear yellow?’ or ‘Can I wear skinny jeans?’ and my response is always, ‘Yes, you can wear that.’”
Hoy says her goal in writing the book is to “change personal narratives” about fashion.
“People will tell me I’m brave to wear shorts. And I say, ‘No, I’m not brave—ER workers are brave.’ I’m wearing shorts because it’s normal to wear shorts in the summer when it’s hot,” Hoy says.
