Queen of Curves: How Instagram sensation Abigail Ratchford is creating a style empire
The stunning social media star reveals how she keeps her body in amazing shape, why guys should be more old-school, and why you should go after successful women.
Model Abigail Ratchford is ready to put a move on you.
And millions of other people.
The 5’8” bombshell and self-crowned “queen of curves” has dominated Instagram, putting together stunning photo shoots on her way to nearly 7 million loyal followers.
The Scranton native left her hometown to make it big in Los Angeles in 2014—and since arriving, that’s exactly what she’s done. Ratchford now rubs elbows with celebrities like Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and shows off her glamorous lifestyle on Instagram and Snapchat with perfectly snapped selfies and revealing photo shoots. And while those posts—those glorious, sun-drenched posts—are an important part of Ratchford’s brand (and helped launch her career), she’s not done breaking hearts just yet.
Now, she wants her own fashion empire.
“I want to have my own brand and do beauty, lingerie, and come out with other products,” Ratchford told Men’s Fitness. “I want to eventually move towards a big company or some different businesses. I’ve produced calendars and skate decks and I have really great fans that are super loyal to me. I want to make some big moves this year.”
Ratchford’s favorite posts are the ones where she gets to use her imagination. Her first calendar, she says, had an “iconic” theme: Ratchford recreated shoots of famous beauties like Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe.
Her second calendar got a little more fantastical. “My favorite shots from this past year were for my calendar,” Ratchford said. “We had lots of props and different things brought in—like a white horse, a unicorn, giant tea cups, a big martini glass—that was really fun. It felt like I was in some type of dream world when I did that shoot.”
Ratchford spoke to Men’s Fitness about what guys can do to be more confident, why guys sometimes should put down the phone, and how she stays in shape.
MEN’S FITNESS: What do you think guys underestimate about a successful woman like yourself, and other women who are successful?
ABIGAIL RATCHFORD: Sometimes guys get a little bit intimidated if a girl gets a lot of attention or is successful in their field. Or they think they may not be as much of a man if a girl has her own stuff going on in her own life. But I don’t think that’s right. I think a girl who is successful and has her own life and own goals and ambitions, I think she’d want—at least it sems this way to me—a guy who’s just as ambitious and successful. I wouldn’t want a guy who has nothing going on, or who I could walk all over. Sometimes guys have in their head that the girl is going to be a total dictator and is going to want to call the shots. I think that’s a big misconception, and that’s not true at all.
How can guys be more confident when it comes to dating, women, and relationships?
I think the more time that you spend on yourself—it sounds a little selfish—but sometimes you have to be selfish to put your best foot forward. I think whatever it is that you do, whether it be career-wise or your passion or your hobbies, if you’re a single guy you’re looking to make yourself more confident and more attractive to the opposite sex, really just invest in yourself. Take some time and don’t even worry about girls. Go in the gym and kill it, spend extra time in the office and really just build yourself up. And I feel like then you will come across as super-confident and successful and attractive all on your own and that will bring along the right person at the right time.
What’s the first thing you notice about a guy? What do you look for in a guy when you’re dating?
I think someone who doesn’t really try too hard or doesn’t seem—I don’t want to use the word thirsty—but I just like guys who are more laid back. I don’t like that aggressive or desperation type, I’d rather have someone who is funny and has a sense of humor and just is quiety confident. Someone who isn’t trying to put on a front to impress me.
What do you wish guys did more of these days in relationships?
I feel like sometimes guys get like too lazy because of social media. Sometimes it’s nice having a phone conversation with somebody instead of just texting all the time. It’s fine to just text in the beginning when you’re getting to know each other. But every now and then it’s nice to pick up the phone and have a conversation instead of just clicking on your keyboard. Put in more old-school effort. Also: make sure you surprise girls, and do things not so expected. Do things more like people were doing before social media existed.
What makes a guy attractive with the way he dresses to you?
I like guys who don’t really try too hard. I’m not saying walk around in flannel and hoodies all the time, but I don’t like guys who take out every single expensive item they own to put together an outfit. I like more mixing and matching, maybe nice jeans with a sweater or a polo—that understated kind of style.
What are your biggest do’s and don’ts for social media?
Everybody has their own rules, but for me, I always wanted to be more than just Instagram posts. I want to have my own brand and I want to make money from my own stuff. I like to promote my own products and build my own brand. I don’t really like to do endorsement stuff on Instagram. That’s just what I like, but there’s nothing wrong if anyone else does that.
What do you eat to help you stay in shape? What’s your favorite cheat meal?
I love green juices and smoothies. Sometimes I’ll put some protein powder in the morning—I feel like the mix of vegetables, and vitamins and stuff that’s in them, really gives me a lot of energy in the morning. I love BBQ food—my ultimate cheat is a pulled pork sandwich, sweet potato fries, and macaroni and cheese from this great place in LA.
What’s your fitness routine like?
Initially, I made the mistake that a lot of girls do and I was only doing cardio. I just really didn’t see too much change in my body. I’ve been listening to my girlfriends who are in great shape and they say you have to do weight training, you have to go in and do squats. That’s my new thing—I’ve been doing some resistance training, circuit training, and also pilates, I feel like that keeps you long and lean.
When you were younger, what did you seek in a career?
When I was younger wanted to be a veterinarian. I was obsessed with dogs, and I could name every breed of dog by the time I was, like, 6. I don’t know what changed my mind—I still love animals—but I had really bad allergies, so I had to be careful with what kind of dogs I was around. Then I wanted to be a news anchor or a weather woman or something like that.
What’s some of the best advice you’ve gotten or heard of in your career?
I saw a quote recently: “If the plan doesn’t work, then change the plan, but never change the goal.” So many times, things didn’t work out the way I wanted or something like that, or I was more behind than where I started, but I never changed the goal, so I’d tell myself that. Sometimes you need to alter your plan of action, but don’t ever let a failed plan change an ultimate goal.
