The 7 Most Inspiring Moments From theCURVYcon

High-energy shows kicked off the weekend, featuring Fall styles from Target and Macy's. Target also debuted an exclusive one-day boutique selling lucky guests select pieces from the highly anticipated Target XXO Collection, which revives styles from its past designer collaborations.

As for the trends that had us feeling excited for sweater weather? Deep greens, animal-print everything, and boots that could've walked right out of the '70s.

One of the happiest days in a bride's wedding planning is dress shopping — but for curve brides, the notoriously size-exclusive industry can be a source of major anxiety. With fewer style choices and only sample sizes to try on, fuller-figure shoppers rarely get the full dress shopping experience.

In an effort to change that experience, The Knot and Kleinfeld came together with recently married supermodel Hunter McGrady for a panel that shone a spotlight on size-ism in the bridal industry and the first-of-its-kind size-inclusive bridal show.

The show and panel made many women in the audience emotional. Cofounder Olisa noted, "I had a girl tell me [after the show] that she's engaged and we just changed her whole wedding trajectory."

If you don't yet know actress Jenn Lyon, look her up immediately. The curvy bombshell currently stars as Jennifer Husser on TNT's Claws, and she gave one of the most inspiring — and hilarious — talks of the weekend on what it's like to work in an industry obsessed with women's weight.

Eating disorders affect many women, but the signs are often ignored (and sadly sometimes even encouraged) for curvy women. Jenn bravely shared that she battled, and recovered from, a serious eating disorder. While the topic was emotional and sensitive, Jenn spoke about it with wit, humility, and inspiring charm, encouraging those who may feel stigmatized by their body type to seek help if they need it.

One of theCURVYcon's signature panels is "Dear Retailer," which encourages an open dialogue between curve retailers and the real women who shop with them. This year's conversation featured Emma Grede (cofounder and CEO of Good American), Nadia Boujarwah (CEO of Dia&Co), and Liz Muñoz (CEO of Torrid), among others, answering questions straight from the audience.

The founders said the first year they did this panel, they weren't so sure what the retailer response would be, but that it ultimately became clear it was a positive and respectful forum — not unlike a live focus group.

"I think it's more empowering for the community to know that they have looked the person who makes the decisions in the eye and said whatever they had to say. We can send a million emails, but we don't really know where they go," Olisa said.

Equality in fashion is a huge theme of theCURVYcon. Cofounder Chastity Garner Valentine noted, "Plus-size women, we want the same styles and options as straight-size women!" And the brands definitely delivered.

The space had major dream mall vibes for curvy women, who don't often get the pleasure of shopping their favorite brands in person. Title sponsor Dia&Co gave out free jeans to all, and more than 20 other size-inclusive brands — from tried-and-true favorites to new designers — had boutique-like experiences for women of all sizes. Trust us when we say our debit cards are still tired.

Jameela Jamil, star of The Good Place and founder of the #iweigh movement, took the stage for an energy-filled conversation about the pitfalls of diet culture and fat-shaming. The actress and activist, who is not plus-size but who is extremely vocal about her own experiences with body-shaming, emphasized that she tries to empower women with a movement focused on "body neutrality" and appreciating what our body does rather than what it looks like.

Every moment of the event felt electrified with kindness. The exceptionally diverse group who attended theCURVYcon created an environment that spoke to the plus-size experience with endless positivity. We witnessed strangers exchanging numbers, seatmates moving over to make room for those with bigger hips, and unabashed compliments from woman to woman that went beyond the standard admiration of an outfit. Eventgoers constantly acknowledged the beauty of the people around them and the beauty of the moment they were experiencing together.