Multiple Threat

Shelby, Miss July

As I've been saying month in and month out, we're starting to see a re-tread of the 2011 class in this year's crop of Playmates. We've seen some rather mediocre performances up until now, with six Playmates with no one really taking a stand as "the one to beat." While Leola Bell cemented herself as the frontrunner thus far with a stunning pictorial coupled with a voluptuous physique, it was still anyone's game.

But, there's always a turning point, and I predicted last month that we'd start to see the real contenders rise up as the year came to its second leg. First up was Miss July, the relatively unknown Shelby Chesnes. The bubbly 20-year old model was immediately flung onto our radar with the announcement that she would be a Playmate. The relative newcomer to the Playboy scene had a few sparing modeling shots online, which were enticing to say the very least. It seemed like we were getting a true "crossover" model, one with looks that were actually accessible, and made the leap from girl-next-door to bombshell Playmate seamlessly.

So, now that Shelby's shed those modeling clothes and gone nude, how does she stack up? Let's just say that the other ladies this year should be afraid. Very afraid.

Shelby represents what we've been missing from the Playmate of the Month position since Amanda Cerny brought it last year - the crossover. She is unbelievably wholesome, from first photo to last, but offers a multidimensional character that shines in every photo. All at once, she is charming and flirty, while turning on the heat and delivering a killer pose with her sharp but mystifyingly unassuming frame.

Shelby may be short and slim, but she's
a lengthy, curvy woman in her set. Very photogenic.

Let's start with the look. Shelby has it all together, exuding a precise confidence in all of her poses. She blends a sensuality with a friendly demeanor just by flashing a quick smile or flexing her cute cheekbones. Although she may not have the most angelic and memorable face, hers is one that is tantalizingly unidentifiable. You can't quite put your finger on her, and that's what makes her exciting - from photo to photo, you feel like you are looking at many different models. Miss Chesnes can be cute and understated in one instance, and then let her hair flow with reckless abandon in the next.

Shelby's posing talent stacks up with some of the best, and again it's due to her intensity and confidence. Her pictorial has her taking turns in the full gamut of lingerie, with slinky little things to kinky babydolls and barely-there thongs. She wears them all flawlessly, due to her slick, well-tuned body. While she might have to go toe-to-toe with Leola for best body for 2012 so far, Shelby has a vastly different body style than anyone we've seen for a while. With a short 5' 3" frame, she certainly doesn't look it. Shelby is anything but short on camera, with an excellent body proportion and a sinewy frame that makes her legs look long and lean. Shelby is unexpectedly curvaceous, with bubbly butt that pops when she wants it to, and a large, sexy set of breasts. If this isn't the complete package, it's tough to know who is.

• Face: A-
  Shelby's face might not be an all-star standout quality of hers, and might be what keeps her from being hall of fame material, but it's still an outstanding attribute. She may look vastly different between different scenes, and it's all due to how she can morph from one character to another. Her face really complements her posing style, with understated features allowing her to ride the border between bombshell sex goddess and your everyday girl.
• Body: A
  While it wasn't apparent at first how well built Shelby is, she's undeniably a thoroughbred in every possible way. A 5' 3" frame can't get in the way of her sleek, slim look, with every inch contributing to a perceived height much taller than she actually is. Add on top of that a gorgeous set of breasts and a perfectly rounded butt, and you have a body that is exemplary of the archetypical Playmate of the 2010's - exceedingly slim, but well-endowed and balanced.
• Talent: A
  While it's easy to focus on Shelby's all around greatness, it might be easy to gloss over just how skilled a poser this model is. She exudes great professionalism, feeling her way through the pictorial with the utmost care. Although she has issues with facial expressions at times, she takes on a multitude of looks, and is a chameleon when it comes to varying her style and adapting to her outfits.
• Pictorial: A+
  The dynamic, engrossing quality of Shelby's pictorial is sadly something that is sorely missed in today's Playmates. Shelby is a bit unassuming as a model, and that makes her perfectly suited for a number of looks. She doesn't wear just one hat, and is a master of several roles, which makes her pictorial a rollercoaster of a ride. She switches between outfits seamlessly, and revels in her nudity, squeezing everything out of every photo. Shelby has probably my favorite pictorial since Katie Vernola's perfect outing two years ago.
• Centerfold: A-
  Although not in a prime position to showcase her great figure, and a bit hunched over, Shelby's centerfold is a great shot. Her legs look long and lean, again albeit her height, and her face looks gorgeous.
• Overall: A
  Shelby is without a doubt the finest talent in a Playmate since Tiffany Toth in 2011. She offers a complete performance, going above and beyond to show off all of her posing skills, and every single aspect of a phenomenal body. With her diminutive size, she doesn't back down, and displays her toned build like a true expert. After showing off a peculiar ability to take on numerous looks and prove to be a true example of what a Playboy model should be in this day and age, Shelby should easily rank at the top of this year's Playmate class. She is the immediate frontrunner for Playmate of the Year 2013, and should be the one to beat from here on in.