Reminder: What you see isn’t always what you get. And two popular plus-size models, Diana Sirokai and Callie Thorpe, are reminding the world of that. Last week, the pair posted two powerful photos to Instagram to make a statement on how misleading social media can be — especially when it comes to retouched imagery.
“The purpose of this is to show you all how magazines and the media takes editing to a different level,” Sirokai wrote, captioning two black-and-white photos — first, the retouched version, which smoothed out their thighs, slimmed down their waist, and changed the shapes of their faces, and second, the original, in all their natural beauty — shot by Karizza. “Models and celebrities do not even look like themselves. We live in such a fake world it’s time to bring real back.” She ended the graph with a call to action for her followers: “Own who you are and slay!”
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Thorpe echoed similar sentiments under her Instagram post, captioning the before and after shots: “It’s no wonder women are laden with insecurities. For years we have been subjected to perfect airbrushed and often altered images across the media. Whilst photoshop has its place and need in some parts of industries this is the extreme when it comes to editing, it just goes to show how much we can really alter ourselves.”
She continued: “[We] look perfect just as we are, two friends smiling for a photo. We want to show women that it’s okay to look ‘normal’ to have cellulite, stretch marks and tummies that aren’t flat and toned. Be happy with you who you are and the skin you are in.”
And really, what’s not to love about this messaging? Society has set too many unrealistic standards for women — and we'll take any opportunity to knock those down.