Donning a swimsuit can be a vulnerable moment for many of us, especially considering that many critics out there love to say what we should and shouldn't wear, depending on our size. All of this can turn what should be a time spent frolicking on the beach into something more stressful and self-conscious. Curvy model Alexa Phelece decided to confront this conundrum head-on with a powerful comparison photo on Instagram.
In the post, Phelece wears the same strappy monokini as a smaller model to illustrate how two different-looking women are still both beautiful.
Phelece wore the bathing suit for an event she was hosting, according to Yahoo Style. But she was nervous for how she looked in it, especially when she saw the "Photoshopped" woman who models the suit on the website.
"I thought about how deceiving that photo is," Phelece told Yahoo Style. "I also thought about how so many women who purchased this bathing suit look nothing like the model in the photo, and that does not make us wrong, that makes us human."
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The differences, Phelece pointed out, are that the other girl is a size small while she is a 3X, and they also have two different skin tones.
"One may be considered privileged, one is more commonly seen as healthy based on size, one is more commonly recognized as beautiful on TV or media," she noted on Instagram.
Any of these societal constructs may make someone feel self-conscious and unworthy of wearing whatever they want.
But there are striking similarities too. "Both are models, both are wearing the same swimsuit. Let's not forget: both are beautiful," she wrote.
She continued, "Both should be treated equally, both should be able to love their bodies, both should be judged on the content of their character, not their skin color and definitely not their size."
"Both women are equally capable and worthy," she said. "Let's not forget that."
"Don't let the news, the media, the fashion industry, your family, or anyone else tell you otherwise," she continued. "Diversity is what makes this world beautiful."
"Embrace it." We couldn't have said it better ourselves.
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