It's Barbie's world, and she is out to prove stretch marks are beautiful.
Dubbed the "queen of in-between," Barbie Ferreira is the body positive model of the moment: This year, she ditched Photoshop for her campaign with Missguided and told us to love our "REAL self" in her unretouched ads with Aerie.
Now, Barbie is teaching us about self-acceptance and confidence, all while getting very real about the double standards in the fashion industry.
On Monday, the 19-year-old posted a photo of her stretch marks to Instagram, which made many of her followers thank her for having the "courage" to post the photos for the public to consume.
Ferreira wrote, "[sic throughout] mi lil stripes are out here . soothing them with vitamin e oil n noticing how cute my body can be despite lil changes !!!"
After Teen Vogue highlighted the importance of the photo, the curvy model took to Instagram again to discuss what had happened to her on set later that day.
"I... stood naked at work in front of strangers (super vulnerable position) and got asked what was wrong with my hips.. [sic] Pointing at my stretch marks. By a woman," the brunette beauty wrote.
Ferreira then went on to talk about the "micro-aggressions" of the fashion industry and how adults are constantly commenting on her "teenage body needing spanx, bra cutlets to make [her] look 'better.'"
"[sic throughout] Photoshopping my body to be 'smoother' right in front of me- most of the time by plus clients. This industry is not cute, never has been," she writes. "I don't want to sell you this idea that all these brands are so body positive when it's so few that actually represent what women look like not just an idealized version of a thick girl (like they try to do to me.) girls are not treated like people in this industry !! At all !!"
She continued, "I am so privileged to be here but the flaws in this world make me feel like absolute garbage at the sake of getting paid and trying to spread my message. Not only the consumer is being told they're not good enough- even the girls in the pictures are given the same shit."
Barbie's comments are disheartening, especially when 2016 brought us many progressive body positive moments, from Ashley Graham's Sports Illustrated cover to Christian Siriano's New York Fashion Week runway show, which featured an array of women with different shapes and sizes.
We guess there is still a long way to go.
Stretch marks can be a result of weight gain, weight loss, pregnancy or growth, and frankly, they're totally normal. Allure notes that while many people soothe marks with vitamin E oil, like Barbie, there is no real way to diminish them.
So, ladies, it's time we learn to love them and be proud of them.
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