Celebrities regularly reveal their affinity for wearing Spanx beneath their red carpet looks. And as the Oscars approach, it feels like a perfect time for a gentle reminder that no one needs shapewear to look and feel amazing.
U.K-based Instagram user Olivia Callaghan uses her SelfLoveLiv account to proudly show off her body, celebrate her recovery from self-harm and an eating disorder, and shares a wealth of images that call out how we present ourselves on social media. Last week, she posted a new side-by-side image of herself, showing her body in a pair of shaping underwear and what she looks like when they’re rolled down.
Callaghan, who said she bought the shapewear in hopes “it would slim my figure and I could wear body con dresses,” soon realized the discomfort that comes with wearing constricting undergarments.
“Breathing was not an option!” she said. “I felt tight, uncomfortable and restricted in the first photo. The relief of taking them off was amazing!!”
Cosmopolitan U.K. reports Callaghan’s underwear is not actually Spanx brand, but shapewear in general is proven to have a negative impact on your insides. And as Callaghan points out, you simply don’t need it, no matter what it is.
“You don’t need an item of clothing in order to love yourself,” she wrote. “You don’t need to wear a right piece of material in order to wear a dress or top. WEAR it ANYWAY. YOU are FABULOUS. You are FLAWLESS. You are BEAUTIFUL. Don’t let any fucker tell you otherwise.”
She said the response to her message has been “amazing” and “overwhelming,” but really, it’s her amazing message that we could all stand to repeat to ourselves a few times.
