Aussie plus size model La’Tecia Thomas has taken to Instagram to remind her followers how much retouching goes into the images we see in the media.
The inspiring 26-year-old posted two side by side pictures to her almost 700,000 strong Instagram following, with one picture being heavily photoshopped and the other untouched.
She writes “These photos were shot around the same time; one obviously retouched and the other not. When I look at the left images, I’m like damn can I please look like that and its Fk$!n ME!?! If I can’t be that person on the left (which is absurd because it’s me) then I can only imagine the effect this has on women.”
We all know that Instagram has an element of smoke and mirrors, but its important to always remind ourselves that the images we see on social media are often heavily retouched. That includes blemishes being removed, lumps and bumps being smoothed out and bodies sometimes finding themselves completely reshaped, to the point where the models barely recognise themselves.
Thomas goes on to show her “big arms…cellulite…back rolls” and the “dimples on [her] butt” some love in the natural shots, and finishes up by stating “I think both images are beautiful but be realistic with yourself, you don’t need to look a certain way to be appreciated and know that you’re worthy.”
She recently admitted that as a size six, she used to exercise for up to three hours every day and adhered to a very restrictive diet, but that she is much happier now that she lives a more balanced lifestyle. In the above picture, she acknowledges that “it’s important to have a positive relationship with your mind and body first and foremost at whatever size you may be.”
Amen to that, La’Tecia!
And let’s face it, seeing pictures like this makes a pretty refreshing change, in an online world where the majority of ‘before and after’ pictures illustrate a person’s weight loss, fat loss, muscle gain and ab progress. It’s a powerful sentiment to spread, and this body positive message pervades Thomas’ entire social presence.
In the wake of France banning advertisers from editing model’s bodies without indicating that the image has been digitally-altered, Thomas’ vocal stance is another step in the right direction for the bo-po community.
