Many of us have had problems with
body image in our lifetimes. Whether it's a serious condition or insecurity over how we look to others, it's often hard to live up to societal expectations of beauty. The
fashion industry does a lot to propagate the idea that we all have to look a certain way to be attractive or to feel good about ourselves, so when we see the typically thin, petit model - we don't take into account that they may have the exact same issues.
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Model Nina Agdal has come out to speak about her struggle with her body image, as well as delivering a heavy blow to the fashion industry for how she has been treated. Shockingly, Agdal refers to a time that she was cut from a magazine for not being thin enough.
The 25-year-old, who has worked for the likes of Sports Illustrated and Victoria's Secret, shared a photo from the shoot with an unnamed publication. "I'm disappointed and appalled at the still very harsh reality of this industry," she wrote on Instagram, sharing her story of being shamed for her appearance with her 1.7 million followers.
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She wrote:
"I agreed to shoot with a creative team I believed in and was excited to collaborate with. When my agent received an unapologetic email concluding they would not run my cover/story because it “did not reflect well on my talent” and “did not fit their market,” the publisher claimed my look deviated from my portfolio and that I did not fit into the (sample size) samples, which is completely false."
In the post, she goes on to refer to herself as not having "an average model body", instead having an "athletic build and healthy curves".
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A year ago she decided to take a step back from the "insensitive and unrealistic pressures" of the fashion world, and now feels confident enough in herself to speak up about how she feels.
"Some days I’m a sample size, some days I’m a size 4, some a 6. I am not built as a runway model and have never been stick thin. Now more than ever, I embrace my curves and work diligently in the gym to stay strong and most of all, sane. I am proud to say that my body has evolved from when I started this crazy ride as a 16 year old GIRL with unhealthy and insufficient eating habits."
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"So, shame on you and thank you to the publisher for reaffirming how important it is to live your truth and say it out loud, no matter who you are or what size."
She then explains that the purpose of sharing the image was to bring women together in celebration of their bodies, and to "find ways to build each other up instead of constantly finding ways to tear each other down". The post has since gone viral, with 126,000 likes and over 3,000 comments - which goes to show that her message of
body positivity has gone a long way.
