It’s amazing how much something as seemingly innocent as a pair of tights can make you feel like total crap about your body—and one woman is laying it all out on Instagram.
Body positive activist Milly Smith, who operates under the Insta handle @selfloveclubb, posted side-by-side photos of herself in a pair of black tights, noting that they look like they’re being worn by different people. In the first pic, Milly’s tights are up high on her hips, creating a slim waist; in the second, her tights are low, creating a tummy.
“Same girl, same day, same time,” she captioned the photos. “Not a before and after. Not a weight loss transformation. Not a diet company promotion.”
Milly says she’s comfortable with the way she looks in both, pointing out that neither body is more worthy than the other. “Neither makes me more or less of a human being. Neither invites degrading comments and neither invites sleezy words,” she says. “We are so blinded to what a real un-posed body looks like and blinded to what beauty is that people would find me less attractive within a five-second pose switch! How insanely ridiculous is that!?”
Milly says she loves taking these kind of photos because it helps her get over her body dysmorphia, a mental illness in which people obsessed over perceived flaws in their appearance, and helps her rationalise her negative thoughts about her body. “Don’t compare, just live for you,” she says. “The world doesn’t need another copy, it needs you.”
Milly’s powerful post makes her one of a growing number of people who have used social media to show that appearances can be deceiving. In late December, Olympic gymnast-slash-total badass Simone Biles shut down trolls who said she didn’t look good in a bikini by simply stating on Twitter: “You all can judge my body all you want, but at the end of the day it’s MY body. I love it & I’m comfortable in my skin.” Last week, body positive model Ashley Graham shared a close-up of her cellulite on Instagram with the caption, “I work out. I do my best to eat well. I love the skin I’m in. And I’m not ashamed of a few lumps, bumps or cellulite… and you shouldn’t be either.” Fitness blogger Anna Victoria also posted side-by-side pics on Instagram of herself standing and sitting in a bikini. “Me 1% of the time vs. 99% of the time. And I love both photos equally,” she captioned the pics. “Good or bad angles don’t change your worth.”
The message is clear: Love your body, no matter what it looks like. You only have one, after all.
This article originally appeared on Women’s Health.
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