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A body positivity advocate is urging people to ‘be kind to yourself’ while in fitting rooms for a very good reason.
If you’ve ever looked into a fitting room mirror and felt like your reflection looks different to how you thought it would, you’re not the only one.
But Bree Lenehand, who often uses social media to show how different poses and settings can have drastically different outcomes regarding how you look, is reminding us all not to be too hard on ourselves.
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You may very well look different in the fitting room, but it has nothing to do with your size.
In a post shared in November, the 26-year-old compiled a collection of mirror selfies from four different fitting rooms in which she wore the same outfit.
She did the exact same pose in both pictures to prove her point, and Bree believes it's all due to different types of lighting.
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While some fitting rooms had soft lighting, others had harsher lighting that showed every part of her physique.
“ALL FITTING ROOMS ARE DIFFERENT! So be kind to yourself… You never know what external factors are at play,” she wrote.
She added: “A ‘bad body image day’ can be triggered by many things… Sometimes it’s seeing yourself in the mirror, sometimes it’s sizing up or down in clothes, sometimes it’s comparing yourself to others... Just to name a few.
“But a lot of the time, what you see doesn’t reflect the reality of the situation. Whether that’s in the mirror, trying on clothes or seeing photos online.”
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Bree also did a test on how different poses and wearing the same sizes in two different pairs of jeans made her look different in the mirror.
She goes on to add four helpful tips for anyone struggling with body image, especially after looking in the mirror in a shop’s fitting room.
“We are all our own harshest critics.
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"You’ve only ever seen yourself in the mirror or in photos, so you will never actually see your true beauty.
“Lighting, angles, posing, different lenses & mirrors can change the way we look — especially in fitting rooms. Some stores use mirror manipulation or softer lighting to hide lumps & bumps. Some stores use wide mirrors or harsh lighting which cast shadows over your body & exaggerate every feature... But in case you were wondering, there is nothing wrong with having lumps & bumps!!
“Sizing differs so much I size up & down depending on the store or fit! (P.s. sizing up or down depending on the way your body changes over time is PERFECTLY OKAY too!!!)”
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Instagram users were over the moon with the tips, with one woman responding with: “Such important reminders.”
Another person wrote: “This is so important.”
While a third penned: “I am so glad you posted this.”
This is what we needed to hear today!
Gregory Robinson