I just spent five, six years sacrificing so much to try and fit into that one ideal, that one small standard, and I was never good enough. And it was just frustration that turned into motivation... That became my ammunition, all the people that told me I couldn't.
After so many years of being rejected and having my body scrutinized... for Aerie to come along and basically say, 'We accept you. We don't care about your size.' To see those pictures on a Times Square billboard, and they were completely unretouched, I just was like, 'Wow. I finally feel good enough!'
I had had my own trials and tribulations with body image. I had gone through a lot starting from my teenage years.
We don't need to be categorized - we are all individual and beautifully unique.
For me, I feel empowered when I use my body to exercise, play sports, and explore the world. My body allows me to sing, dance, talk, feel - and eat a damn good piece of cheesecake.
You are good enough as you, so delete that Facetune app and step away from that really weird filter that makes you look smoother than Craig David.
I live by 'Everything in moderation.'
I was called 'fat' 200 times on shoots and had serious trouble fitting in the clothes at fashion shows. All these things break you down to a point where you look in the mirror and don't like what you see.
You don't always need to be this flawless female with amazing skin and done hair. Perfect doesn't exist.
I want to be the girl that's real and show other girls that you don't have to have flawless skin or the 'perfect' body - because that's just not real.
Everybody can rock a bikini, swimsuit, unicorn onesie... whatever floats your boat. If you wear it with confidence, you will look hot.
As a model, I feel a great responsibility, and I understand how an image can make a young woman feel.
The focus for me is always about health. That's why I talk about self-care rather than size or anything like that, because that's something we can all do that's relatable - this discussion of being healthy form the inside-out.
I tried the maple syrup diet. I tried the protein-only Atkins diet.
I never want to shame anyone. I love going to the gym, and I feel proud and fit. That, for me, is aspirational. There are things you can do in a very healthy, natural way. This is how I work with my body to make it the best I can be. That's the shape that I have, just toned and tight. That's my preference.
I'm very much a positive person - I put good energy out there - so I don't feel like anyone would want to do anything nasty to me.
My confidence comes from the realisation that, actually, the best you can be is you, learning to accept who I was, what I wanted, and that I was more than my body.
Clothing for larger sizes doesn't have to look frumpy and old; it should seamlessly integrate fashion - like Universal Standard.
My long-term dream is to have self-education in schools for mental, physical, and emotional health because we need to learn how to speak to ourselves in a loving way and to each other.
Social media should be a true sense of who you are.
