'I'm a plus-size model. I look nothing like my photos.'

Have you ever been excited for an online purchase to arrive only to try it on and realise it looks nothing like it does on the model?

I have and I AM the model in the picture.

You'd think that being a plus-size model would make beauty standards more attainable. More recognisable and more realistic but alas, even I don't look like my photos.

Watch: 57 per cent of girls compare themselves to other people on social media. Story continues after video.

Unrealistic beauty standards have long existed. There has always been something impossible about beauty, whether it was wearing rib-breaking corsets or applying radioactive makeup. We only need to look back to the 1990s, when 'Heroin Chic' - I still can't believe we called it that - was the body of choice.

I was the 'overweight friend' growing up. You know the one I'm talking about; the one with the 'excellent personality' who is also the butt of the joke. The one who boys would make friends with in an effort to pursue one of their other friends. The one who overheard friends worrying about gaining weight and the terror in their voices, as if it were the worst possible thing that could happen to them.

My childhood dream of growing up and becoming a model was exactly that. A dream. I could never have hips so tiny. I could never have skin that clear. Never would my body resemble that of a model. 

So I dieted and then dieted some more. My fixation with shrinking my body size began, and ever since then, my body image has never been the same. Food developed a moral compass suddenly, and the concept of earning 'bad' food became normal.

Look, I am aware that having body image issues and choosing a profession in which my physical appearance is literally judged wasn't one of my smartest choices. Apparently, I enjoy making things as spicy as possible in my life. 

The moment I saw my first plus-sized model, everything changed. My childhood dream now looked somewhat achievable. Maybe I didn't need to make my body smaller after all.

Despite starting to see bigger bodies represented and brands extending their sizing, I didn't feel any better about my body. Instead, there was this new beauty standard. You can be plus-size but you can't look fat. Have a flat stomach and hourglass shape. You can only have curves in particular areas and certainly not have any fat on your face. You can be plus-size but only in one socially acceptable way.

Image: Supplied. 

Where had the fupas, stretch marks, double chins, cellulite, and rolls gone to? How can this be considered inclusive when only a fraction of a larger audience is included?

I remember being on my first shoot and seeing just how much was involved. Watching a professional team of people meticulously adjusting every aspect between each camera click. Seeing the clips and padding being used so the clothes actually fit the models. The lighting, angles and posing. This was all BEFORE it even went Photoshop.

All these moments that happened before they even took the photo was brand new information I only learnt because I was suddenly in the industry.

We've all heard of filters and Photoshop. We have apps that can make us unrecognisable in a matter of seconds but this was different. Before they have even taken the photo, the model can look different.

That instant, the glass broke. When even the models in these photos didn't look like them, how could I possibly expect to?

I was more motivated than ever to not only become a successful model but also to expose the realities of the industry. Make these unrealistic beauty standards a little more realistic.

I've lost count of the number of times people have said to me, "Omg, I didn't even recognise you! You look beautiful in that photo." Hell, I've seen my photos and don't recognise myself! That is Catfishing on a whole new Inception level.

Unfortunately, I have no influence over how the clients will use the photographs, and without Naomi Campbell-level fame, I can't include in my contract that I don't want my body altered.

Fortunately, I do have a platform and social media. Social media is a dumpster fire 99 per cent of the time, don't get me wrong, but that one per cent is full of cat photos, memes and amazing creators.

Even though I am technically part of the problem, I want to make sure I can at least show the behind the scene realities. We need more transparency in our media and genuine representation. Not just a tick in the box so their brand doesn't get cancelled.

Image: Supplied. 

What better way to do it than through TikTok? I started making videos that highlight not only the reality of living in a plus-size body but also the realities of unrealistic beauty standards.

@learningtolovesarah Anyone notice this? #effyourbeautystandards #allbodiesaregoodbodies #plussizefashion #bopotiktok #bodypositivity ♬ CUFF IT - Beyoncé

I could expose how my body is in real life vs what I uploaded online. It's been incredible to be able to connect with so many people all across the world who have the same problems with their body image. My goal has always been to be the change I want to see. Somewhere along the way I also became the reminder I needed for myself during those bad body image days.

Sometimes it's important for everyone to be reminded that beauty standards are still outdated and unrealistic.

Sometimes we all need to remember that everybody is different, and that's okay.

And sometimes we need a reminder that even the models in the pictures don't always look like that.

Feature Image: Supplied/Mamamia.

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