7 celebrity role models for positive body image, from Rihanna to Demi Lovato
Female celebrities of all shapes and sizes are inspiring us by becoming role models for positive body image, from Lena Dunham to Kate Winslet.
What do singer Demi Lovato and her swimsuit pics on Instagram, songstress Rihanna and her inclusive beauty and lingerie line, and ballerina Misty Copeland with her exquisite pirouettes have in common? These women, as well as celebrities including Lena Dunham, Kate Winslet, Winnie Harlow, and Ashley Graham, have become rock stars when it comes to showing what it means to have positive body image.
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato shared her 2018 New Year’s Resolution with the world in her caption for a sizzling swimsuit photo. While owning her insecurity about her legs in the photo, Lovato revealed that she was posting the pic because her happiness is so evident. Demi made it clear that when it comes to her body, she’s no longer aiming for an impossible standard of perfection.
"This year I’ve decided I’m letting go of my perfectionism and embracing freedom from self criticism. Learning to love my body the way it is is challenging but life changing. Giving up my eating disorder has been the most challenging journey of my life but I work every day towards solid recovery."
Lovato encouraged all women to follow in her footsteps. The singer emphasizing that “it is possible” to have positive body image regardless of your shape and size.
Winnie Harlow
Winnie Harlow is encouraging the world to redefine what it means to be beautiful. Harlow told Glamour that beyond sharing her vitiligo, she is advocating that the modeling industry advance in terms of being inclusive. Winnie is proud that she represents “a different standard of what people traditionally consider beauty.”
And in terms of being inclusive, the modeling industry has a long way to go, notes Harlow.
"Sometimes I say there are a million different standards of beauty; sometimes I say there are no standards of beauty. In the end, it’s the same thing: We’re all beautiful."
Lena Dunham
Lena Dunham received praise from the body positivity community for displaying her body on Girls. But after displaying her shape on the cover of Glamour without any Photoshop-size-edits, Dunham turned to Instagram to clarify her own definition of positive body image. Thanking Glamour for allowing her “cellulite do the damn thing on newsstands everywhere,” the actress made it clear that her body is not “fair game” for bullying.
No one’s body is “fair game,” wrote Lena. “No matter their size, color, gender identity, and there’s a place for us all in popular culture to be recognized as beautiful.”
Kate Winslet
TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 10: Kate Winslet attends ‘The Mountain Between Us’ premiere during the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 10, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)
Kate Winslet is famous for her curves. And women who want to feel just as good as Winslet about their bodies might want to follow her advice: Don’t weigh yourself.
“I don’t know how much I weigh. I haven’t weighed myself in 12 years — top tip it is great for the mood,” said Kate about her lack of desire to step on a scale. Winslet believes that women who devote too much time to focusing on their body size “forget to enjoy the fun stuff.”
As for stringent diets that involve sipping “dodgy juice,” the actress points out that “it doesn’t taste very nice and it’s bloody boring.”
Rihanna
We heart Rihanna for her size-inclusive lingerie line and beauty-inclusive cosmetics company. After Fenty Beauty unveiled 40 different foundation hues, it seemed as if Rihanna had done all she could to show her desire to fulfill the beauty needs of all women. But then came the Savage x Fenty lingerie line, with bras in sizes ranging from 32A to 44DD and undies fitting every need from XS to XXXL.
As for her own style, Bad Gal Riri showed on Instagram that her sizzling shape just gets better and better.
Ashley Graham
Ashley Graham has repeatedly spoken out about body positivity. She told In Style that she posted a photo in which she flaunted her cellulite to encourage women not to be ashamed of their size. While Graham has become known for her success as a plus-size model, she has challenged stereotypes about the meaning of that term.
“It’s like, ‘Plus what?'” pointed out the model, sharing her preference for the word “curvy.” Ashley also revealed that she’s often thanked for serving as a positive body image role model by women.
Misty Copeland
Before Misty Copeland became the American Ballet Theatre’s first black principal female dancer, she was advised that she was too short and curvy to succeed as a ballerina. With dancers’ bodies constantly in the spotlight, Copeland faced challenges in accepting and loving her curves.
Related Story: Best plus-size celeb styles to rock this summer
Now, however, Misty told Allure that she urges women to “try and be your healthiest and best self.” This successful ballerina isn’t just proud of her own body: Copeland cherishes the opportunity to “celebrate people expressing who they are.”