Every body is a bikini body.
Just ask plus-size fashion blogger, Jessica Kane.
She’s the mastermind behind the Life and Style of Jessica, as well as the founder of plus-sized magazine and network, Skorch.
Just this week, the curvy, 310-pound Kane went viral after she posted a photo taken during her ‘birthday brunch’ on Facebook.
In the photo, a happy-looking Kane wore a black-and-pink one-piece, which she adorably refers to as “my version of a birthday suit”.
She received a number of comments, most of which were praise for her ‘bravery’ in daring to bare skin on the beach. She said she was grateful for the “well-meaning and intended compliment, ‘Wow, I wish I had your bravery!’” But that’s not all Kane had to say on the matter.
“THIS WAS NOT BRAVE. I’ve been told how brave I am for not having a coverup, but going without a wrap would only take bravery if I cared what others thought of me.”
THIS WAS NOT BRAVE. I’ve been told how brave I am for not having a coverup, but going with out a wrap would only take…
Posted by Jessica Kane on Tuesday, April 14, 2015
The post has since received more than 600,000 likes, and upwards of 50,000 shares.
She added:
Things that DO take bravery? A family battling tragic illness, a mother trying to beat addiction, a person trying to break free of domestic violence, reaching out for help when you have already planned your suicide and feel like you can’t breath one more day. THAT is brave. Not wearing a swimsuit at the beach.
Comments from both men and women flooded her post, saying that her mindset and positive take on life inspired them, and that they get the point:
It doesn’t take an act of bravery to leave your house in a bathing suit.
On her original post on her blog, which was aptly titled, “Dare to Bare This Summer”, the 35-year-old mom wrote some words of wisdom that anyone of any size should definitely live by:
“I remember a time when my size 26/28 self and THIS (me + swimsuit + picture) would have NEVER happened and that is a damn shame because this day was one of the most perfect ever… and honestly if I had any more clothes on I literally WOULD HAVE DIED from heat stroke.”
“What if we let the critics in our head win?? What if you turn down that pool party invite?? Your happiness will suffer in exchange to make someone else more comfortable with THEIR own issues…”
On a final note, she ends her post with: “Eff the critics babygirl, and eff anyone else’s version of beauty if it forces you to deny embracing moments like these… live your life NOW.”
“I think it resonated because it brings into perspective how much time we waste on caring about things that just honestly, in the end, don’t matter,” the Florida resident said. “And to be lauded as brave, while I know it’s meant as a compliment, is truly a jab,” she said.
“Because why would I have to be brave to just be me?”
