Here at Curvy Swimwear, we love sharing beautiful images of models and customers wearing our gorgeous swimwear. Our goal is to promote and celebrate a diverse range of body types and appearances through images that are real and untouched.

While we might tweak a little lighting or fix the exposure on our shots, we never use Photoshop or retouching on our models’ body, skin, or face. They are presented just as they are in real life – perfectly imperfect.

Our decision to present our models untouched promotes self-love and body positivity for our community as well as the models themselves. Imagine being a model and having your body or face airbrushed to present an aesthetic that is considered more desirable?

The impact of altered images in the media is profound. The flow on effect of consuming visuals of impossibly perfect models can be disastrous for ourselves and our society as a whole. 

Find out why we do not retouch our models. 

• Negative Impact of Photoshop
• Promoting Body Positivity
• Celebrating Body Diversity
• Challenges to Our Cause
• Protect Yourself from Negativity

Our model Maddie, wears the Corsica Bikini One Piece

 

Negative Impact of Photoshop

The effects of altered images in the media and online can be devastating, especially for impressionable young women. In one study of girls aged between 13 and 17 years, nearly 50% reported a desire to be as thin as the models they viewed in magazines and online.

Retouching apps and software have become readily available to the public and their use has blurred the lines between what is real and what is fake. A veritable Photoshop pandemic has been created with consumers bombarded with heavily retouched images daily. If you’re not paying attention or you are oblivious to the prevalence of false imagery, you can easily buy into the ideal of unattainable perfection.

For examples of how this technology can be used to distort reality, check out body positivity campaigner, Danae Mercer’s Instagram account. She works tirelessly to call out false images and altered appearances online.

Riley, our gorgeous model wears the Black Double Frill Bikini Top

 

Promoting Body Positivity

Rather than contributing to unrealistic beauty expectations and false imagery, Curvy Swimwear is on a crusade to promote and encourage body positivity.

We believe every shape and size deserves to be celebrated and accepted. We strongly champion the notion that “every body is a bikini body” and encourage women to wear what they want in order to feel fabulous.

Creating beautiful swimwear in inclusive sizes is just a start. Presenting our designs to the world on a variety of models who are encouraged to be their real and beautiful selves, pushes the media to show more images of normal girls in bikinis, rather than highly altered, unrealistic examples of unattainable body shapes and sizes.

Representation matters, so if we can help our audience to feel better about themselves and their bodies, then we’ve made an essential positive impact.

Body positive model, Brooke, wears our Leopard Bikini

 

Celebrating Body Diversity

No two bodies are the same and even when we try to break down body types to help women choose a swimsuit, we never quite satisfy every beautiful shape. With this in mind, we also acknowledge that it’s difficult to represent everyone in our campaigns. Instead, we endeavour to show a variety of sizes with our samples cut in size 12, 16 and 18.

Our influencer community is made up of a diverse group of body positive women of all shapes and sizes. They inspire our audience to embrace who they are and celebrate the beauty they offer the world.

“If everybody looked the same, we’d get tired of looking at each other.”

Choosing to not retouch our models is part of our crusade to celebrate body diversity and promote authenticity in media and advertising.

 

Our model, Margaret wears our Acapulco Peplum Bustier Tankini Top

 

Challenges to our Cause

The psychological effects of consistently viewing altered images of models and influencers, are serious and damaging. Negative body image resulting from unrealistic beauty standards can cause the following psychological outcomes.

• Depression and anxiety
• Low self esteem
• Problems with relationships and social isolation
• Substance use and abuse
• Stress
• Lack of motivation and reduced physical activity

 And this is just a small sample of how false imagery can impact our mental and physical health.

 

Filters are readily available on all social media and photo editing apps, with many people refusing to post pictures of themselves in a raw, unedited state. Knowing how we can alter our own images; we must be aware that others can and are doing the same.

If an image seems too perfect to be true, it probably is. However, technological advancement in photo editing is making it difficult for us to decipher what is real and what is fake. Look for brands and influencers who are openly anti-photoshop and filter-free. 

Zoom Face  is the concept that we have become hyper aware of our appearance due to the increased time we spend on video calls. Seeing our face in all its expressive glory on a video call can be confronting for many people.

We can’t strike a pose or just show our “best side” when we’re animated in conversation, and for many of us, we have never seen ourselves in this way before. It’s completely different to looking in the mirror and can highlight aspects of our appearance that we've never noticed before. 

Body Positivity activist, Caitlin, wears our Acapulco Criss Cross one piece

Protect Yourself from Negativity

The majority of the visual content we consume is on social media. Social media can be an amazingly positive space that inspires us to be better people and celebrate others in our communities. Feeds full of art, nature, creativity, and humour can be uplifting and enhance our day to day lives. 

If your scroll through social media leaves you feeling inadequate and less than, it's time to edit what you see. 

Unfollow accounts that negatively impact the way you see and feel about yourself. Comparing yourself to someone else's edited highlight reel is unhealthy, unnecessary, and completely avoidable. Be ruthless. You can always come back to these accounts when you are feeling more confident and aware that what you are viewing isn't always real.  

Load your feed up with accounts that promote and celebrate positivity, diversity, and acceptance. 

There are plenty of brands, models, artists, and influencers out there who are sharing authentic representations of themselves. Scroll through our feed on Instagram to discover body positive beauties to love and be inspired by their confidence and honesty. 

Above all, be kind to yourself.