In a world where we’re constantly striving for ‘more’, London influencer Chessie King is urging social media users to embrace what they’ve got and reject the illusion of perfection. Through a range of side-by-side comparative images, Chessie is banishing the mirage of that bikini-clad, poolside Instagram flick.
It can be hard – but Chessie is using her account as a platform to expose the vast difference that seemingly insignificant details can make. She highlights that angles, lighting and posture can completely alter an upload. There’s no such thing as perfection, only perception.
Encouraging women of all ages and sizes to “show a little jiggle” and resist the urge to digitally alter their swimsuit holiday snaps, Chessie is bringing some much-needed realness back to the feed. A crop of workout tips, bikini shots and goofy selfies feature on her Instagram account, sans a veneer of fakery and unattainable goals.
She prefaced a recent workout routine with a whole lot of honesty. “Some real-life wiggle & jiggle, lumps & bumps for y’all. I have seen so many workout videos of Instagram goddesses in their bikinis & not one bit of their body moves when they jump, squat or speak… over here I’ve got all kindsa wobbling happening & that direct sunlight is showing you errry little dimple.”
Good on her.
In one post – which includes two photographs of herself in the same white bikini – Chessie explains to her followers how she was able to “change my body in two seconds”, polarising Instagram and reality.
Self-confidence didn’t always come so effortlessly. Chessie confesses that she has often compared herself to other women had shapes that were “unrealistic” for her to attain. “Instagram is one of the biggest reasons for everyone wanting to look “perfect” in their bikini, definitely. It’s taken me a long, long time to actually wear a bikini without wanting to grab a towel and wrap it round me whenever anyone looked at me.”
In another post, she reminds us that: “People post the best photo out of a bunch taken… I know it’s said a lot these days, but it helps me a huge amount too. If you see a photo of yourself in ‘bad’ lighting or an ‘unflattering angle’, just remind yourself how beautiful you are & that you’re ALLOWED to look like that. We were not made to be Barbie dolls who LOOK insanely good 24/7, we were made to be humans who FEEL insanely good 24/7 ?”
Through championing curves and jiggly bits, Chessie is striving to instil a newfound confidence in her 235k followers. With her witty captions and myth-debunking pics, she’s let us all in on one revolutionary secret: a reality-check is the best accessory to don in front of the camera.
Written by Genevieve Phelan | All images: @chessiekingg
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