Padma Lakshmi has long been advocate for body positivity—and the chef-turned-television host has proven once again that when it comes to women's bodies, real is beautiful.
On Thursday, Lakshmi shared a sultry selfie to her Instagram story while wearing a sheer white turtleneck and matching undies, showing off the stretch marks along her right hip and proudly pointing them out with the caption, “Hey stretch.”
This kind of self love is nothing new for Lakshmi, who wrote in a guest column for the Hollywood Reporter that she’s hoping to change the way both sexes perceive women’s beauty. Lakshmi wrote that she wants her daughter to know that "beauty is skin-deep, but dumb and dull are to the bone."
Lakshmi isn’t the only public figure rejecting unrealistic beauty standards. In addition to plenty of other celebrities, brands like ASOS and Victoria’s Secret are getting in on the action, too. In 2016, Victoria’s Secret released un-retouched photos of model Jasmine Tookes wearing the brand’s fantasy bra, which was covered in diamonds and emeralds. It's safe to say nobody was looking at the photo to judge her stretch marks.
In June, ASOS, a popular British retailer, joined the lingerie giant when it posted new product shots to its site—each showing off a model without any airbrushing.
Check out our list of other gorgeous women proudly showing their stretch marks—and reminding us all that airbrushing women's perceived "flaws" should be a thing of the past.
Chrissy Teigen
Supermodel Chrissy Teigen shared a photo of her stretch marks in 2015, which isn’t super surprising considering she’s the realest person on the internet.
Lexi Mendi
Model Lexi Mendi shared her stretch marks on Instagram, writing in the caption, “I was thinking thrice if I wanted to keep this photo or dump it in the bin...ONLY because of my tiger stripes. I caught myself right before tossing it and just could. not. believe. how I let myself get so insecure about something so natural!!! It's taken me quite a while (23 yrs to be exact) but putting this out there to remind myself and everyone that it's really nothing to get all worked up or feel weird about. here's to learning to love the lines.”
Barbie Ferrera
Model Barbie Ferrera, who started in a no-photoshop campaign with MisGuided, showed off her stripes in 2016.
Denise Bidot
Denise Bidot is vehemently opposed to airbrushing and really, why would anyone want to change a thing about her?
Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland can sing, dance, and has a kick-ass body that she isn’t shy about showing off.
Iskra Lawrence
Take a peek at Iskra Lawrence’s Instagram account and you’ll notice a theme—real on real on real. The model never, ever retouches her photos.
Kayla Itsines
Fitness powerhouse Kayla Itsines works hard on her body all day long, but she’s not afraid to share her stretch marks with her followers. She said in a post that she’s proud of the marks: “This one is for the ladies asking me if I have stretch marks anywhere, yes I sure do.... and if any of my friends or family are on here you know how much I love them!!”
Amber Rose
In a video that Amber Rose called a “thirst” trap, she showed off all her curves—stretch marks and all.
Joann Vdherik
Model Joann Vdherik, who happens to be cousins with Gigi and Bella Hadid, posted a snapshot of herself in all her glory. “I wanted to show you guys that I'm imperfect too," she wrote in the caption.
Denise Maria Sanz Laurel
Actress Denise Maria Sanz Laurel posted a knockout Instagram photo with the caption: "And yes, I'm a mom. I got folds and stretch marks. IT'S ME."
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