'I still struggle': Alicia Mccarvell opens up about relationship with clothing
The Nova Scotia-born influencer says her goal for the year is to wear more form-fitting clothing.
Alicia Mccarvell is opening up about her relationship with clothes.
On Friday, the body-positive influencer shared a carousel of herself to Instagram, posing in a floral midi-dress with ruching and a cowl neckline. She paired it with greige heeled sandals and an off-white Yves Saint Laurent envelope shoulder bag.
Mccarvell was smiling wide in the photos, which she posted alongside a lengthy caption on how she re-evaluated her relationship with clothing.
"For so long I used clothing to hide my fat body, because if people couldn’t see it, then it was less of a burden," the 33-year-old penned.
"I’m a firm believer that if you hide something long enough, it creates a cloud of shame. As I started to speak to myself kinder and make choices out of love, I started to realize that my clothing didn’t really reflect WHO I was."
In the candid caption, Mccarvell recalled when she began picking clothes that felt more like her, she was getting more compliments. "I realized they weren’t complimenting the clothes, they were complimenting me showing up and being seen for the first time," she wrote.
She admitted with "full transparency," she still struggles with body image.
"I can’t wear anything that’s not high-waisted because the thought of my apron belly hanging over makes me uncomfortable... I cringe every time I put on a cute pair of strappy heels, because I know my chubby foot is going to overflow through the straps," Mccarvell confessed.
But, she said she working on unlearning these feelings. Her goal for the year is "to wear more form fitting things," she said, adding this floral dress in the photos is "a start."
Mccarvel's followers rushed to the comments to applaud her personal note.
"It’s so hard to unlearn all the things we’ve been taught about bigger bodies. I’m going to order this dress and challenge myself," one Instagram user wrote. "I deserve it and my [one-year-old] daughter deserves the example. Thank you for your post," she added along with a red heart emoji.
"You look stunning!," another added. "Thank you for being transparent and sharing that you still struggle too! Very much appreciated!"
Fellow confidence influencer Sarah Nicole Landry, also known as The Birds Papaya, chimed in to compliment Mccarvell.
"You are amazing and you look it too OMG," Landry commented.
Some said Nova Scotia-born Mccarvell inspired them in their own relationship with clothing.
"Watching your videos and seeing how comfortable and beautiful a bigger girl can look in pretty clothes, I've started trying things out of my comfort zone," a fan wrote.
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