Victoria’s Secret Is Getting Major Props for This Unretouched Photo of a Model With Stretch Marks
Every year, Victoria’s Secret makes major waves with the broadcast of its highly anticipated and always memorable fashion show. Between the gorgeous (and ridiculously fit!) Angels, amazing musical performances and over-the-top looks, it’s one of THE most outlandish fashion events of the year (right behind the Met Gala, the 2017 theme of which has just been revealed!). This time around, the lingerie powerhouse is making even more headlines than usual, but it’s not for the reasons you might think.
Meet 24-year-old model Jasmine Tookes ― the lucky gal who will sport the most expensive and extravagant bra of the entire show when it airs on December 5 (quite the honor, considering the bra, officially dubbed the 2016 Bright Night Fantasy Bra, is embroidered with $3 million-worth of emeralds, diamonds and other stones and took more than 700 HOURS to make. WOWZA!).
In this case it’s not the bra, but the girl that has people buzzing, however. The Twitterverse is giving VS MAJOR kudos for a photo the brand recently released to unveil its stunning creation. At first glance, all looks normal enough, with Jasmine posing between shots on a lavish set while a stylist makes sure everything is picture perfect. Look closer, however, and you’ll notice that her tush is marred with (gasp!) ― human stretch marks.
The photo instantly made her a favorite with fans, who were relieved to see a (somewhat!) relatable gal get the brand’s top honors.
I love that Jasmine, who's wearing the fantasy bra this year, has stretch marks.
— Hannah Kowal (@HannahKowal) October 27, 2016
So glad Jasmine Tookes got the Fantasy bra! Reppin' girls of color and wearing her stretch marks proudly!!
— Me, the Queen💫 (@jadorelacouture) October 26, 2016
This photo of Jasmine Tookes is now my favorite of any Victoria's Secret Angel ever because you can see stretch marks AND THAT SHIT IS REAL! pic.twitter.com/hK5O5UbAcz
— Tyler McCall (@eiffeltyler) October 26, 2016
Although Victoria’s Secret hasn’t addressed the pic to say whether or not the lack of Photoshop was intentional, the fact that they allowed People magazine to run it as is without trying to pull or replace it and even retweeted the article is pretty remarkable for a brand all but known for having RIDICULOUSLY unrealistic photoshopping techniques.
Between this and Aerie’s awesome body positivity campaign, it seems that lingerie retailers are FINALLY getting the memo that our bodies are beautiful, just as they are. There may still be a longgggg ways to go, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction, and we’re loving it.
What do you make of the untouched photo? Tweet us @BritandCo.
(h/t Cosmopolitan, photos via Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty)