All our favorite plus-size style icons speak out about body image in one awesome video

“Would my life be better if I were thinner?”

It’s a question nearly everyone has asked themselves at some point, and if you’re a bigger girl, chances are you’ve heard the same answer over and over again throughout your whole life: “Yes, it would.” For many of us, this idea has kept us from living full, engaged, fearless lives. We tell ourselves, “I’ll wait until I lose weight to take dance lessons/start dating/rock a crop top/go back to school/travel/speak my mind” — convinced that better days are always a few pounds away.

Our favorite plus-size style icons are here to tell you that idea is BS, and it’s time to start living right now — no matter your size.

In a video for JCPenney’s new “Here I Am” campaign, body image activist Jes Baker stares into the camera and asks that age-old question, “Would my life be better if I were thinner?”

Her answer? “No, but it would be better if I wasn’t treated so poorly because I’m not.”

The next three minutes of the video features an ensemble of strong, funny, brave, sexy plus-size women proving her point. There’s fashion blogger Gabi Fresh, singer Mary Lambert, yoga teacher Valerie Sagun, and fashion designer Ashley Nell Tipton, whose upcoming plus-size line for JCPenney looks ridiculously cute — and which happened to be the inspiration for the video.

If you’ve ever struggled with your weight and felt tempted to hide because of it, please hit play right now.

My favorite quote is this one, from Gabi: “So go out in a bikini to the beach. Go travel around the world. Hit on that guy you think is cute. You can be confident and feel good in your skin right now.”

Amen to that!

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