FOLLOWING a night of online shopping, a plus-size influencer waited patiently for her new purchase to arrive.
When it arrived, she was dismayed it looked different from the online photo, but some critics say her expectations are to blame.
Style expert Katie Frances (@katiefrances) specializes in fashion content that uplifts women of all sizes.
That often means being totally candid about her own experiences as an Australian size 20 (a size 16 in the US).
In one TikTok video, Frances recreated an insomnia-driven shopping spree that didn't go how she anticipated.
"Can anyone else relate?" she asked her followers in the video's description.
Scrolling through the selections available at Fashion Nova, Frances perfectly captured her "late-night shopping" session.
When she saw a ruched midi dress, $39.99, she was immediately interested based on how "cute" the plus-size model looked.
Frances added the dress to her basket, but when it arrived, she had a three-letter response: "WTF?"
At first glance, Frances was dismayed by how the fitted dress emphasized her stomach.
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"The plus model didn't look like this," she wrote in the caption.
But after getting more comfortable in the dress, Frances realized her dissatisfaction stemmed from a common issue in the fashion industry.
She said she spent time "contemplating how I fell into the same 'skinny' model trap again."
But instead of feeling anxious about the disparity between the product photo and reality, Frances gave herself a pep talk.
She made an effort to remember – and to remind her followers – that "all bodies are beautiful, not just flat tummies."
Viewers were grateful for the honest attitude Frances exhibited while describing her frustration.
One fan declared her video "The most relatable thing I have ever seen."
Another woman wrote, "OMG, there’s NEVER plus size models with legit bellies."
"It drives me CRAZY," the viewer continued. "Don’t get me wrong, they’re beautiful, but we need more."
While followers related to the video's content, they also took the time to compliment Frances.
"I always fall into this," one wrote. "It still looks good on you though, that color and dress style."
"You still look fire in this, babe," another agreed.
Not all the comments were positive, but Frances deflected them expertly.
"The body doesn’t come with the dress," a snarky commenter wrote.
A different person shared a similar sentiment, dripping in sarcasm.
"Honey, you really think the model is NOT using Spanx?" they wrote.
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Frances was smart enough not to entertain the trolls.
"Shapewear helps," Frances told a commenter who insisted she try a girdle, "but it’s not making me a size 14."
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