An Instagram model has hit back after being accused of photoshopping her friend to make her appear bigger.
Georgia Gibbs and Kate Wasley are best friends and fellow Australian Instagram models. They have a lot in common, but some ‘Internet Detectives’ have noticed there’s one visible difference between the two women… their body size.
Georgia is a UK size 6 and Kate is a UK size 16… and some people think that means they can’t be friends, so much so some commentators have even accused Georgia of Photoshopping Kate’s body to make her own look slimmer.
The offending (albeit undoctored) photograph was taken as the two friends enjoyed a night out in Sydney.
Georgia Gibbs wrote:
We posted this picture, just as best friends going out on the weekend, it got re-posted a lot and the controversy started.
‘You have Photoshopped yourself thinner or your friend bigger, what kind of friend are you?’ was one of the comments. It broke my heart because Kate and I are best friends. Why would I do that?
Both women were surprised by the negative response to the photograph.
Kate Wasley told Daily Mail Australia:
The fact that a simple picture of two people together went so viral purely because of their body types shocked me.
People aren’t used to seeing girls of different sizes photographed together and being okay with it. It’s not often that a healthy body is marketed to us in all different shapes and sizes.
Wasley explained how the pair are now championing body positivity, continuing:
We want girls and women to stop comparing themselves to others because we are all so uniquely beautiful in our own way.
Health is more important than size and healthy bodies come in many different shapes and sizes.
We all have imperfections and things we are insecure about but we are all human and these things are normal and beautiful. They make us who we are.
Women are consistently comparing themselves – what they look like, how successful they are, how they behave – to other women.
Instead of comparing, Wasley and Gibbs say, women should be empowering their fellow females to be healthy and happy – however that may manifest.
‘We have both embraced what we have’, said Wasley, sharing an important message.
Love and respect any body, regardless of shape or size.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.