“Being bigger doesn’t make you not beautiful,” states our newest What’s Underneath braveheart, Aglae Dreyer. These are words that we’d plaster everywhere, and tell every girl (skinny or not skinny) repeatedly. For the “plus-size” model (emphasis on the scare quotes) the journey to realizing that owning a full figure isn’t part and parcel of ugly has been a struggle. Though now she’s as carefree as her long red curls, at 16, when Aglae was first scouted to be a model of the non-plus-size variety, the curvy Belgian, was jeopardizing her health in order to lose the 25 kilos (55 pounds) that her agency wanted. “I could never lose enough weight,” Aglae disclosed. “I stopped eating, and, eventually I became bulimic, vomiting everyday until I couldn’t get up.” Aglae’s story features the all-too-frequent enablers, including an agent, who, after hearing that she had lost her period and may be unable to have children if she didn’t start eating again, replied, “Don’t worry, darling, it happens to everyone, it’s not a big deal.” But it is a big deal, and we love how Aglae is mobilizing her voice in favor of fit (not to be confused with skinny), strong, and happy bodies. As chill as her sky-blue button-down, Aglae so refreshingly told us, “It’s fine if you get a bit of extra fat from having fun and sharing great food with great friends. My weight is a pretty, happy weight; I don’t lose my time anymore for things that are superficial."

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Stay tuned for Part 6… coming soon!
Part 5 was produced by Elisa, Lily, & Mona
The video was edited by Adaeze Elechi