“You Don’t Need a Flat Stomach to Wear a Crop Top” Lili Reinhart Speaks Up About Body Image

The Met Gala, the most anticipated annual event, had just concluded, and, as one might expect, there had been much discussion about the celebrities walking the red carpet. Some of them may go to great lengths to get in shape for the occurrence and to wow with their one-of-a-kind gown. This has not gone unnoticed by actress Lili Reinhart, who has publicly expressed her displeasure with the situation.

Bright Side is a powerful advocate for body positivity and self-esteem, so today we’ll show you how the Riverdale actress embraces her body and encourages us to do the same.

Lili voiced her firm opinion on social media.

Lili Reinhart, the Riverdale star, has always been an outspoken advocate for body positivity and defying Hollywood beauty standards. She has stated on many occasions that she does not share the common belief of the industry she works in, an industry that “rewards and praises people for having a smaller waist than I will ever have.”

Following the Met Gala 2022, the actress has been forthright about the extreme measures taken by some celebrities to fit into their gowns. Lili, who is well aware of how the celebrity world works and how important appearance is, has adamantly opposed to losing an incalculable amount of weight just to look good on the red carpet.

Lili wrote in her Instagram story that she is not generally a grumpy person, but sometimes the way this industry operates irritates her.

The actress had found it difficult to accept herself.

This isn’t the first time the actress has spoken out about her body image. Lili disliked her body and look before, which is why, a few months ago, she laid bare on her Instagram to be “vulnerable and share” her inner turmoil, hoping to connect with others in similar situations.

“I’ve been facing obsessive thoughts about my body/weight the last few months,” she wrote. “It’s challenging to look at your body with love instead of criticism [...] I didn’t think being in this industry, that is so obsessed with women’s bodies and weights, could ever mess with my own body acceptance and positivity, but it has.”

Hollywood beauty standards have permanently shaped Lili’s self-perception. She had to face and overcome a lot of barriers before accepting her body for what it is, but she now does know, “my body deserves equal love and admiration at any size.”

In view of the summer, Lili has also taken to her Twitter to remind her fans that there’s no such a thing as ’summer body.’ The actress stated in her post: “Reminder to myself, and to all — you don’t need a flat or perfectly toned stomach to wear a crop top.”

Lili wants to inspire others to be comfortable in their own skin.

As public figures, celebrities should be cautious about what they openly claim, as the audience can misinterpret any public statement and take it as fact. Lili uses her privileged position to raise awareness about this issue and, given her previous experience, to inspire her fans to be self-aware of their appearance.

She confirms that many people around the world encounter these issues daily, sensitive constantly to criticism about their appearance; Lili wants to prompt her fans to “normalize, empathize and show compassion and kindness.”

We live in a society full of expectations, and Lili, like any other human being, has strived to adhere to them. According to her, these expectations are simply pressures set by others in order to impose unrealistic ideals on young women like her. She added, however, that it is up to us to begin changing the way we perceive ourselves and someone else’s opinion.

“I used to look at all the magazine covers when I was younger [...] I wanted to see what was underneath, and I wanted to see the flaws. Everyone wants to see the flaws of another person. Because we want to see glimpses of our own insecurities in them.”

Reinhart wants to encourage other women to give themselves a chance and let go of deceptive standards in favor of celebrating each other’s unique beauty. The 25-year-old actress thinks we can be naturally beautiful with “acne or scars, cellulite or curves.”

“Do not set impossible goals of meeting those fake standards. It’s unrealistic to think that your body or my body will ever look like anyone else’s. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. We are all imperfectly beautiful.”

Have you ever felt insecure about your appearance? Do you believe that such beauty standards have influenced our self-perception?