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Bullying victim's fashion show highlights body confidence | Bullying victim's fashion show highlights body confidence |
(about 20 hours later) | |
A woman who was bullied about her looks as she was growing up has organised a fashion show to highlight the importance of body confidence. | A woman who was bullied about her looks as she was growing up has organised a fashion show to highlight the importance of body confidence. |
The event's models are all "people who don't normally participate in this sort of thing", Jessica Shire, who describes herself as having a "wonky jaw", said. | The event's models are all "people who don't normally participate in this sort of thing", Jessica Shire, who describes herself as having a "wonky jaw", said. |
The show in Ipswich is part of her Positively Me! project, inspired by her attempts to overcome confidence issues. | The show in Ipswich is part of her Positively Me! project, inspired by her attempts to overcome confidence issues. |
She said: "I have never seen a person in the media who quite looks like me." | She said: "I have never seen a person in the media who quite looks like me." |
Miss Shire, 22, a BT apprentice from Woodbridge, said she wore a tube feed growing up, which led to her being bullied through primary and secondary school. | Miss Shire, 22, a BT apprentice from Woodbridge, said she wore a tube feed growing up, which led to her being bullied through primary and secondary school. |
She wore the tube until she was 11 as her "wonky jaw" meant she found it difficult to eat certain foods, so it helped tackle poor weight gain, she said. | She wore the tube until she was 11 as her "wonky jaw" meant she found it difficult to eat certain foods, so it helped tackle poor weight gain, she said. |
Miss Shire said she had "never been confident in the way that I look" but through Girlguiding and as a Brownie leader, she has been able to talk about body confidence. | Miss Shire said she had "never been confident in the way that I look" but through Girlguiding and as a Brownie leader, she has been able to talk about body confidence. |
It prompted her to set up her project, which includes a social blog. | It prompted her to set up her project, which includes a social blog. |
Miss Shire said raising the issue of body confidence was "incredibly important" and something that affected "both adults and kids in the world we live in today". | Miss Shire said raising the issue of body confidence was "incredibly important" and something that affected "both adults and kids in the world we live in today". |
Simone Butler Mayer is one of the models taking part in the fashion show. She has cerebral palsy which affects her walking. | |
"I have to wear splint to walk and normally I don't like to show them because it's different and I want to be treated the same as everyone else," she said. | |
"But I decided I would wear a dress with my splints showing to show it is ok to have differences and people should accept them." | |
Carolyn Wheatley's long-term illness left her with scars on her body, a central venous catheter and a stoma bag. | |
"Clothes are really important to me," she said ahead of the fashion show. | |
"I use clothes as my armour - if my clothes look good, I feel good." | |
Miss Shire recalls running a self-esteem project with her Brownies, aged eight to 10, when one of them said "I don't like anything about myself". | |
"You can't be that age and not have one thing that you like about yourself. It's got to stop," she said. | |
Miss Shire said she wanted people of all shapes, sizes, ages and backgrounds to be represented in her fashion show on Wednesday. | |
The models, which include her friends and Guides with disabilities, will wear something they would not feel confident wearing normally. | The models, which include her friends and Guides with disabilities, will wear something they would not feel confident wearing normally. |
She has organised the free show at St Peter's by the Waterfront on behalf of Girlguiding Anglia's "Action for Change". | She has organised the free show at St Peter's by the Waterfront on behalf of Girlguiding Anglia's "Action for Change". |