A health and fitness expert has shown how different fitting room mirrors can drastically alter the look of your body.
Bree Lenehan, 25, from Queensland, posted a series of photos on Instagram explaining how ‘mirror manipulation’ is sometimes used in retail stores to make a customer ‘feel slimmer’.
‘A “bad body image” day can be triggered by many things. One is catching a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. All of a sudden a negative thought appears and it’s all downhill from there, ‘she wrote online.
‘But a lot of the time, what you see in the mirror doesn’t reflect the reality of the situation.’
Health and fitness coach Bree Lenehan, 25, from Queensland, (pictured) has shared a series of images showcasing how different fitting room mirrors change how your body looks
Images show how soft lighting is sometimes used to hide the ‘lumps and bumps’ of the body, making the customer ‘feel slimmer’
‘Mirrors are all different! Especially fitting rooms. Some use mirror manipulation to deceive customers into “feeling slimmer” or taller when trying on their clothing, ‘Bree said.
As well as the mirrors, the images show how the lighting also differs in various change rooms to change the perception of the body.
‘Other stores use lighting that is softer, to hide the lumps and bumps we have on our bodies,’ Bree added.
‘But then there are also stores that use wide mirrors or harsh lighting which cast shadows over your body and exaggerate every feature.’
‘Mirrors are all different! Especially fitting rooms. Some use mirror manipulation to deceive customers into ‘feeling slimmer’ or taller when trying on their clothing, ‘Bree said
In another image she showed how jeans from different brands of the same size can also fit very differently on a woman’s body – as there’s no standard size guide in Australia.
Bree said: ‘I can feel comfy in one pair, meanwhile other pairs would leave my tummy bulging over them or would refuse to zip up! I found myself sizing up and down depending on the jeans! ‘
‘Sizing up or down depending on the way your body changes over time is perfectly okay too.’
In another image she showed how jeans from different brands of the same size can also fit very differently on a woman’s body – as there’s no standard size guide in Australia
Bree has gained a huge following on social media by sharing ‘real’ images of herself with the aim to change the conversation surrounding body positivity.
‘These posts are here every week to remind you not to compare yourself to the 1 per cent of someone’s life that you see online,’ she said.
‘There is NOTHING wrong with having a tummy, cellulite, stretch marks, scars, hip dips, or anything else.’
