Plus-size model Manon Edwards on wearing white shorts and crop top: I used to be 'scared to wear that kind of outfit'

Growing up in the south of France being a size 12 wasn’t easy for curvy blogger Manon Edwards. However, now at 25 years old and a size 16, she has never been happier and is living her best life in California as a model.

In a recent post, Edwards shared how wearing a crop top and shorts would have intimidated her in the past, but she’s now in a place where she can wear a revealing outfit while still being comfortable in her own skin. Her candid post got more than 1,500 likes.

“Being plus sized in France is very complicated,” Edwards tells Yahoo Style. “I was never accepted and always looked down upon.”

It took Edwards the “fake it until you make it” philosophy to find self-love. She says it wasn’t an easy journey to loving every inch of her body, but she persevered by challenging herself and was able to achieve it.

Edwards began to blog in France and moved to California three years ago. She found herself all alone without her family and friends. But she says the move gave her a fresh start to become the confident woman she is now.

“I began surrounding myself with positive people who really brought my self-esteem up,” she says. “It was refreshing for me to find such wonderful support.”

She learned to radiate self-love and confidence. Then Edwards met her now-husband of two years.

“If I had never stopped wearing black pants all the time and changed my fashion sense into what I always wanted it to be, I would have never moved to Los Angeles for a modeling job and met my wonderful husband,” she says. “Loving myself brought me a career and a life partner.”

“The way you feel about yourself will affect the way others see you,” she says. “I began loving who I was, and that gave way for others to love me as well.”

Edwards says she is grateful for how the U.S. has created a body-positive community that empowers others, thanks to social media.

“I want to use my platform to help other people who struggle with the way they look,” she says. “You are beautiful the way you are. Everyone is unique and different. Find that love within yourself. It is possible.”

Edwards says she also wants women to wear the clothes that they want and ignore what society says looks good only on slim people.

“Do not limit yourself,” she says. “Clothing is not just about a shirt or a skirt. Clothing is a tool for showcasing your personality and who you are. Let fashion help you speak up for you.”

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• Kaia Gerber’s runway debut was a lot different than mother Cindy Crawford’s in 1991

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