Sydney Bell
At one point in her life, Sydney Bell was fat-shamed and bullied. Now she’s a BIPOC plus-size model, creator and professionally trained dancer. She’s modeled for large campaigns including Rue21 plus, NYX Cosmetics, Fashion Nova Curve, Herbivore at Sephora, and Rebdolls.
Sunday Edit: What is your advice or things that have personally worked well for you when it comes to seeing triggering content?
Sydney Bell: When it comes to social media UNFOLLOW THEM! I remember in college all I used to follow was the “hottest” and most well-known celebrities and when summertime would come around I would feel just awful about myself. I’d question why I didn’t look like them, and it was extremely triggering! Now I follow people who are like me; people who love life, love themselves and are learning to love their bodies. When it comes to ads that are out in the world daily, thank goodness I was a marketing major because now I know these are all used to sell a product or service. So training myself to know that there is an underlying motive when it comes to these ads has helped a lot.
SE: What are your tricks for deciding if you feel comfortable in a bathing suit before you get to the beach?
SB: Remind yourself this: people, well at least normal people, don’t go to the beach to look at everyone else or judge you. They’re going to enjoy the beach. So many things that I used to be insecure about when it came to going to the beach including how I looked to other people and what others would think. WHO CARES! To be honest, I’ve never seen any of those people again. So when it comes to deciding if you’re comfortable in that bathing suit, remind yourself that you look good and no one really cares. Live your life fully!
SE: Are there certain bathing suit brands you feel especially good in?
SB: I love the inclusivity of size when it comes to Fashion Nova Curves bikinis. I also love Blackboughs bikinis. I always go for the string bikinis because I can adjust them to my size, and they have the cutest designs and colors.
SE: What is your advice for taking body positivity from an idea that resonates with you to action?
SB: I have so many saved posts of women on my Instagram who make me feel good about myself! The album is called “Happy Her”. It’s all of my favorite, body-positive influencers and models and most of them are in bikinis. If you feel insecure, this is a great tip to remind yourself that if they can do it, so can you!
SE: What do you do if you start to feel insecure?
SB: I thank God every day that I am at the point where I don’t get too insecure about things. But when I was still at the beginning of my self-love journey I used to call my mom in any situation and she knew exactly what to do. She would lift me up and remind me of my worth, all of my accomplishments, and remind me that I was her daughter, a bad bitch!
SE: What are you most looking forward to about TheBodCon TALKS: Beach Bodies?
SB: I’m looking forward to getting to chat with everyone. The most rewarding thing for me when it comes to what I do as a model and influencer is being able to inspire women and girls around the world. I’m often reminded about my youth and growing up with no public figures or anyone in the media who had guidance and influence on young women when it came to be positive about my body. During this panel, if I can touch one woman or girl, mission accomplished.
