Victoria's Secret Protesters Bare Their Souls (And More)

(Image credit: Archives)

We've all been there: Come December, it's hard not to get a case of serious body envy when the infamous Victoria's Secret models strut down the runway for their annual fashion show. However, some people aren't just envious — they're angry. To be precise, a body image group, About-Face, has started a protest outside a Victoria's Secret store in San Francisco. While the protest is friendly, they aren't just talking — they're also stripping down to prove their point.

Armed with signs reading "I pledge to love my body" and stripped down to their bras and panties, these women (and at least one man) participated in a demonstration on Saturday called Operation Real Bodies Real Love: About-Face Action of Body Acceptance and Self-Love. About-Face's claim is that the lingerie superstore offers an unrealistic ideal of body image to the public.

"Not everybody needs to be like that in order to be attractive, in order to be awesome in general," said Jennifer Berger, About-Face Executive Director. The group invited "people of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, abilities, genders and gender expressions to join" on the event's Facebook page. Victoria's Secret has yet to respond to the protest, but meanwhile, social media is continuing to swarm with photos of people joining the movement.

I'm an Associate Editor at the Business of Fashion, where I edit and write stories about the fashion and beauty industries. Previously, I was the brand editor at Adweek, where I was the lead editor for Adweek's brand and retail coverage. Before my switch to business journalism, I was a writer/reporter at PEOPLE.com, where I wrote news posts, galleries and articles for PEOPLE magazine's website. My work has been published on TheAtlantic.com, ELLE.com, MarieClaire.com, PEOPLE.com, GoodHousekeeping.com and in Every Day with Rachael Ray. It has been syndicated by Cosmopolitan.com, TIME.com, TravelandLeisure.com and GoodHousekeeping.com, among other publications. Previously, I've worked at VOGUE.com, ELLE.com, and MarieClaire.com.