Kim Kardashian is defending a Skims collection that has yet to drop.
Over the weekend, critics took to social media to voice their concern about the upcoming Skims Maternity solutionwear line, including Jameela Jamil. “It would be so cool if pregnant people could just be allowed to be pregnant and get bigger and not be self conscious and enjoy the miracle taking place inside their body,” the Good Place star wrote in an Instagram on Sunday, September 13. “And not have to worry about feeling embarrassed/ shamed that their body is changing for an amazing reason.”
Not long after the actress posted this, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star took to Twitter to back up the collection set to launch Wednesday, September 16. “To anyone who has an issue with maternity solutionwear, and if you haven’t been pregnant before you may not know the struggle of what it’s like carrying all of this weight the way I did along with millions of strong women, @skims maternity line is not to slim but to support,” she starts at the beginning of the thread.
She then continues to explain that the stomach portion of the Skims garment is sheer and thin to provide support instead of shape, helping protect your lower back when carrying the extra weight. As for the compression of the leggings, she says that this helps reduce swelling and relieve pain. She explains this is also something women might want after giving birth, especially those who got a cesarean.
“We launched this category in response to the tens of thousands of pregnant women who wrote us requesting it and because it was something I personally needed when I was pregnant myself,” she wrote. “Based on the majority of positive feedback we have received so far from pregnant women around the world, I am incredibly proud to provide a solution that will provide comfort and support during the times that we all need it most, during pregnancy and after.”
One of these women is close friend Chrissy Teigen, who took to her Instagram Story on Sunday night to show off her pregnant belly in a new set of Skims. She came to the founder’s defense in a series of videos. “I actually decided that I think that I even think it’s kind of condescending to think you have to defend us on this,” she says. “Because obviously the message is that pregnant women shouldn’t have to feel that they have to make themselves feel smaller. They should feel beautiful and yes. Absolutely. I 1000 percent agree with that. But what you’re forgetting is that none of us think that this is making us think we look smaller. Nobody thinks that.”
She shared her experience wearing the undergarments, seconding Kardashian’s claim that it’s more about support and comfort than slimming.
Jamil then chimed back in on Monday, September 14, sharing a BuzzFeed article about the controversy with the headline “Kim Kardashian Responded to Backlash Over Her Maternity Shapewear Line After Jameela Jamil and Chrissy Teigen Get Involved.”
“This is annoying,” Jamil tweeted. “I didn’t go after her/the product as I’d read her explanation before saying anything. They weren’t responding to me… I was only commenting on the discourse started by the controversy, people body shaming their pregnant bodies. Which made me sad.”
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