Addison Rae is still figuring out how to navigate her career on social media. But one of the aspects of life she feels most secure at the moment is body image.
“I’m very comfortable with myself and my body right now, but it’s obviously something I have to work on and learn how to do,” she told Elle UK. “Because it’s hard to love things about yourself that maybe people don’t want you to love.”
With over 128 million collective followers on TikTok and Instagram, the journey of learning to love yourself just got harder. The 21-year-old recalled that she first took to Instagram when she was 11, and since gaining a massive following and fame, her online presence has come under a lot of pressure.
“No matter who you are or what you do, there is negativity. Social media can be toxic, and dealing with it is definitely an uphill battle,” she said. “The comments are so cruel that people even feel compelled to speak out about what they’ve done, which really annoys me. I think if everyone learned to love themselves, they would judge others less. “
Rae has previously spoken about the impact social media has had on her mental health, telling Glamour UK that most of the negativity she faces online is related to her body. “My body is constantly changing, but people have high standards for body image and say, ‘Oh, you have to look like this to look great or look hot or cool or pretty,'” she explained. “To me, a lot of people say, ‘Oh, I love how comfortable she is, and she doesn’t look like beauty standards.’ Sometimes it’s an implicit compliment because people say, ‘I’m glad She has confidence that she doesn’t look perfect.'”
One of the ways Rae is most confident is through the evolution of her style. “Learning how to shape my body, knowing what looks good and what feels good to me, is a big deal,” she said. “Everyone is so different, so what looks great on someone else might look different on me. That’s fine. It’s about finding what you like, but in a way that makes you feel most confident way – make it your own.”
She continued: “I love the sheer mesh, and the fishnet layered under the skirt. It feels sexy without being overdone. I also wear a lot of tighter clothes now because I feel like they hold me in there and make me “
The Louisiana native pointed to Angelina Jolie and Kate Moss as two of her fashion inspirations. Although they admit that they are not the same size, she is influenced by their presence as a whole.
“Sexiness comes from the inside,” she says is one of the biggest lessons she’s learned. “It’s something you project, like an aura — in your personality, in the way you speak or behave.”
As for the opponents she will continue to face, Ray decides to ignore them.
“Everything I’ve done in my career so far has been because of the choices I’ve made and the loss of myself and my intuition. So why should I listen to what other people say?” she said. “I came here alone.”