PSA: It's OK Not To Look Like Kendall Jenner

Kendall Jenner found herself the talk of Twitter over the weekend after she shared a series of pictures from a recent photo shoot.

The 25-year-old joined sisters Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian in wearing very skimpy red lingerie as part of a new Valentine's collection from SKIMS (Kim's shapewear brand).

However, it was a solo shot of Kendall as she took a mirror selfie showing her tight, taut stomach and seemingly endless legs that set the Twittersphere ablaze, with many young women comparing themselves to the supermodel.

Instagram - kendalljenner)

"It's called SELF-CARE," one person tweeted, showing a picture of her blocking Kendall on Instagram, while another said: "If I had Kendall Jenner's body, my life would be 10x better."

Kendall's photo comes at a particularly sensitive time for many of us; with lockdown keeping many of us indoors and on the sofa all day. It's safe to say few of us are getting totally glammed up to sit on Zoom, and we're certainly not cutting about in sexy string lingerie when we could laze about in trackie bottoms.

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But it's worth noting (and repeatedly telling yourself) that Kendall Jenner is a literal supermodel. Yes, she may have won the genetic lottery, but it is generally her job to look amazing all the time - and she is paid big money for it.

Like most supermodels, and similarly to the rest of her sisters, Kendall is not just a person, but part of a wider brand. She likely has an entire team behind her - publicists, agents, managers and stylists - who are advising her what to do and when.

Coming from a hugely wealthy family and not having a traditional 9-5 job (she reportedly earns over $611k - the equivalent of £440k - per Instagram post) Kendall has the time to spend hours sweating it out in the gym in rigorous training routines.

We can also safely assume she has a queue of personal trainers and nutritionists coming up with personalised fitness regimes and a stack of meal plans she can follow, something the average person just isn't privy to.

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This is no way a critique of how Kendall may or may not live her life - more power to her. But it's worth noting while her body may look amazing, there is no need to punish yourself or your body for not looking like hers as it is basically virtually impossible for anyone else to look like that without her circumstances.

We also need to remember that just because Kendall Jenner is in what society considers to be highly desirable shape, it does not mean it's the only desirable shape. We all feel pressured to look a certain way, but fundamentally each body is different, reacts to food and exercise differently, and deserves to be loved no matter how it appears.

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It may seem like a very tired and cheesy cliché your mum might tell at you after you've been crying about an unrequited crush, but confidence really does come from within. Your self-worth should not be based on Kendall Jenner's appearance, or anyone else's for that matter.

It's all too easy to compare ourselves with others, be they high-flying, untouchable celebrities, business leaders who hit on a multi-million pound idea at the age of 12, or even just the girl across the street who has a nicer bag than you.

Often, we can lose sight on what's important as we strive to equal or even best those around us on our hedonic treadmill. Our worth is not based on what we look like, or what we do for a living, or how much money we have. We have value in ourselves and in how we are unique and different, and we need to start deriving happiness in our differences.

Not even Kendall Jenner not even she is exempt from these insecurities that we face.

After noticing the furore around her Instagram post, she took to Twitter to reassure her fans that she too has moments where she feels uncertain in herself.

Twitter - kendalljenner)

"I am an extremely lucky girl," she told her 30 million followers. "Appreciative of all that I have. But I want you to know I have bad days too and that I hear you! You are beautiful just the way you are!!! It's not always as perfect as it may seem."

Next time you pose for a selfie, forget Kendall's Insta snaps, and be happy and proud of the skin you're in.

Topics: Kendall Jenner, Life News, Life, Health

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

@0xKimberley