
“Style Not Size”: Two Friends Show How The Same Outfit Looks On Their Different Body Sizes (30 New Pics)
By now, you’ve probably heard of the ongoing series Style Not Size influencer and model Denise Mercedes and her friend Maria Castellanos continue to share on their social media feeds. Well, if you haven’t, we’ve already talked about it right here and here. But in case you’re curious, their videos are all about rocking the same outfit side by side and showing how fabulous it looks on different body types.
With this challenge, the duo helps women and girls all over the world receive their daily dose of inspiration and feel more confident about their bodies. Not to mention, they collected a vast amount of new fans simply by proving that no clothes are off-limits.
Get ready to witness how unrealistic beauty standards slowly get shattered and see that anyone can look great, no matter what size they wear. Bored Panda has wrapped up a new selection of their stunning looks and put them all in one place for you to enjoy. So continue scrolling and make sure to upvote your favorite ones!
Denise: DeniseMercedes.com | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Maria: Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
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The two friends started working together in 2019 when Maria was Denise’s photographer. After teaming up for several photoshoots, Denise said she suggested taking a photo together wearing the same bikini — she wanted to showcase the same swimsuit on different body types and promote body positivity.
Once posted on social media, it did so well, the duo was over the moon to receive so much positive feedback. It inspired them to create and post even more videos, and their fan count quickly started growing. As of today, Denise has a whopping 1.5M followers on Instagram alone, while Maria amassed more than 492K.
"Once TikTok had become popular, we decided to do a fun video and that’s when it went viral," Denise told Bored Panda in a previous interview. Then they realized they needed to decide on a hashtag and start an actual body-positivity movement. Their Instagram followers voted between #ThroughThickAndThin and #StyleNotSize, and, as you already know, the latter won.
Earlier on, Maria said that at first, they wore a similar style but not the exact same pieces. "I think we really wanted to push the boundaries and go for it! We dressed from head to toe to really showcase one same look on different bodies."
"We loved the public’s response and so I believe now we treat it as a job! A job to educate and open people’s eyes to the endless possibilities in fashion. And so we post more frequently and we cater to every style, so that there’s content to be enjoyed by everyone," she added.
Denise explained that the key message of their videos is "to dress however you please and to love your body." According to her, it’s time "to stop comparing yourself to others" and start building a positive self-image from within. "The fact that we can inspire so many women to feel confident and be themselves makes us want to continue this movement," she added.
Maria also mentioned that they have been busy "working on challenging today’s industry standards! We really want the industry to hear and understand that they must be inclusive. Plus size, petite, tall, standard sizes should be available to the public because we all have bodies and they are all equally important and they should be treated as such."
Well, the style influencers' efforts seem like it's paying off because they feel the body-positive movement is becoming more and more accepted by both modern society and the fashion business. "Lately, it’s been so easy for me to find clothes that fit both Maria and I great," Denise said. "Even sustainable clothing, which is amazing! The industry is progressing and even though there are still some improvements to be made, we are heading in the right direction!"
It looks like the pair is making sure that the fashion world will become even more inclusive by taking up a variety of projects. Recently, they partnered up with Abercrombie & Fitch to co-create a collection for fall. "It’s mind-blowing how much more of you you can show when brands aren’t the ones judging and how much society changes when they aren’t being told by the industry what is beauty," Maria told Teen Vogue.
"It’s much more inviting." Denise agreed. "I would’ve never thought that a pair of Abercrombie jeans could look so good on me. Abercrombie has come a long way with today’s fashion."
This partnership helped to catch the eye of Macy’s and led to a loungewear collection. Believing it is really about your style, not your size, Maria told WWD: "We really want the fashion world to be size-inclusive." Plus, the design of the clothes is meant to be equally comfortable and flattering.
They made sure that materials, fabrics, and designs are up-to-date because "the fashion industry tends to do everything very basic for a lot of sizes." Maria added that "every single woman out there is human and we all have different shapes and different sizes. We work really hard to find the perfect pieces to showcase for Style Not Size."
This is the first one where the girl with the kick ass curves hasn't looked better than the other girl.
Very nice on all three. Woman in the center does look most alluring.
The series is here "to empower women and let them feel beautiful and in control, and not to judge or diminish," she said. Encouraging body positivity and showing that two different bodies can proudly wear the same thing, they remind people all over that size does not have to dictate your wardrobe. "We are super proud of Style Not Size, and we love seeing every single Style Not Size video from other women."
Note: this post originally had 62 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
It's a good idea, but the majority of plus sized women like me have fat rolls and that would make these clothes look very, very different. These models both have a smooth profile so it still isn't very realistic for most plus sized women.
Right?? Both girls are lovely but my plus sized bust and plus size tummy are not gonna fit in 85% of those outfits 😅 Double D's and size 18 jeans (US sizing) make clothing shopping a nightmare. Thank goodness hottopic has normal plus sizing for dresses.
Haha we're the same size! I hate looking for bodysuit because one way another SOMETHING won't fit whether its the DeeDee's or my dip hips
Go to Torrid. Owned by the same people as Hot Topic and geared for plus sized girls. Lame Brain, but cool. That's where my wife does all of her shopping for undergarments.
No, they don't, which is the sad part. If you have hips, thighs, and a bust, even if you're solid muscle, you're plus size. My body is a medium, but I have to wear an XL because my chest is a 34J. The point is that women have different shapes even if they aren't overweight, and we need to accept that about ourselves.
These two are obviously BK before kids. Before kids I could wear anything no matter what size I was. After kids tops and bottom fit different and as for dress size, forget it, top is a 10 and bottom is 16...lol find me that dress size and fit🤣 but otherwise these two ladies look real good...for their age 🤣
Exactly!! I was thinking the same thing I definitely have rolls 😂😂
Not a fan of any of he outfits. And totally confused as to how you can be plus size and still have a flat stomach - what sorcery is this? If I gain weight first thing that happens in a round stomach
Same. Came here to vent that. Feel doubly body shamed now. First, I'm fat-ish, second, my stomach is not flat. And I lost my waist sometime ago.
Amen. I'm not trying to be a bitter Betty, but I wish they would use a more "typical" plus size girl instead of the girl who's supposed to be plus sized, but is instead a perfect hourglass shape.
I'm big for me right now, in the grand scheme of things I'm hardly "big" but I've went up two sizes so I'm now a uk12 sometimes a 14 in jeans - again, I know that's not big for lots of people, but it is for my personal preference for myself, and it annoys me so much as after 4 kids all the weight I gain in my stomach is on the lower part making it look really awful and saggy and oh so very stubborn to shift once it settles there - I absolutely hate it and hate the fact that no matter what size the models are they still somehow have flat stomachs and a waist, how is this even possible? It's unrealistic body shapes all round - it's so disheartening
I think there might be some body sculpting procedure or perhaps liposuction bc it is very hard to almost non existent to have such a flat stomach when someone's hips are that voluptuous.
Some women have fantastic genes without sculpting. It is all about those genetics.
Exactly my cousin has 3 kids currently carrying #4 all breastfeed and yet after her kids still looked somewhat like the plus size model up there. I'm like what the heck still had a flat tummy big hips and boobs not touching her knees..
I used to be like that... and then I met alcohol many years ago. However, my mom is quite thin (like 5'7" 110 lbs) and she says she only gains weight around her stomach now.
Please stop drinking
Or shapwear
I hope you’re referring to body structure and the locations that fat deposits in the body, and not “(I’m) fat/skinny/etc because of genetics/metabolism!” (*I don’t mean to imply you’re saying that last statement; the “I’m” is generalized unspecific)
It happens. And isn't "body structure and the locations that fat deposits in the body" exactly about genetics?
Its not even about being plus size - It just comes down to body shape.. Even when I was young and thin I have never ever had a flat stomach. I worked out, surfed alot and had a lot of muscle tone in my abs and the rest of my body but I have always always had a little soft round belly. For years I hated it and I struggled after I had children because of course it got worse but my body is strong and healthy and ultimately my soft round belly is as natural and permanant as my eye colour - it will always be there.
And yes... 95% of these outfits are just hideous. I wouldn't put them on any body.
Because she's not fat, but plus size is for anything that doesn't fit what fashion designers think it should be. She's got wide hips and a chest because that's her natural body type. She's not even over weight. We've just been conditioned to think that anything bigger than a size 8 is fat. But sometimes you wear a size 12 because your hips are wider, or an XL shirt because you have a big chest when the rest of your body is a medium. It's stupid.
I mean, she's not morbidly obese, but come on...
She literally doesn't have any roles. She's in shape. See, this is my point. If you aren't exactly what society thinks you should look like, you're fat. Even if you're muscular and have a flat stomach and no rolls.
I'm the same way. I wear a 34 H bra size so all my shirts are Large/XL which fit my chest then look like a bad everywhere else.
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You know you don't have to wear such an odd size. You're the equivalent of a 36DD or a 38D or a 40C or a 42B in the US
Tell me you don't know we how bra sizes work without telling me. You can only go up or down a single band size cuz it needs to wrap around you correctly. 36DD is a 36E, so maybe a 36G could work or 34I but sister sizing is a stupid way to get you to buy a poorly fitted bra.
Let me explain to you how bras actually work. When for properly, your band should be the width of your rib cage under your breasts in order to provide support. The cup should be able to hold your full breast without muffining out. A larger band isn't going to do that.
It's a combination of genetics and targeted exercises. You can't target burn fat(it's a myth) but you can target build muscle(it's often used for physical therapy after injuries). And genetics affects where a person's body builds up fat.
Different body types. If I gain weight it goes to my hips and butt first. I VERY RARELY gain any weight around my stomach area.
It just depends on my body makeup. I have several friends like this, also one that has it in her hips and thighs, one that has a stomach and no butt or hips. Everyone is different. Embrace who you are..
That's the thing. The beautiful women who are larger that are portrayed still have great figures. For me, my hatred of myself was always WHERE I gained weight. All in the torso. Skinny legs and arms and a belly. I don't have a waist, even if I weigh 103 pounds. That's the root of a lot of women's self-image issues - shape, not size.
Don't feel shamed by it girl. Genetics dictate the way our weight distributes. I also have it gather in my belly, as well. Love yourself anyway. <3
Genetics.
My name is not Scott, I'm his wife and I find that some of the outfits I wouldn't be caught dead in, but I found that there is hope to look good. It may not be that she has a flat tummy, but how they designed the clothes. I remember the tummy smoother bathing suits and yes I looked better in them, than in the normal bathing suits. Same size, different look. I am a size 20/22, and had three kids.
Supportive undergarments that fit correctly, good posture, and knowing your angles in front of a camera. Oh! Smile!
Oh yes... I'm not even plussized, but I have a soft, round belly that's impossible to get rid of. Even in times I was skinny with my hipbones sticking out, there was still a small layer of fat on my belly. And if I gain weight, it's first and most visible on my tummy. Those outfits that are cropped or very tight in the stomach region wouldn't flatter me at all.
There are many skiny women who don't have a flat stomach. It's person to person, I would expect.
It happens. My former bff was big and I was small. I had a belly, she had a plate.
I think you are wrong, there is a difference between curvy and fat, you know? Like, no offence but there are differences between these two
There are a lot of plus size women with "flat" stomachs. Change your mind set to become a positive thinker about yourself and other women. It has better results.
It's called shapewear
This series needs to stop. The clothes are horrible.
You *think* the clothes are horrible. I loved some of the outfits. The only thing that matters is whether the person who paid for/wears the clothes likes them. Also why does it need to stop? How is it negatively affecting your life when you can just not look?
Thank you... Well said
Not all of them...besides, it's good body representation. This is an important message.
It isn’t good body representation when they’re both have the best genes. It’s like “how to be pretty- step one: be born with good genes”
Lol. Yeah. Most women who are plus size are not going to have a flat stomach. She was lucky to get genetics that gave her a flat stomach.
The girls look beautiful despite those ugly outfits... :(
All of the jeans were damn cute. How could you not even like the jeans?
Or you could just not look. I enjoy them a lot! Don't yuck other people's yum.
It's best to encourage or keep quiet. One day you will find yourself trying to promote or advocate for something or someone. This same criticism will fall back on you.
I liked a lot of the outfits. They both look pretty.
It's a good idea, but the majority of plus sized women like me have fat rolls and that would make these clothes look very, very different. These models both have a smooth profile so it still isn't very realistic for most plus sized women.
Right?? Both girls are lovely but my plus sized bust and plus size tummy are not gonna fit in 85% of those outfits 😅 Double D's and size 18 jeans (US sizing) make clothing shopping a nightmare. Thank goodness hottopic has normal plus sizing for dresses.
Haha we're the same size! I hate looking for bodysuit because one way another SOMETHING won't fit whether its the DeeDee's or my dip hips
Go to Torrid. Owned by the same people as Hot Topic and geared for plus sized girls. Lame Brain, but cool. That's where my wife does all of her shopping for undergarments.
No, they don't, which is the sad part. If you have hips, thighs, and a bust, even if you're solid muscle, you're plus size. My body is a medium, but I have to wear an XL because my chest is a 34J. The point is that women have different shapes even if they aren't overweight, and we need to accept that about ourselves.
These two are obviously BK before kids. Before kids I could wear anything no matter what size I was. After kids tops and bottom fit different and as for dress size, forget it, top is a 10 and bottom is 16...lol find me that dress size and fit🤣 but otherwise these two ladies look real good...for their age 🤣
Exactly!! I was thinking the same thing I definitely have rolls 😂😂
Not a fan of any of he outfits. And totally confused as to how you can be plus size and still have a flat stomach - what sorcery is this? If I gain weight first thing that happens in a round stomach
Same. Came here to vent that. Feel doubly body shamed now. First, I'm fat-ish, second, my stomach is not flat. And I lost my waist sometime ago.
Amen. I'm not trying to be a bitter Betty, but I wish they would use a more "typical" plus size girl instead of the girl who's supposed to be plus sized, but is instead a perfect hourglass shape.
I'm big for me right now, in the grand scheme of things I'm hardly "big" but I've went up two sizes so I'm now a uk12 sometimes a 14 in jeans - again, I know that's not big for lots of people, but it is for my personal preference for myself, and it annoys me so much as after 4 kids all the weight I gain in my stomach is on the lower part making it look really awful and saggy and oh so very stubborn to shift once it settles there - I absolutely hate it and hate the fact that no matter what size the models are they still somehow have flat stomachs and a waist, how is this even possible? It's unrealistic body shapes all round - it's so disheartening
I think there might be some body sculpting procedure or perhaps liposuction bc it is very hard to almost non existent to have such a flat stomach when someone's hips are that voluptuous.
Some women have fantastic genes without sculpting. It is all about those genetics.
Exactly my cousin has 3 kids currently carrying #4 all breastfeed and yet after her kids still looked somewhat like the plus size model up there. I'm like what the heck still had a flat tummy big hips and boobs not touching her knees..
I used to be like that... and then I met alcohol many years ago. However, my mom is quite thin (like 5'7" 110 lbs) and she says she only gains weight around her stomach now.
Please stop drinking
Or shapwear
I hope you’re referring to body structure and the locations that fat deposits in the body, and not “(I’m) fat/skinny/etc because of genetics/metabolism!” (*I don’t mean to imply you’re saying that last statement; the “I’m” is generalized unspecific)
It happens. And isn't "body structure and the locations that fat deposits in the body" exactly about genetics?