Adriana Lima might have just hinted she’s leaving Victoria’s Secret for an inspiring reason

How many of us wake up feeling good about ourselves and think we look good? The ugly truth is that there are still many people, regardless of gender or age, who are transfixed on the stereotype of beauty and sexiness portrayed by mainstream media. Victoria’s Secret supermodel Adriana Lima may have the body that many envy but insecurities apply to everyone, especially when your job depends on your appearance. 

Last month, Adriana Lima, who is the longest-running Angel with 18 years under her wings, told People that she planned to hit 20 years of walking the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. “Two more years. Maybe more, I don’t know. It’s nature. I’m working out, I’m being healthy, so let’s see how the body is going to turn out,” she said. Earlier in the year, she confessed to OceanDrive that her goal is to do it till she’s at least 40. Over the weekend, however, it seems plans might have changed. 

In an Instagram post, she revealed she’s re-evaluating her career due to an epiphany she’s had about society’s standards on a woman’s body and how it affects a woman’s self-worth – and she plans to do her part to change it. The image posted features a text saying, “My job puts me in such [a] big pressure to look a certain way… I am tired of the impositions… We “as women” can’t [continue] living in a world with such superficial values. It’s not fair… It’s physically and mentally [unhealthy] what society [is] imposing [on] “us” to be, to behave [and] to look. I want to change it.”

 

 

 

Her caption went on to explain how she came to this realization:

“I received a call [about] the possibility of filming a sexy video of me to be posted and shared on social media. Even though I’ve done many of this type [of jobs], something had changed in me. When a friend approached me to share that she was unhappy with her body, it made me think… That every day in my life, I wake up thinking, ‘How do I look? Was I going to be accepted in my job?’ 

“In that moment, I realised that [the] majority of [women] probably wake up every morning trying to fit into a stereotype that society/social media/fashion etc [has] imposed. I thought, ‘That’s not a way of living,’ and beyond that, [it’s] not physically and mentally healthy so I decided to make that change.

“I will not take my clothes [off] anymore for an empty cause.” 

While her last sentence may imply body image problems link to the act of going nude or modelling with little clothing, it’s actually beyond that. This is the model who once revealed to London Telegraph that she only consumed protein shakes (and “no solids”) for nine days before the VS show and then 12 hours before the show, she doesn’t drink at all. Not to mention, three to four months before the show, she would work out every day with a personal trainer.

So does it mean she’s hanging up her wings? Well, there are reports that Lima has unfollowed most of the other Angels (except Lily Aldridge, Behati Prinsloo, Alessandra Ambrosio and Lais Ribeiro), Victoria’s Secret’s senior creative Ed Razek as well as the brand itself. Some of the social media users who left negative comments on her Instagram post do not seem to see it the same way as her though. Some see it as Lima being ungrateful to the brand. Some say it’s her boyfriend. But some forget that even models are humans, and to put a certain body type on display is a result of many gruelling efforts combined with the pressure of meeting society’s traditional standards and their scrutinizing eyes.