We’re perfectly normal!

Victoria’s Secret’s new ad has been attacked for calling waif-like models ‘perfect’. Here, we show what it would look like with real women – who talk frankly about their bodies

wITH their lean limbs, flat stomachs, pert breasts and shapely bottoms, the ‘ perfect’ bodies splashed across billboards and magazines are all too familiar.

Yet it seems we may be beginning to tire of these gazelle-like beauties. The lingerie store Victoria’s Secret has faced a backlash this week amid claims that its latest campaign, featuring ten waif-like models under the slogan The Perfect ‘Body’, promotes an unrealistic ideal of beauty.

The brand has since changed the slogan on its website to A Body For Everybody in an attempt to deflect criticism, but the models are resolutely svelte.

Here, ten women of all shapes and sizes recreate the controversial advert, showing what a normal body really looks like . . .

MY BODY’S BATTLE WORN BUT I’M STRONG AND FIT

ALI WILLIAMSON, 57, a size ten, is a fitness instructor from Surrey and is married to Dave, 61, a company director. They have five children between them. She says: MY BODY is a bit beaten up, but it’s given birth to and nursed two children, so I’m grateful for that.

I’ve also recovered from a horse-riding accident, when I broke seven bones, and I’ve had a hip replacement. So, as far as being ‘perfect’, I’m not.

But the fact my body allows me to teach ten classes of yoga and Bodypump weight-lifting classes every week means it’s strong and fit.

At 5ft 9in and 9st 3lb, I feel I could do with losing a few pounds. My worst feature is my bust — it’s 34E and too big for my frame. I’d reduce it surgically if I had the money because it gets in the way when I’m teaching.

I wish there were more older models. When I look at ads they could be my grandaughters.

However, negative images don’t affect my body confidence. Every day my husband tells me I am sexy or beautiful — if he says it often enough I might believe it!

SHOWING MY MUM TUM IS A CONFIDENCE BOOSTER

EMILY HARVEY, 31, a size 14, is a blogger and lives in South-West London with her partner Feroz, 32, a teacher, and their daughters Abigail, five, and Sophia, 15 months. She says:

WHEN I told my friends I was doing this photo-shoot, they said: ‘Gosh, you’re brave!’ Most women over 20 — particularly those who’ve had children — don’t feel confident enough to pose in their underwear. I feel more womanly after having children. But my mum tum does bother me when I’m swimming and see women with flatter tummies.

I was a size ten before I had my children and while I’d like to look slimmer, I’m a busy mother with not much time to go to the gym.

I’m 5ft 8in, weigh 12½ stone and don’t feel fat. But like every woman, I’m insecure about my body and this advert doesn’t help that.

Taking part in the shoot has boosted my confidence hugely. I’ll feel much more confident in my underwear in the future.

I WAS SIZE 8 BUT I’M A HAPPIER SIZE 18

EVA BELLIVER, 34, a size 18, is a pianist and lives in North London. She says: MEN in the street often come up to me and tell me I’m beautiful. The compliments I get prove you don’t have to be a stick to be attractive.

But as far as Victoria’s Secret is concerned, I don’t exist. They’re missing a trick because there are plenty of sexy, larger women who would love to buy their underwear.

Ten years ago, I lost seven stone in nine months by going on a drastic cleansing diet because I felt I was overweight. I got down to a size eight, but the regime caused long-term damage to my health and I was in a lot of pain for many years. I decided six years ago that I was going to let my body get back to its natural weight, which is 15 stone.

Taking part in this shoot is the bravest thing I’ve ever done. There are still bits of me I don’t like — my skin, belly and thighs — but I love my eyes and breasts.

If Victoria’s Secret featured more women like me in their ads, they would see their sales rocket.

I’M DRINKING ‘POND WATER’ TO BE SLIM

SAM SIMS, 32, a size ten, runs a parenting website and lives in Surrey with her husband and their son, Barney, three. She says:

EVEN though I’m slim, I don’t feel confident about my body. I won’t go on the beach in a bikini, so posing in my underwear has been a real challenge.

My husband can’t believe I’m doing it, but I’m hoping it’s the first step to accepting that this is what I look like.

I put on 3½ stone in pregnancy and it’s taken three years to lose. I’m 5ft 5in and weigh 8½ stone.

I’m in the middle of a five- day cleanse and have to drink glasses of what looks like green pond water every morning.

I have to admit I think the models in the Victoria’s Secret advert look incredible. But labelling them as ‘perfect’ is going to upset a lot of people who don’t look like that. I’d feel the same if the word ‘perfect’ was put across a line-up of size 16 models. We’re all different and we all deserve to feel beautiful.

I LOVE MY HOURGLASS FIGURE

ALIDA YOUNG, 46, a size ten, is separated, a full-time mother to Olivia, 12, and Sophie, nine, and lives in Kent. She says:

MY BODY doesn’t look like a model’s, but I’m proud of it. At 5ft 1in, I fluctuate between size eight and 12.

I don’t like my thick thighs and upper arms, but I’m reasonably slim elsewhere. My best features are my flat tummy and slim waist, which gives me a lovely hourglass figure.

When I saw the Victoria Secret advert I was shocked by how skinny the women are. Surely women with natural curves would sell underwear, too? I can’t see how women or men would find the super skinny look attractive.

I always use the word ‘healthy’ in front of my daughters. They know girls as young as 12 with anorexia, and the kind of images they see worries me.

I’m dating and am nervous about revealing my body to a new man, but I mask nervousness with fake confidence — and a little wine.

Luckily, I don’t think men expect a 45-year-old woman to have the body of a 20-year-old model, despite what they see in adverts!

CUDDLING A BAG OF BONES IS NOT SEXY

MICHELLE BROPHY, 44, a size 12/14 , works in PR and marketing. She lives in Kent with her partner, Steve, a taxi driver, and two sons from a former marriage. She says: THREE years ago, when my marriage was breaking down, the stress made me lose two stone. My breasts were hanging like old socks.

My friends were horrified, but I loved being able to fit in a size ten. Even then, I still thought I was too fat. Now I’m happy with a new partner I’ve gained weight again.

He really likes my body, particularly my 32FF bust, and says there’s

nothing sexy about cuddling up to a bag of bones.

Men think a woman should go in and out, and it doesn’t matter if she’s got a flabby belly or cellulite, like I have. It’s women who beat ourselves up about our shapes.

SO HAPPY TO SHOW I’M A REAL WOMAN

EMMA TENNANT, 40, a size 14, is a sales manager. Single, she lives near Birmingham with her three-year-old daughter Annabelle. She says: WHEN you get older it is difficult to stay slim. I was a size 10/12 when I was younger, but since I’ve had my daughter I’ve gained a little weight.

I don’t like my tummy, but it doesn’t affect how happy I am.

I work with a lot of young girls who talk constantly about feeling fat, yet they’re so slim. It’s so sad.

There’s more pressure on girls to be thin due to social media and the fact that everyone is posting selfies.

After seeing the Victoria’s Secret advert I considered posing in my underwear and putting the pictures on Facebook. I wanted to show my friends that this is what a real woman looks like.

I didn’t think I’d get the chance to show the whole country!

I’VE BANISHED THE WEIGHING SCALES

GAIL DANIEL, 50, a size 16, is a fitness instructor. She lives in Leicestershire with her husband Mark, 50, who runs an outdoor centre, and their son, Jake, 14. She says: WHEN I was in my late 20s, I was a size eight, but only because I barely ate anything, went to the gym seven days a week, used laxatives and would try to make myself sick.

Though I was never diagnosed with an eating disorder, it was a frightening time. Thankfully, some- thing snapped in me one day and I thought: ‘Enough!’

But I still worried about my weight. It was not until my mid-40s that I decided I had a fit and healthy body and should be grateful. I don’t think I look too bad for my age.

I’ve banished the weighing scales, though, because I don’t believe they give a true picture of a woman’s size. I rely on how my clothes fit to tell me if I’ve gained a few pounds.

Adverts like the Victoria’s Secret campaign do nothing to help selfesteem. While I understand that some women are naturally slim, why aren’t there a few bigger models in the line-up, too? We come in all shapes and sizes and to say that anyone who is not a conventional model shape is not ‘perfect’ is simply rubbish.

I love my waist, breasts and back. However, I’m not keen on my legs, because I think they have too much cellulite.

But I’m fed up of ads making women feel bad about ourselves. Why can’t we stop beating ourselves up about our bodies?

MY HUSBAND IS SO PROUD OF MY BODY

SUZANNE DALMEDO, 37, a size 14, is a fulltime mother. She lives in Berkshire with her husband Darren, 36, an operations director, and their two children, Theo, six, and Ruby, four. She says: IT’S so liberating for a mother of two in her mid-30s to pose in her underwear.

I want to prove I’m still confident about my body, but more importantly I want to show my little girl that women should love their bodies and to appreciate it if they are healthy and strong.

Even at just four, Ruby compares herself with her friends and says things such as: ‘I want straight hair, not curly hair.’ I tell her she’s beautiful just the way she is.

I hope her upbringing means that when she’s a teenager she won’t compare herself to models like the ones in this ad — it would be terribly sad if she did.

The Victoria’s Secret models aren’t just slim, they are painfully skinny. I have no idea what you’d have to do to get a body like that.

I’ve never been skinny. At school I was always sporty, so I was toned, but always strong and healthy.

I’m 5ft 6in and weigh 11st 12lb, and though I’d love to lose half a stone and perhaps have a flatter tummy I’m generally happy.

My husband compliments me all the time and tells me I’m attractive. He loves my body and is ever so proud of me for doing this — and I’m proud of myself.

SUPER SKINNY? NO! I LOVE MY CURVES

NATALIE LEE, 34, a size 12, is a full-time mother to Alexa, five, and Autumn, two. She lives in East London with her husband Matt, 34, a stockbroker. She says: AS A trained midwife, I’ve seen lots of women’s bodies and I know we come in all shapes and sizes.

So I was horrified there wasn’t a single average-sized woman in the Victoria’s Secret advert. I don’t want my children subjected to images like that. Why can’t we see more women who look sporty and healthy rather than bony and skinny? That would be inspirational.

I’m 5ft 5in and weigh 10st 10lb, which means I’m healthy and fit. I ran a marathon last year in four hours and 22 minutes.

Yet while I’m proud of this, it’s hard not to compare myself to slim women in adverts.

I don’t want to be super skinny — I think that looks unattractive and wouldn’t want to lose my curves.

If I want to lose some weight, I simply stay away from bread, rice and potatoes.

I like my hour-glass figure and my husband loves my curves, but there are parts of me I don’t like. I’ve got a bit of a tummy and stretch marks, so I don’t wear a bikini on the beach unless it’s a Fifties- style super high-waisted one.

The fashion industry needs to realise women come in every size — and we are all perfect.