Blake Lively had a heck of a time fitting into clothes after giving birth to her third child, so she’s asking designers to do better. The Gossip Girl alum, who, in October 2019, gave birth to her third child with husband Ryan Reynolds, recently shared several photos on her Instagram Stories, recapping some treasured looks. After praising celebrity jeweler Lorraine Schwartz and a blue MaxMara coat she dubbed “Sexy Grover fashion,” Lively showed a Lanvin shirt-and-dress combo worn for an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, “because no one had samples that fit me after giving birth. And so many clothes from stores didn’t fit either. So. Many.”
The 33-year-old wrote, “It doesn’t send a great message to women when their bodies don’t fit into what brands have to offer. It’s alienating and confusing. And I wish I felt as confident [then], as I do now, a year later looking back. That body gave me a baby. And was producing that baby’s entire food supply. What a beautiful miracle. But instead of feeling proud, I felt insecure. Simply because I didn’t fit into clothes. How silly is that in retrospect.” She also tagged body-positive entrepreneur Katie Sturino for her work. “She reminds me, we can all ask for better from the brands we love.”
Lively has gotten much love and support from fans and fellow A-listers for being so bold and honest. Sophie Turner, who welcomed daughter Willa with husband Joe Jonas in July 2020, applauded the actress’ honesty. “Yes @blakelively one more time for the people in the back!!!” Turner, 24, said on her Instagram Story alongside one of Lively’s quotes shared from E! News’ Instagram feed. Lively then reposted Turner’s sweet message and appeared thankful for the star’s love. “Queen of the North everyone,” Lively wrote with a cheeky reference to Turner’s Game of Thrones character, Sansa Stark.
Lively and Reynolds, who have been married since 2012, have three daughters: James, 6, Inez, 4 and Betty, 1. The actress has embraced her post-motherhood body with a healthy diet and exercise. “Turns out you can’t lose the 61 lbs you gained during pregnancy by just scrolling through Instagram and wondering why you don’t look like all the bikini models,” she wrote under a 2018 Instagram photo of herself and fitness trainer Don Saladino. “…10 months to gain, 14 months to lose. Feeling very proud.”
And in 2016, after filming the horror movie The Shallows (for which she had two months to get bikini ready after the birth of James), she pointed out the burden on new moms. “I focused on training and eating well. It took two different trainers and a nutritionist to help me get into that sort of shape because it’s not normal to look like that eight months after having a kid,” Lively told the U.K.’s The Sun. “Women put pressure on themselves to look like a Victoria’s Secret model after having a baby,” she added. “It’s absolutely absurd. It was my job to look that way.”
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