Simone Mariposa is a 23-year-old, plus-size model from Los Angeles, California. Three days ago, Simone created a body positive movement on Twitter with the goal of inspiring women to feel comfortable in anything they wear.
The #WeWearWhatWeWant movement started after Simone read a story about a plus-size girl who was made to feel uncomfortable on Twitter for her choice in clothing. Knowing well herself that this is something many plus-size women could relate to, Simone took to her Twitter to get something started.
“Every plus-size girl has had to bear the terrible brunt of being judged/policed for what we wear & how we wear it,” she wrote. “I no longer allow people to dictate what I should and shouldn’t wear. Showing skin isn’t exclusive to smaller girls.”
She continued, “It’s okay for a plus-size women to let her body breathe in her clothing. Stop making it ‘unacceptable’ for plus women to wear clothes that show skin. It’s not your job to make our wardrobes.”
The response to her tweets led others to join in and share their ideas. One follower suggested she create a hashtag to “highlight plus-size girls making unconventional fashion choices, and looking amazing.” So she did: 
Simone said that being ridiculed for the clothes you wear “can take a big toll on one’s self-esteem.”
She’s experienced this firsthand saying, “My body image suffered greatly from it. I stopped wearing my legs and arms out, I stayed away from clothes that accentuated my belly fat, and I was extremely self-conscious [in] public.”
But then something changed. Simone explained, “After a while, I stopped letting society dictate my wardrobe, and starting wearing things that I always dreamed of wearing that made me feel beautiful.”
The movement took off like wildfire. Women from all over got involved, and started sharing their selfies to join the campaign.
#WeWearWhatWeWant is starting a conversation. “The fat woman’s experience is rarely addressed and discussed, because we are often stripped of our humanity,” she explained.
Simone says her main goal is to use the platform she has as a model, a blogger and on social media to inspire people. She explained, “It is my absolute passion to help people out there feel better about themselves by using my stories and others like them as motivation.”
Simone has been overwhelmed by the response to the movement. She hopes the hashtag will continue to spark conservation. “There are countless people out there who still lack that self-love to break their own mental chains of low self-esteem, and women like us can possibly help to change that.” She added, “We can lead by example.”
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