Blake Lively has called on clothing brands to practice body inclusivity while opening about her postpartum struggles.
People reported Lively on Friday shared a series of throwback photos taken after she and Ryan Reynolds welcomed their third daughter, Betty, in 2019. The "Gossip Girl" star is known for her enviable style and outfits.
The photos reflected on the different outfits she wore during public appearances, including one post in which Lively mentioned an ensemble she donned last January on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."
According to Lively, it was a nightmare trying to find clothes that fit her post-baby body.
—ericuhhhhh. ☼ (@ericuhh13) January 30, 2021
"I put together a @lavinoffical shirt and dress from @netaporter to make this pretty outfit," Lively wrote atop the photo.
"Because no one had samples that fit me after giving birth. And so many clothes from stores didn't fit either," she added. "So. Many. 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."
Lively, 33, continued that she felt "insecure" about her body at the time and wished she "felt as confident then as I do now, a year later looking back."
"That body gave me a baby," said Lively, who married Reynolds in 2012. "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."
Lively then tagged Megababe founder Katie Sturino, who she said is "challenging brands to do better, helping women to not feel alone."
"She reminds me, we all can ask for better from the brands we love," wrote Lively.
Lively's representative did not immediately reply to Insider's request for further comment.
Lively has been open about her post-baby experiences
Lively shares three children with Reynolds, who previously gushed about being a "girl dad": James, 6, Inez, 4, and 16-month-old Betty.
After giving birth to Inez in 2016, Lively shared a photo on Instagram that showed her embracing 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," wrote Lively.
"Thanks @donsaladino for kickin my A double S into shape. 10 months to gain, 14 months to lose. Feeling very proud," she added.
Following her appearance in the 2016 film "The Shallows," Lively spoke to The Sun about getting into a bikini just months after giving birth to James.
"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," said Lively.
"Women put pressure on themselves to look like a Victoria's Secret model after having a baby," she said, adding that "It's absolutely absurd. It was my job to look that way."
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