Body-shamed bikini shopper fights back

Jes Portelli wasn't about to let a changing room bully knock her confidence. Photo / Facebook, Jes P Ortelli

As she stood in line waiting to try on a bikini, a young woman was told girls like her shouldn't be wearing such swimwear.

While receiving this sort of comment would be enough to put many of us off ever opting for a two piece again, Jes Portelli had a different response.

The UK resident was shopping in a local retailer, Matalan, when a colourful bikini caught her eye.

Approaching the changing room, a fellow shopper felt obliged to tell her exactly what she thought of Portelli's choice.

Sharing the exchange in a post to Facebook, the 24-year-old revealed: "The girl at the store today said that 'girls like me' shouldn't wear a bikini."

And instead of expressing dismay, Portelli shared an image of herself wearing the bikini she was advised against.

Addressing the shopper who criticised her, she wrote: "I'm happy with myself and my biiiigggg tummy with tiger stripes... but you could have said the same thing to the girl who finally got out there and had the courage to wear a bikini and you just killed her confidence with one stupid comment."

She goes on to say: "You can be any size and look good! Confidence is what makes you sexy and not just being a size 6!"

Her post has been shared over 2,000 times and garnered encouraging responses from followers.

Claire Pace Harmsworth commented: "Brava babe you're like me. I couldn't care less what others think of my fat bum lol".

Portelli later revealed how she confronted her critic in the changing room, telling Metro: "I told her that I'd prove her wrong so confronted her when I had the bikini on - I told her I was happy in my own body and that I love the way I look.

"She had nothing to say to me really and I felt so powerful going back to my changing room so I took a picture, I wasn't going to let her kill my confidence."

Portelli also received a discount on the bikini that sparked her encounter.