Style influencer and model Denise Mercedes has had her follower count soaring up to 1.4 million and counting on Instagram after her hugely popular “Style Not Size” challenge.
It all started when Denise and her friend Maria Castellanos, two women wearing different clothing sizes, began dressing up in identical outfits to show how they look on different body types. And they took the internet literally by storm!
This time, the power duo is back with some new style-savvy looks modeled side by side in each pic. Scroll down, upvote your favorites and be sure to check out our previous posts here, here and here that reveal how the two friends have been redefining what society deems “pretty” and “stylish” in their wonderful “Style Not Size” challenge.
Denise: DeniseMercedes.com | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Maria: Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
This post may include affiliate links.
They are both beautiful but the girl on the right rocks this outfit totally! The color is even perfect for her!
The brunette definitely. They are both beautiful but she has curves in the right places.
Dude, cmon, seriously? You can compliment someone without bringing others down.
Load More Replies...Bored Panda reached out to Denise Mercedes and Maria Castellanos, two style influencers behind the hugely popular “Style Not Size” project, to find out how it all began and what the women have been up to lately.
Denise said that “Style Not Size'' started with a photo and then transitional videos on TikTok going viral. “Today 'Style Not Size' is pending two big collaborations with two major brands and we are super excited and grateful for this,” she said.
Maria added that at first, they wore a similar style but not the exact same pieces. “I think we really wanted to push the boundaries and go for it! We dressed from head to toe to really showcase one same look on different bodies,” Maria recounted.
She continued: “We loved the public’s response and so I believe now we treat it as a job! A job to educate and open people’s eyes to the endless possibilities in fashion. And so we post more frequently and we cater to every style so that there’s content to be enjoyed by everyone.”
I like how they decided to be bold about this. They look great. I definitely don’t have this confidence.
good magician's outfit- nothing up my sleeves; as a whole menagerie emerges
When asked what kind of projects they've been working on lately, Denise said that there are a lot of amazing things that are soon to be known. “Maria and I want to continue this journey in hope to start a clothing brand that is size inclusive,” she added.
Maria also said that the two have been busy “working on challenging today’s industry standards! We really want the industry to hear and understand that they must be inclusive. Plus size, petite, tall, standard sizes should be available to the public because we all have bodies and they are all equally important and they should be treated as such.”
Maria assured that some of them have done that. “We’ve started working on collections with some of them and we can not wait to showcase them with everyone!”
The style influencers finally feel like there’s more body positivity in modern society, and that things are changing for the better. “Lately it’s been so easy for me to find clothes that fit both Maria and I great,” Denise said and continued: “Even sustainable clothing, which is amazing! The industry is progressing and even though there are still some improvements to be made, we are heading in the right direction!”
I like this on both of them. Maybe it is how they are posed and the confidence they are showing? I like it.
Adorable, sexy, cute, hot, beautiful! Not cheap looking even though it is just cut off jeans and a bare midriff top.
You can tell they both like how they look and this outfit. So do I!
I have seen much more flattering fits with a similar jumpsuit. Once again it is the fit that misses and fails to flatter.
I like how the more covered and supported look of the top is more flattering to both girl's busts.
Breaking news: different bodies look different even when wearing the same outfit. How shocking.
I think it's really cool to show the difference in how certain clothes look/hang on different body types.
Load More Replies...The bigger girls clothes have to tailored and a lot. No way commercial clothes fit a hip that size compared to the waist ratio.
And the smaller girl had issues with the bust fitting and crotch area fitting her in some of the outfits.
Load More Replies...They are both great and I'm really jealous of the curves but I really wonder where does the curvy girl find clothes that fit properly! I'm wondering cause i also have a small waist and bigger thighs and I'm really struggling to find something to fit in the thighs and not to be huge on my waist! All the clothes fitted perfectly on her!
she might tailor the waist, pin it or something to make it tighter?
Load More Replies...The “big” girl actually has a figure including a waist & flat stomach- she is not really fat. Now these clothes on a typical fat person would not look good
They. Have. The. Same. Body. Type! Just not the same size. That explains why they both look stunning in the outfits. But they both have an hourglass figure.
The larger looks smoking hot! Be proud of your body no matter the size
This gave me déjà vu. Haven’t there already been somewhere in the region of a dozen threads exactly like this one?
Well on Bored Panda... there are definitely recurring themes.
Load More Replies...Am I the only one who thinks the bigger girl looks better in most of the outfits?
No, she has incredible hips and curves that a lot of women would kill for ..
Load More Replies...What the f**k is the point of this post? Should guys do it between a skinnier dude and a jacked dude? What a waste of my time
It's ridiculous to put these two women next to each other .. to prove what? That curvy girls can be hot? All of Latin-America and Africa already knows this since forever.
I think the problem with clothes is not about size but body type. I'm an european 12, which is an average size and most of the clothes don't fit and don't look as half as good. Even when I was a 10 or 8 I had problems to find clothing that suited me. Not every girl has a small waist or round hips. Clothing design is too standard.
Commercial clothes fit almost no one. Even the models on the websites you see the clothes advertised on have them pinned into place all the time.
Load More Replies...Both girls look amazing, it's nice to see the comparison side by side.
I like the variations. In some of the pics, one looks better. In others, the other looks better. Some they both look great. Some neither really look all that great. I'm speaking more to the outfits and how the outfits fit the girls. Size doesn't matter as much as the design of the outfit, too.
Both look fab because both have a flat belly. Very few of those clothes would look good if you added a fat belly on to either of them.
Did they actually pick outfits flattering the bigger girl or was it on accident? 🧐
Not to a lots of women who, especially due to differing sizes in the fashion industry, have a messed up view of their body size. It's important to see normal/average girls in normal/average clothes!
Load More Replies...But they have the same body type (wide hips, small waist etc). Just one of them is overweight and the other not.
The skinniest looks so much better in the outfits. Sorry (I'm not against the fat peoples) My high scool's friend was fat (beacause of hypothyreosis), but she looked so good in her clothes. She weared clothes in her size and style. So simple ;)
I don't think she was fat. Maybe a bit bigger but not fat. They both look great in the outfits and if I'm being honest a lot of them the dark haired chick looks better in, though the blond girl still looks amazing.
Load More Replies...Not true. Slim doesn't mean "healthy". It is easy for some people to live a sedentary lifestyle, have a poor diet, and still stay slim. There are people who are skinny and smoke a pack of cigarettes a day... that isn't healthy. You can't tell that someone is healthy just because they are slim.
Load More Replies...Breaking news: different bodies look different even when wearing the same outfit. How shocking.
I think it's really cool to show the difference in how certain clothes look/hang on different body types.
Load More Replies...The bigger girls clothes have to tailored and a lot. No way commercial clothes fit a hip that size compared to the waist ratio.
And the smaller girl had issues with the bust fitting and crotch area fitting her in some of the outfits.
Load More Replies...They are both great and I'm really jealous of the curves but I really wonder where does the curvy girl find clothes that fit properly! I'm wondering cause i also have a small waist and bigger thighs and I'm really struggling to find something to fit in the thighs and not to be huge on my waist! All the clothes fitted perfectly on her!
she might tailor the waist, pin it or something to make it tighter?
Load More Replies...The “big” girl actually has a figure including a waist & flat stomach- she is not really fat. Now these clothes on a typical fat person would not look good
They. Have. The. Same. Body. Type! Just not the same size. That explains why they both look stunning in the outfits. But they both have an hourglass figure.
The larger looks smoking hot! Be proud of your body no matter the size
This gave me déjà vu. Haven’t there already been somewhere in the region of a dozen threads exactly like this one?
Well on Bored Panda... there are definitely recurring themes.
Load More Replies...Am I the only one who thinks the bigger girl looks better in most of the outfits?
No, she has incredible hips and curves that a lot of women would kill for ..
Load More Replies...What the f**k is the point of this post? Should guys do it between a skinnier dude and a jacked dude? What a waste of my time
It's ridiculous to put these two women next to each other .. to prove what? That curvy girls can be hot? All of Latin-America and Africa already knows this since forever.
I think the problem with clothes is not about size but body type. I'm an european 12, which is an average size and most of the clothes don't fit and don't look as half as good. Even when I was a 10 or 8 I had problems to find clothing that suited me. Not every girl has a small waist or round hips. Clothing design is too standard.
Commercial clothes fit almost no one. Even the models on the websites you see the clothes advertised on have them pinned into place all the time.
Load More Replies...Both girls look amazing, it's nice to see the comparison side by side.
I like the variations. In some of the pics, one looks better. In others, the other looks better. Some they both look great. Some neither really look all that great. I'm speaking more to the outfits and how the outfits fit the girls. Size doesn't matter as much as the design of the outfit, too.
Both look fab because both have a flat belly. Very few of those clothes would look good if you added a fat belly on to either of them.
Did they actually pick outfits flattering the bigger girl or was it on accident? 🧐
Not to a lots of women who, especially due to differing sizes in the fashion industry, have a messed up view of their body size. It's important to see normal/average girls in normal/average clothes!
Load More Replies...But they have the same body type (wide hips, small waist etc). Just one of them is overweight and the other not.
The skinniest looks so much better in the outfits. Sorry (I'm not against the fat peoples) My high scool's friend was fat (beacause of hypothyreosis), but she looked so good in her clothes. She weared clothes in her size and style. So simple ;)
I don't think she was fat. Maybe a bit bigger but not fat. They both look great in the outfits and if I'm being honest a lot of them the dark haired chick looks better in, though the blond girl still looks amazing.
Load More Replies...Not true. Slim doesn't mean "healthy". It is easy for some people to live a sedentary lifestyle, have a poor diet, and still stay slim. There are people who are skinny and smoke a pack of cigarettes a day... that isn't healthy. You can't tell that someone is healthy just because they are slim.
Load More Replies...