Mum embraces her small chest and creates clothing brand for women like her
- 5 months ago
A mum who was "skinny-shamed" and told men wouldn’t want her with "no boobs" has embraced her small chest and created a clothing brand for women like her.
Leah Godfrey, 34, felt insecure about her small 30A cup boobs growing up and was taunted with comments which made her believe something was “wrong” with her.
She was told no guys would "want you if you have no boobs" and nicknamed "twiglet" for her slender figure.
Leah looked into a boob job aged 15 and even went for several appointments ahead of surgery when she turned 17 but something always held her back from going ahead.
After going for counselling, Leah realised the negative feelings about her body were not her opinion and started to embrace her small chest.
Now in a long term relationship with three children – aged 14, seven and five – Leah has created her own clothes brand for other small-chested women to help them feel confident in their bodies.
Leah, who owns My Style Diary, and lives in Norwich, Norfolk, said: “When I looked around me – I didn’t look like anyone else.
“People were making fun of me.
“There was skinny shamming. People said ‘you look really skinny’, ‘are you anorexic?’ and ‘are you eating enough?’.
“I was told 'guys are not going to want you if you don’t have boobs'.
“I was nicknamed twiglet.
“Now I’m happy, confident and comfortable.
“I enjoy my body now.”
Growing up in rural Ireland, near Cork, Leah struggled with her body image.
She said: “I didn’t see anyone like me.
“People said comments – I thought there is something wrong with me.
“I was very slim and I had a flat chest.
“I had gone through the idea of breast implants – but it had not felt right.”
Leah said the idea of surgery was even suggested by family members and she started to consider it as young as 15.
She went for consultations aged 17 but something stopped her from going ahead.
Leah said: “I used to wear a padded bra.
“I didn’t go through with breast surgery because I didn’t want to – I just thought I needed to.”
A counsellor helped Leah on her self-love journey, showing her negative comments often come from others insecurities.
Leah said: “I realised the negative feelings I had about my body were not my opinions.”
In her early 20s she started to embrace her small frame.
She said: “It was exciting to let go.
“I started embracing what I have.”
Leah met her partner, Ross, 34, a plasterer, and had her two boys and daughter but, even as a confident woman, struggled shopping for her figure.
She said: “I’m really confident and comfortable and embrace my body but when I go shopping it lets me down.
“80 per cent of it doesn’t fit.
“It’s not empowering.
“Even as a confident woman, going shopping still makes me feel bad.”
Leah decided to launch her own brand – catering for women like her – and started My Style Diary in 2021.
She’s just launched her first dress for pre-order in June 2023 – a bodycon number with small cups – and plans to release a bra early next year.
Leah said: “Hopefully no girl who receives this dress will need to put something in the cup because of gapping.
“This brand comes from my feelings but it’s about something much bigger.”
Leah says she now “appreciates” her body and teaches her children about body positivity.
She said: “My boys understand all women come in different shapes and sizes.
“My body does so much.
“It’s made for me.”
Leah Godfrey, 34, felt insecure about her small 30A cup boobs growing up and was taunted with comments which made her believe something was “wrong” with her.
She was told no guys would "want you if you have no boobs" and nicknamed "twiglet" for her slender figure.
Leah looked into a boob job aged 15 and even went for several appointments ahead of surgery when she turned 17 but something always held her back from going ahead.
After going for counselling, Leah realised the negative feelings about her body were not her opinion and started to embrace her small chest.
Now in a long term relationship with three children – aged 14, seven and five – Leah has created her own clothes brand for other small-chested women to help them feel confident in their bodies.
Leah, who owns My Style Diary, and lives in Norwich, Norfolk, said: “When I looked around me – I didn’t look like anyone else.
“People were making fun of me.
“There was skinny shamming. People said ‘you look really skinny’, ‘are you anorexic?’ and ‘are you eating enough?’.
“I was told 'guys are not going to want you if you don’t have boobs'.
“I was nicknamed twiglet.
“Now I’m happy, confident and comfortable.
“I enjoy my body now.”
Growing up in rural Ireland, near Cork, Leah struggled with her body image.
She said: “I didn’t see anyone like me.
“People said comments – I thought there is something wrong with me.
“I was very slim and I had a flat chest.
“I had gone through the idea of breast implants – but it had not felt right.”
Leah said the idea of surgery was even suggested by family members and she started to consider it as young as 15.
She went for consultations aged 17 but something stopped her from going ahead.
Leah said: “I used to wear a padded bra.
“I didn’t go through with breast surgery because I didn’t want to – I just thought I needed to.”
A counsellor helped Leah on her self-love journey, showing her negative comments often come from others insecurities.
Leah said: “I realised the negative feelings I had about my body were not my opinions.”
In her early 20s she started to embrace her small frame.
She said: “It was exciting to let go.
“I started embracing what I have.”
Leah met her partner, Ross, 34, a plasterer, and had her two boys and daughter but, even as a confident woman, struggled shopping for her figure.
She said: “I’m really confident and comfortable and embrace my body but when I go shopping it lets me down.
“80 per cent of it doesn’t fit.
“It’s not empowering.
“Even as a confident woman, going shopping still makes me feel bad.”
Leah decided to launch her own brand – catering for women like her – and started My Style Diary in 2021.
She’s just launched her first dress for pre-order in June 2023 – a bodycon number with small cups – and plans to release a bra early next year.
Leah said: “Hopefully no girl who receives this dress will need to put something in the cup because of gapping.
“This brand comes from my feelings but it’s about something much bigger.”
Leah says she now “appreciates” her body and teaches her children about body positivity.
She said: “My boys understand all women come in different shapes and sizes.
“My body does so much.
“It’s made for me.”