The Victoria’s Secret Body Trend: How to Feel Strong and Confident in Your Own Body

Updated November 4, 2026 · Written with a body-respectful, wellness-first approach.

If you watched the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and found yourself thinking, “I want that kind of confidence,” you’re not alone. The wings, the lights, the music, the walk: the whole thing is designed to make an entrance. After the 2026 show, it’s natural that people are talking again about the Victoria’s Secret body trend and what it means to look and feel your best.

Let’s talk about it like sisters. You can enjoy the glamour, take inspiration from the energy, and still protect your relationship with your body. You do not need to become a runway model, lose a certain amount of weight, or fit a single silhouette to be healthy, beautiful, or worthy of care. If there’s something here you want to “achieve,” let it be more strength, ease, joy, and self-trust—not somebody else’s measurements.

What people mean by the “Victoria’s Secret body”

People use the phrase to describe a polished, confident, fashion-show look: lingerie or sleek styling, glowing skin, dramatic hair and makeup, strong posture, and the ease of someone who knows she belongs in the room. The Victoria’s Secret show is a fashion and entertainment production. Its look is created through casting, styling, professional hair and makeup, lighting, choreography, and a carefully built runway moment. That is a very different thing from a health standard.

And there isn’t just one kind of body on the runway. The 2026 cast included models with different backgrounds and body shapes, including Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser, and Precious Lee. That visibility can feel meaningful. At the same time, a runway lineup is still a small, selected group in a highly produced setting. It cannot tell us what a healthy body should look like for every woman.

So when the trend catches your eye, try asking: “What part of this do I actually want?” Maybe it’s the strength. Maybe it’s dressing up, moving your body, feeling radiant, or being seen. Those desires are yours to explore. A number on the scale doesn’t have to be part of the conversation.

A runway look is a production, not a wellness plan

A striking photo can make a look seem effortless. Behind the image, though, there are designers, stylists, lighting teams, makeup artists, photographers, rehearsals, and a moment chosen from many moments. Fashion images are made to hold attention. They aren’t a complete record of anyone’s everyday life, routine, health, or body.

That distinction matters because social feeds can turn a beautiful image into a quiet instruction: “If I change enough, I can finally feel good.” But confidence doesn’t arrive only after a body changes. And health cannot be reliably judged from a photo. A person can look fit and be struggling; another can look different from the runway and be caring for herself beautifully. We rarely know the whole story from the outside.

For a softer kind of media self-care, enjoy the show as fashion. Follow creators who make you feel more at home in your body. Notice if certain accounts leave you tense or picking yourself apart, and give yourself permission to mute them. The National Eating Disorders Association’s guidance on media self-care encourages choosing content mindfully and thinking critically about how images are made and what they ask us to believe.

This isn’t about pretending appearance never matters. It can be fun to feel polished, sensual, athletic, or glamorous. It’s about keeping the fun yours, so admiration doesn’t quietly turn into punishment.

What you can build: strength, energy, and confidence

You can’t choose your genetics, bone structure, proportions, or exactly where your body stores fat. You can choose caring practices that support how you feel and what your body can do. Those practices may change your fitness over time; they don’t need to guarantee a certain look to be worthwhile.

Build strength for what it gives you

Strength training can be as simple as learning a few movements with your own body weight, resistance bands, or weights. You might practice squats to make stairs feel easier, rows for carrying groceries, or a wall push-up while you’re waiting for the kettle. Start at a level that feels safe, learn the movement, and increase gradually. A qualified trainer or physiotherapist can help you adapt exercises to your body, experience, and any injuries or health conditions.

U.S. activity guidelines for adults include muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days a week, alongside aerobic movement. That’s a public-health guide, not a pass-or-fail test. If you’re new to exercise, returning after a long break, pregnant or postpartum, or managing a health condition, start where you are and ask a healthcare professional what fits your situation.

Find movement you can come back to

Movement doesn’t have to look like a punishing program. A walk with a friend, a beginner dance class, swimming, yoga, cycling, or a short home workout all count as ways to move. The best plan is usually one that fits your life and that you can return to with kindness after a missed day. Some days, five minutes is the honest starting point. That still counts.

Fuel and rest like you matter

Your body needs food, fluids, and recovery to get through ordinary life, let alone training. Try to make meals satisfying and varied, with foods you enjoy and enough nourishment to support your day. There is no single “angel diet,” cleanse, or special food that creates a runway body. If food rules or body worries are taking up a lot of space, you deserve support from a registered dietitian or another qualified professional who understands body image and eating concerns.

Rest is part of the practice, too. Sleep, easier days, and time to recover help make movement sustainable. A routine that leaves you exhausted, anxious, or afraid to eat is asking too much of you.

A gentle way to start

If you want a simple starting point, think in terms of a week—not a dramatic “before and after.” Choose one or two activities you enjoy. You might take a brisk walk twice, try a beginner strength session, and set out comfortable clothes the night before. Keep the first few sessions short enough that you finish thinking, “I could do that again.”

As the habit becomes familiar, add a little time or effort only when it feels manageable. Write down how you feel after movement—more awake, calmer, proud that you showed up—instead of recording only appearance-based outcomes. If you miss a session, the next choice is just the next choice. No apology tour required, sis.

For a beginner strength session, a trainer might help you choose a few basic movements that cover different muscle groups and show you how to do them safely. Leave room for breaks. Stop if you feel sharp pain, faintness, chest discomfort, or anything that worries you, and seek appropriate care. The point is to build a relationship with movement that respects your body’s signals.

And please don’t treat a general article as a personalized prescription. Bodies differ, and the right starting place depends on your health, history, access, and preferences. A healthcare professional can help tailor a plan if you’re unsure.

Let style and presence be part of the fun

Sometimes the thing we call a “body goal” is partly a styling goal. Maybe you want clothes that make you feel gorgeous, a posture that feels open, a beauty ritual that brings you joy, or the confidence to take up space. You’re allowed to explore those things now, in the body you have today.

Try on a look because the color delights you. Put on music and practice walking in shoes that feel comfortable. Take a photo for yourself if you want one. Invite a sister or friend to help you get ready. These small choices can bring the playful, dressed-up energy of a runway into your real life without asking your body to earn it first.

Confidence is not a pose you have to hold perfectly. Some days it may be a bold outfit; other days it may be saying no, eating lunch when you’re hungry, or choosing not to compare yourself with an image that was never meant to show the whole story.

When inspiration starts to feel like comparison

It can help to notice how a trend lands in your body. Do you feel inspired, curious, and excited to move? Or do you feel panic, shame, and an urge to restrict or overexercise? Your feelings are information. If the second group is showing up, pause the content and talk to someone you trust. You don’t have to wait until it feels “serious enough” to ask for help.

If worries about food, exercise, or appearance are interfering with daily life, a healthcare professional or eating-disorder support organization can help you find the next step. You deserve care without having to prove that you are unwell enough.

We can enjoy fashion and still be critical of the pressure that gets attached to it. We can admire a model’s walk without deciding her body is a homework assignment. We can build strength, style, and confidence for the lives we are actually living. That’s a glow worth keeping.

Questions readers often ask

Can I get a Victoria’s Secret runway body through workouts?

There isn’t a single runway body, and no workout can guarantee a particular model’s proportions or appearance. Training can support strength, stamina, mobility, and confidence. Let those be meaningful goals on their own.

What is a healthy way to start strength training?

Start with movements that match your experience and feel safe, learn good form, and build gradually. A qualified trainer or healthcare professional can help tailor a routine, especially if you have an injury or health condition. Public guidelines are general guidance, not individual medical advice.

Do I need to lose weight to feel glamorous or confident?

No. You can explore clothes, makeup, posture, movement, and self-expression in the body you have now. Confidence and worth are not rewards you receive after reaching a size.

How can I enjoy runway content without comparing myself?

Watch it as fashion and performance, follow accounts that support body respect, and step away from content that leaves you feeling worse. It’s okay to admire a look without making it a rule for your own body.

Sources

• Victoria’s Secret. Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2026: show details and cast.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans: key recommendations.
• National Eating Disorders Association. Media and Eating Disorders: tips for media self-care.

This article is for general information and wellness education. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional about a routine that fits your individual needs.