Online comments sledging a country outfitters about the size of its models have been turned into a positive, after the small business called out the body-shaming in a now-viral social media post.
Dust and Bullets Western owner Abby Burrows, who grew up on a cattle property at Clarence Town, has been running the business at Maitland for five years, with a focus on providing western wear with a wide range of sizes.
"I always had this issue where I couldn't just go to the shops and buy clothes," she said.
"I couldn't get jeans that fitted or I couldn't get a dress that fitted because I'm so tall for a lady, and I just could never find anything that worked with my body.
"I used to be so embarrassed when all the girls from school would get together and catch the train into Newcastle and go shopping... because I just hated that feeling of nothing fitting."
Ms Burrows said she set herself a challenge after surgery forced her to take six months off from her mining job, deciding to launch a clothing business of her own and see how big she could grow it.
The business was now a full-time job for Ms Burrows and her husband James, who run pop-up stores at rodeos, field days and other events around Australia.
It wasn't the first time she had received derogatory responses, but it was comments on an advertisement in which Ms Burrows was modelling four months after giving birth that sparked a post calling them out.
"I guess you could say they hide behind their keyboard and they get very confident in what they have to say, and it sometimes can get very nasty," she said.
"We're not doing this anymore. You don't get to comment on people's bodies."
Mr Burrows added: "The last time someone commented like this, she stopped being in the videos, she stopped modelling for our brand, and it really affected her in the clothes that she would wear.
"I'm super stoked that she stood up for herself and said something this time, because it does happen all the time."
The response post has now received more than 2.5 million interactions, Ms Burrows said, and many women had reached out sharing their own stories.
Ironically, she said, the comments have only brought more attention to the brand and their mission.
"I could never have imagined that posting that would create the conversation it's created," she said.
"So you've got 2.5 million families, people, friend groups, talking about body-shaming, talking about size-inclusivity... talking about respect and kindness.
"That's the big goal."
Ms Burrows said it was important for women working in agriculture to have clothing that was suitable for them and the job at hand.
"You don't want to go about your workday in clothes that don't fit right," she said.
"Being on a farm or in any sort of manual labour job, it's hard work.
"Just having that option to buy size-appropriate clothing, whether it's petite or plus-size or tall or short."
