This is the statement tee that I wore on Fox News Chicago. MORE Beautiful!

On October 11th, 2013, Karli beamed with pride while being interviewed on Fox News Chicago. She’d usually dress up for a television interview, but this time she didn’t. Instead, she wore jeans and a t-shirt she specially designed.  She fondly calls the shirt her  Still More Beautiful tee and wears it frequently. She created it to be a “statement piece” and it caused just the buzz she was hoping for. She was inspired to create it after being repeatedly told that despite her scars she was “still beautiful.” Always humbled by the compliment, something still didn’t sit well with her after hearing it.

One day she got up the courage to respond a little differently than her usual smile and, “Thank you so much.” A young lady who curiously asked her about her scars listened attentively as Karli shared the short version of her story. She then quietly said,  “But you’re still beautiful.” She was surprised when Karli looked her in her eyes and responded,

“Thank you for the compliment. I truly appreciate it, but I think my scars make me MORE beautiful. And more than that, my ability to overcome all of the horrible things that have happened to me makes me feel MORE beautiful. And this is true for you, as well.”

It’s true for Karli, for the young woman who so kindly complimented her, and for all women. Karli reminds every woman she meets that it’s her ability to overcome her past, her struggles, and her fears that makes her still MORE beautiful.

The MORE Beautiful tee is also a tool to encourage people to expand their idea of beauty and to dig deeper when setting beauty standards.

Appearance on Fox News: Acid Attack Survivor Karli Butler: Not ‘still beautiful,’ but more beautiful now

Subliminal Selfie:  You’re MORE beautiful, darling.