Amidst the vibrant celebrations of Caribbean Carnival season—a period characterized by rhythmic expression, cultural pride, and dazzling displays of individuality—a deeper narrative around body confidence and self-acceptance is emerging. While the festival encourages liberation and self-expression, it also amplifies unspoken pressures on women concerning body image, appearance comparisons, and societal expectations.
Michelle Baptiste, founder of Trinidad & Tobago-based Selecfit Shapewear, offers a transformative perspective on Carnival. To her, the event symbolizes not the pursuit of perfection, but the celebration of inner strength and personal authenticity. Her rapidly growing shapewear and wellness enterprise was born from a journey marked by profound adversity, resilience, and unwavering faith.
Baptiste’s entrepreneurial path has been anything but smooth. A single mother of three, she endured the tragic loss of both a brother and sister to cancer, faced a serious health scare leading to a hysterectomy in 2013, survived a minor heart attack at just 28, and experienced periods of homelessness. Juggling multiple management roles while attending night classes, she often made product deliveries on weekends with her children beside her. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she pursued a master’s degree while selling items from her car, dedicating nighttime hours to research and product development.
Today, Selecfit operates several retail outlets and offers an extensive range of premium shapewear, bras, and natural slimming solutions—many designed and formulated personally by Baptiste. Yet her mission extends beyond apparel: she aims to rebuild confidence from within, providing not just products but trust, care, and personalized guidance.
“Confidence is a woman’s most powerful accessory,” Baptiste asserts. She emphasizes that self-assurance is not vanity—it is a strategy for survival and a form of leadership.
As Carnival unfolds across the region, Baptiste encourages women to shift their focus from outward appearance to internal well-being. “Inner strength is essential before the costume,” she notes. “When confidence stems from self-love, the celebration becomes liberating rather than burdensome.”
Her practical advice for cultivating confidence includes prioritizing physical comfort, rejecting comparisons, nurturing a positive self-dialogue, honoring one’s unique body journey, and embracing self-acceptance as the foundation of genuine empowerment.
Through Selecfit, Baptiste aims to redefine beauty standards for Caribbean women and establish her brand as the region’s most trusted name in wellness and shapewear. Her story stands as a powerful testament to resilience, faith, and the transformative belief that it is never too late to fall in love with oneself again.