By Anne Mary
We live in a world where “bikini body or “model standard” ideal still exist. There may not be an end in sight of magazines and daily posts in social media of glossy images of models and photoshopped bodies, but without a doubt things are changing for toward an acceptance of all bodies, whatever the shape or size.
We do not live in an ideal world where body perfection is even a realistic goal to achieve. It can be tough to balance the self-doubt and low self-esteem while navigating the ordinary challenges of our every day lives.
However, there are so many things to consider: you are healthy. You matter. You’re important. You’re loved. And your presence on this earth makes a difference whether you see it or not. And while we do not always have to expect support from others, we should all possess the belief that all bodies are unique and beautiful.
Advocating body positivity, among women especially, is super important to me personally. I am size 18 and I live by the motto “Any Shape, Any Color, Any Size” for beauty standards. But to get to this point I had to go though plenty of body-shaming, or let’s say fat-shaming.
I started to think “why me? Why I can’t wear what I want? Why I can’t have bright colors or show my thighs? Why others are so concerned about my size?”
After speaking with other women about this and realizing I was not alone, I joined a body-positivity workshop in New York City. I was surprised to see absolutely stunning ladies of all shapes and sizes: tall, short, skinny and curvy and each of them had their own concerns about their bodies: not enough tall, not enough curvy, not enough skinny, etc.
I decided that if I am healthy, I am active and I am happy being just me, I am enough. I decided that it’s time to speak up, and on March 5 we had a project which became so important for all participants and me personally, as we all have our own message to deliver to other women.
The main goal was to create the most diverse group of models as possible to accurately represent the reality of women in the world as well as modeling industry. While the majority of models we still see are mostly Caucasian, thin, young women, thanks to the influx of popular plus size models, plus size clothing and bloggers, women like Ashley Graham and Tess Holliday have become just as well known as the Gisele Bundchen’s of this world. We have to show people that no matter what size and height we are -we all have the right to feel beautiful about ourselves and allow other women to feel the same.
I gathered together 7 women of difference body shapes, height and ethnicity and asked them to put together an outfit or a favorite look they had always wanted to try but felt too shy to pull off. I asked each of them to write their personal message to other women or what inspires them the most to feel beautiful and confident. Here’s what they had to say:
“My understanding of body positivity is acceptance of each other the way we are. We have to lift each other up. My favorite quote is this: ‘Girls tear each other down. Women lift and build each other up’. We are all human being and we have to remember who run this world.” – Allison.
“You have no limits to feeling sexy and beautiful. It comes from inside and you have to honor that. I can have messy hair or maybe look weird for someone, but I still feel sexy. I am worth it.” -Anastasia.
“I look at the mirror everyday and I love what I see. I feel that my real beauty comes from within.” – Latanya.
“My confidence and beauty comes from being a mom. My child is a reflection of me and I want to teach him that no matter what people say, you have to feel comfortable in your own skin.” – Diana.
“This weekend taught me something important. That more women need to be an individual and not copy or look for attention for self confidence. You are enough. We are all different.” – Mary Jane.
“I’m thick and I am a model. I have pink hair and I am an office employee in Midtown Manhattan. Be bold. Stay strong. Don’t look for others’ opinion to define you, and don’t compromise your own style.” – Anne Mary.
“From a male point of view, beauty comes from within. Looks are only skin deep.” – Tim, the photographer.
Body positivity is not just a “curves positivity” or fat acceptance, it’s acceptance of each other no matter what you look like. Love yourself because you are meant to live a life free from self doubt and low self esteem.
These ladies proved once again that all bodies are good bodies and strong women support and encourage each other. Women are strong. We empower each other. We support. We can totally revamp our attitude toward beauty and become the body-positive country we deserve to be.
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