BODY SHAMING IS NOT OKAY

The only way to begin this blog post is point out one simple fact:It can be hard to be a woman!We live in a society that has always judged females based on their appearance. Women are rated and categorized solely on their sexual attractiveness; our bodies are often prioritized above anything else about us. It’s a superficial and hollow culture and so damaging to so many women who have so much to offer. I think we as woman have made some great strides into 2019 to show that we’re not going to tolerate such reductive ways of thinking, but we still have a long way to go.The worst part about this is that there is no winning this impossible game of “perfection” that society has created on magazine covers, billboards, and advertisements. It’s gotten even worse in today’s toxic social media atmosphere, filled with trolls and people behind a screen who don’t care how much their words affect others. There truly is no way to win with today’s body shamers. If you’re skinny, then you’re “anorexic” and “need to put some meat on those bones.” If you’re curvy then you’re “obese” and “need to lose more than a few pounds.” If your boobs are naturally big then they’re not perky enough. If you’re flat chested then you need to get a boob job. If your butt is too big then you’re overweight. If you don’t have a butt then you need to get plastic surgery. We live in a society where size 8’s are considered “too chubby” and size 2’s are considered “stick figures.” See what I’m saying??And this body shaming is so, so harmful because all it does is teach young girls and women that they need to change their body, that they can never be happy with themselves just as they are. This body shaming is why millions of women are on an endless pursuit to “lose ten pounds”. This culture is why so many harmful fad diets exist. It’s why so many teenage girls develop eating disorders. It’s why so many curvy girls are convinced they are second rate, that they will never be desirable enough to be in a relationship.So I want to remind you of one important fact: The ideal of a “perfect body” is an impossible standard and one that’s totally based on opinion. It means something different to everyone and therefore it means nothing. The perfect body is a myth. It doesn’t exist! So now you can throw that silly pursuit out the window! Take a deep breath and remember that all bodies are natural, normal, and beautiful just as they are.Sadly, I work in an industry where this myth is promoted and idealized every single day. The fashion and advertising industry still have a long way to go when it comes to size diversity and inclusiveness. That’s why I love these photos we recently took with my gal pal Dani Austin. They show that there is room for all of women to succeed in the fashion industry, no matter our shape and size! Dani is a successful fashion blogger and YouTuber in Dallas and she has built such an incredible community on social media. She is gorgeous, stylish, and one of the sweetest bloggers I know. She’s so heartfelt and genuine both on and offline {you can follow her on IG here!}.But even as a size 0, she gets shamed for her naturally thin body type. She tells me she constantly sees comments like “she’s anorexic” or “she needs to eat” or “look at those chicken legs”, etc. For me, it’s the exact same problem but on the opposite end of the scale…no pun intended. As a size 12 fashion blogger, I get told I’m “obese”, “unhealthy”, and a “bad role model.” There are so many hateful comments out there shaming me for wearing bikinis and the trendy clothes I love. All of which just go to show that whether you’re a size 0 or a size 12, people are going to be mean and try to shame you for being who you are.So I want each one of you to look at these photos, see the beautiful differences in our body types, and remember that you are valuable, unique, and beautiful. Whether you relate more to Dani or myself, I want you to know that it doesn’t matter what size jeans you wear or how you look in a swimsuit. What matters is that you’re a good, kind person who is confident in your own skin. Everyone deserves to be happy and love themselves. You don’t need to be anyone’s “ideal” body type, you just need to be YOU. And that is more than good enough. <3be sure to read Dani's blog post here! xx

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