love the swim you're in with Aerie.

Mar 22

Written By

i'm very excited to be sharing today's post with you! Aerie is a brand that i look up to for their un-retouched photos, models of all shapes & sizes, and of course their sole mission in our social media age to help women love & accept their bodies as is. all these photos below are un-retouched and i couldn't be more proud to share with you my real, curvy body in a swimsuit! Aerie's current campaign 'love the swim you're in' partners with the National Eating Disorders Association {NEDA} to donate $1 {up to $10k} every time a photo is uploaded using the hashtag #AerieREAL of an un-retouched photo! it's such an amazing & important cause, and i'm proud to be a part of it.now for some real talk: i wasn't always confident wearing swimsuits. in fact, for the majority of my life i wore swim skirts to try and hide my thick thighs. i was always self-conscious of my them because i thought they were too big. for the longest time i was obsessed with the infamous "thigh gap" that society has told women is the epitome of beauty and sexiness. so for years, i hid myself. even though i always loved going to the pool and vacationing to the beach every summer, i never let myself feel totally free. i always felt... exposed. any woman who has had to battle negative body image knows the mental weight i'm talking about. even if no one is looking, it feels like they are. even if you've chosen a suit that hides the parts you want no one to see, you still feel uncomfortable. it's a sad and difficult way to feel.i wish i could tell you all one simple remedy that made me snap out of this negative way of thinking. i wish i could say i had one powerful tip for you to hit the pool/beach in a bikini this weekend and not give a damn. but the honest truth is that there isn't a single moment that will result in you loving your body. instead, it is a consistent choice each and every day. every morning when you look in the mirror, you have to promise yourself that you are going to love your curves a little more than you did yesterday. look right at those spots you've always been at war with and instead of criticizing them, tell them that you love them. even say it out loud! it may seem silly but it helps.at the end of the day, self-love is synonymous with acceptance. as soon as you realize that your body is the only one you've got and that it's real and beautiful and capable of so many wonderful things, that's when everything else starts to fade away. today, i've come to love my thick thighs! in fact, robbie has always said it's one of his favorite things about me. {as my girl Ashley Graham says, 'thick thighs save lives!'} it's been a journey to get to the point where i love my curves, but now i wouldn't trade them for anything. they are what make me me. i am real. i am natural. i am beautiful. i am strong. i am curvy. and i wouldn't have it any other way.a special thanks to Aerie for helping spread awareness and acceptance of self-love and body confidence. they are one of my favorite brands because i truly believe Aerie is making the world a brighter place for women of all shapes and sizes! i wouldn't say that if i didn't believe it. we could all use more love & positivity toward ourselves! xx one piece sunflower swimsuit c|o Aerie {sold out, same suit different print here}straw hat {similar here & here}