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| @feminist on Instagram |
Written by Georgia Stainforth (she/her) for The Rising Womxn Zine
Whilst the media promotes unrealistic body standards; so-called influencers promote fast-track slimming solutions; and celebrities wear corsets to cinch in their waist just to have the perfect red-carpet look. Where do normal folk like you and I begin to look for some body positivity? As shows like Love Island and Ex on the Beach become ever more popular, people are watching men and women with their bodies out on TV every night. These shows are known for the lack of diversity they show, in particular their lack of body diversity. Super skinny and beautiful women with their makeup done to the nines, bikinis on and heels all day. Tall and toned men with rippling six packs, heads full of hair and skin bare, waxed chests. It makes me wonder where the curves are, the dad bods, the body hair, the petite men as well as petite women, you know the representation of everybody, not a reinforcement of stereotypes on what is supposedly "attractive" and makes for "good TV".
I always see this ideal of the summer ready body dotted all over my social media feed, which is inevitably promoted by these TV shows. The jokes about not being ready till next year, the jokes about spilling out over your swimwear, and currently, the jokes that we've all gained a bit of pandemic flab so it doesn't matter that our holidays are being cancelled. I get it, we all want to look ace in that bikini on the beach so we can post some gorgeous photos to make our followers jealous. We all want to feel confident in our skin to take that top off, wear a thong bikini and show a bit of cleavage. But that doesn't mean there is a right or wrong summer body, it's simply about embracing the body you're in. It is much easier said than done of course, but you cannot change your natural curves, natural stretch marks and natural scars. We all have them in different places and to different degrees, but at the end of the day we all have them - even those you see on TV. To me, whatever body I have come my holiday will be my summer ready body. I have scars, I have stretch marks and I have some rolls but each of them is a part of who I am, so I don't see the need to change them to fit with the trend.
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| @ladyist on Instagram |
I am a reasonably body positive person; I have my dislikes but I am happy in my skin. I think for many however their lack of body positivity is exacerbated by the unrealistic images presented by the clothing industry and popular media. As a woman I tend to look to other women - mostly well-known women - for their body positivity. One of my favourites being The Good Place star, Jameela Jamil. Upon doing image research however, I noticed that when searching body positive or body image it was mostly women who came up. Women posing for body diverse photo shoots; women running Instagram accounts; women leading the discussion on body diversity. Finding body positive campaigning for men was a lot harder. If I searched specifically for body positive men for my images it would result in mostly men with six packs, lifting weights. I think this just goes to show the stereotypes that are still entwined in our society. The constrictions of masculinity that suggest men should not be emotional about certain issues like body size and that a real man needs to be visibly strong to prove his manliness. This is a different discussion altogether, but I think it is very much apparent in the discussion of body positivity and something that is so often missed.
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| @georginacoxpersonaltraining on Instagram |
When I think back to my own childhood and the imagery that was presented to me at that time, I find it hard to pinpoint anything that showed me a body beyond being stick thin. From playing with Barbies and Bratz dolls, whose bodies if real would be completely out of proportion with the average human being. To watching Disney princesses who are always petite and wearing waist cinching dresses. Can a doll not have thick thighs? Can a Disney princess not, god forbid, have huge sagging tits? I think we grow up believing that being super skinny, long limbed, and having C cup perky boobs is the ideal body. When really, these images cause us to highlight any bodily differentiation we think we may have as an awful flaw that needs changing. Let’s not forget that it is known most eating disorders develop during adolescence, with the average age for anorexia nervosa being ages 16-17 and bulimia nervosa being 18-19. Improving how industries present bodies is not just necessary in the media, on social media, on TV and by celebrities, it is surely a necessity that this body positive discourse is presented to our children in the toys they play with and the idols that they may grow to have.
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| @bodyposipanda on Instagram |
A big part of the lack of body positivity people have is enhanced by the clothing and beauty industry. I am a size 6/8 and, in some shops, I need a size 10 for my top half because of my boobs, I have been this size since I started wearing adult clothes and haven't really fluctuated. I love buying new clothes but what I have noticed in my many hours spent shopping is how diverse sizing is across different shops. How in one shop a size 8 fits perfectly, another shop it falls down and in another I can barely get it over my shoulders. Womens' bodies all have their own shapes, some have wide hips, some have huge boobs, some are flat chested, some have broad shoulders, some have thick thighs, and some are blessed with gorgeous peachy bums. So why are sizes not standardised across the clothing industry? I get this differs between styles of clothing but a size 8 pair of jeans in one shop should surely be the same as size 8 jeans in another. This is just one of many popular criticisms levelled at the clothing industry today.
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| @bodyposipanda on Instagram |
The fact mannequins in most high street stores are also built to fit the smallest size that those stores stock. Never mind if you look closely many stores use clips and pins to make the clothing more fitted. If the clothes were meant to be fitted and the designer wanted them fitted, they would have been made that way, you know like body con clothing. At the end of the day a t-shirt dress should not fit to every curve of my body, it should simply hang as that's why I bought the t-shirt dress. This is not just an occurrence on mannequins either, numerous online clothing stores have been exposed for using clothing clips and pins on clothing that real models wear, which hadn't been edited out and were then spotted by eagle-eyed customers. Not only are the models already not diverse in body types for regular clothing lines but the stylists feel it necessary to fit the clothing even more to accentuate their skinny figure.
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| @kenziebrenna on Instagram |
I have nothing against models, they are always very attractive men and women. My problem is with how the industry itself promotes these figures and fails to present bodies in all their natural beauty. The thinning of limbs and waists; the editing out of natural rolls and skin folds; the blemish touch ups of moles and stretch marks to name a few. All of this takes away from what it is like to have a human body, we all have rolls, we all have stretch marks, we all have moles. I notice this most often when shopping for swimwear - women with super smooth and unblemished skin, and apparently non-existent crotches. When I shop for new bikinis, I often question how anyone can confidently fit in the size of crotch which is offered. If you're confident enough to wear this style then that's fantastic and good for you, but I cannot see how these styles can be seen as anything beyond a clit hammock for the average woman. I even own a bikini that is like this, I bought it because I absolutely love the pattern, but I always feel so fearful of wearing it because quite simply it is not made to fit me well.
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| @alexlight_ldn on Instagram |
Of course, there are many shops, beauty stores, TV shows and celebrities who have joined the campaign for body positivity. But there is still so much that has been left unaddressed. Having one woman who is above a size 8 on Love Island every year is not aiding the discourse of body positivity in men and women, it is quite simply a performative action. Having a few beauty brands who do not allow their models blemishes to be edited out does not address the 100s of other brands who continue to remove these blemishes. Releasing a petite, tall and plus sized Barbie does not remove the many years of damage that have been caused from promoting unrealistic bodies in children. A few influential celebrities joining the conversation on body positivity does not rid the music and acting industry of the institutionalised discrimination that many plus-sized people face. When it comes to ensuring all body types are presented and celebrated the mark is still so often missed. It is not just about looking as though you're doing something, it's about taking genuine action to keep the discourse moving and addressing the real problems people with body image difficulties face.
We all have our scars, our blemishes and our rolls; we all have our dislikes about our bodies and our qualms about what we willingly put on show, some may call these flaws, but I think they're better seen as unique areas of beauty. There is nothing wrong with any of these areas so long as they pose no health risk, they are a part of you. Whilst people's body image will vary, some will be very body positive and some may have no confidence in their body at all. Popular industries are definitely somewhat to blame for this and whilst criticisms are consistently levelled at them, it does not force them to make revolutionary change. Loving yourself is the greatest revolution of all.
You can see more from Georgia via her website https://georgiasdiary.wixsite.com/blog and on Instagram @georgiasdiary
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