Getting Real about Body Positivity
How important is body positive images, and representation of all body shapes and sizes? Imagine never seeing your type of body figure in main stream media? Imagine shopping with friends but never being able to try on clothes because they only carry extended sizes online? Imagine being a plus size child not thinking you’re pretty enough because that’s what society is showing you? Now all you hear is companies stating their plans to be more size inclusive, and body positive - customers share frequently their desire to see more “relatable” women on the cover of magazines and representing fashion brands.
We caught up with Claire Weiss, blogger, editor at The Curvy Magazine, and jewelry designer, to discuss how important this topic is to her.
“Body positivity is a theme that is very important to me. I grew up thinking that my self worth was directly connected to my weight and what I looked like. I was never really bullied, but I was always very conscious of being different, of not fitting into our societies beauty standards. I remember thinking that a guy could never love me, or if he did, he must be blind. It's still something I struggle with sometimes. Learning to love yourself is a life long journey, something that I work on every day and I get a little closer to every day. I have tried a lot of different diets in my life and none of them were ever successful. So now, instead of working on my body, I work on my mind. I have accepted myself the way I am and I am grateful for all the wonderful things my body can do. My legs take me to all the amazing places in this world, my hands help me create my jewelry and do all sorts of creative stuff, with my arms I can hug the people that I love. My body isn't there to look beautiful or to please other people. I might not love everything about it, but I love all the possibilities and abilities it gives me.
I find it extremely important to represent different body types in the media and in the fashion industry so that the future generations don't have to go through the same things that a lot of plus size people have had to endure. If I had had role models that looked like me when I was growing up, things might have been different for me. I might not doubt myself the way I do and I wouldn't have been as focused on my looks, and more on my talents.
I still wish there were more size inclusive brands. I wish I could go shopping with my friends and find things in the same stores they do. Instead of having to go to specific shops that carry my size. I mostly shop online, I must admit I love Zalando for their big selection and their filters - it is so easy to find exactly what I am looking for and they have a lot of great brands like Zizzi, Lost Ink Plus, River Island Plus, Dorothy Perkins, New Look and Kaffe Curve.”
LIVE YOU. LOVE YOU
XO,
Maria Lyvonne
