I was reading InStyle’s Special Shape Issue at the gym this morning and the more I read, the more annoyed I got. First there was an article on summer clothes by body type–as much as it makes sense I still don’t like having to match my body to one of only four options. Next up, swimsuits that are best for our body troubles like wide hips, tummy, large bust or small bust. Can’t we accentuate the positive? Later, a quiz (”Hate your hips?”) that will determine our body-image index. Results: 44% of you “hate your stomachs” and only 10% of you “love your body–yay.” Really? And for the final kick in the body image butt, directly following is a story about four real women with four real bodies who need to solve their fashion dilemmas. They’re quoted: “I don’t like my thighs,” and “I hate my stomach.” Hmm, I wonder where we get that body complex?
It’s not like this is the first time I’ve noticed the negative angle. All too often fashion magazines ask us to focus on what we don’t like about our bodies instead of loving what we’ve got. But isn’t it time to start choosing our styles based on flaunting our favorite body parts and the results of your work outs? So I ask you, what do you love about your body? What are you looking forward to proudly showing off at the beach this summer? And when you put on your favorite party dress, why is it that you look so hot?
It’s not like this is the first time I’ve noticed the negative angle. All too often fashion magazines ask us to focus on what we don’t like about our bodies instead of loving what we’ve got. But isn’t it time to start choosing our styles based on flaunting our favorite body parts and the results of your work outs? So I ask you, what do you love about your body? What are you looking forward to proudly showing off at the beach this summer? And when you put on your favorite party dress, why is it that you look so hot?