Why is body positivity so important? Why is it critical for human beings to think of their bodies as beautiful? Why should people care? These are the questions not only women but men should think about when considering how they view themselves and their bodies. Many people experience dissatisfaction with their bodies which can ultimately lead to poor self-esteem, depression, and increase one’s chances of an eating disorder. Essentially, the idea of body positivity should be and has been viewed as crucial to mental health. Over the years body positivity has transformed into a social justice movement that challenges the unrealistic societal standards that exist in our world. It promotes the idea that all bodies are beautiful and deserve to be seen as valuable. This movement has continued to grow in popularity especially in the fashion industry, in which diversity is expanded in more than just race, class, and gender, but with size as well.
In the past, the industry has been scrutinized due to the lack of diversity that has been implemented into the fashion world, whether it be the models on the runway, advertisements, magazines, and more. Models were continuously shown to be underweight and brands only promoted sizes that ranged between zero and four. However, as time moved on and as the body positivity movement grew, we are now able to see how the fashion industry has evolved in terms of inclusivity. Many fashion brands now include an array of different sizes, ranging from XXS to 6XL. In addition to this, runways display models of all different shapes and sizes, advertisements promote body positivity in more ways than one, and many celebrities use their influence to support and relate to the issue at hand.
In 2018, Vogue interviewed Rihanna to uncover details about her fashion brand, Savage x Fenty. She told the magazine that she hopes to expand and broaden the fashion world when it comes to diversity. When promoting her lingerie line, Rihanna strived to produce a collection that promoted women of all ethnicities and sizes in which she included two pregnant models. Countless other celebrities and influencers continue to promote their own bodies and their views on social media as well. To name a few, stars such as Lizzo, Demi Lovato, and Ashley Graham have released their own thoughts not only on body positivity in general but their own bodies. They share personal struggles and explain to their millions of followers that every person’s body is beautiful and unique by displaying their curves and stretch marks, inherently providing a connection between themselves and many other women who struggle with body positivity.
Although the fashion industry has progressed in regard to the inclusion of body positivity around women, it is important for the conversation to continue when discussing men. Societal standards place men in a position where expressing feelings gets translated into weakness. If these barriers are broken down with men as well, then the movement of body positivity can further influence the positive change that has already been exerted in the fashion industry.
This is such an important topic and I agree with everything you said. I also liked the inclusion of Rihanna's brand as an example. It is so important to see different ethnicities, sizes, and appearances represented in fashion.
Hey Nadia! I totally agree with this. It’s frustrating to think that people who fall outside of high fashion are excluded from the essential foundation of self-expression, creativity and frankly, respect. It’s interesting to see the times changing (though slowly) with some of the most well-known models representing customers’ body types. I’m interested to see how we can begin to move from the (though critical, preliminary) step of having the handful of representative bodies that can almost become tokens on the runway, to organic representation.
Hi, Nadia! I also wrote a post about the body and mental health, but from the perspective of dance. Looking at this through the lens of fashion I think is even more widely applicable, because everyone in our culture, I think, encounters fashion and participates in the fashion industry in some way (even if it's a small way). That makes your post all the more urgent. I know that dissatisfaction with one's body (especially the changes that take place in every body over time) have been a source of profound frustration and angst for people I know. The way we dress is a huge part of our comfort, expression, and selves. Yes, our self-satisfaction has to ultimately come from within,…
Nadia,
I appreciate your example with Rihanna, and wish you expanded more on men in this piece, as you mentioned it briefly towards the end. Rihanna is the perfect example of an entrepreneur that saw a problem in the fashion industry and not only went full force, but beyond how any other fashion mogul in the industry could ever fathom. This would be an amazing piece for Assignment 4 if you 1. Connected more to the title of your blog post and 2. Expanded more on the subjects you bring up because you truly bring amazing points. Loved this and the rest of your site!
This is a great post that I think perfectly encapsulates the body positivity movement. As a consumer I think it is very important for brands to use models that promote all different body types. As women, we are constantly surrounded by unrealistic body standards and it is important for young women to understand that most women are not stick thin models and that their bodies are beautiful no matter what.