Clothing Retailers and Negative Body Image.

I absolutely love my curves, they are part of who I am and I think they give me a nice shape.  Yes I have a bit of a tummy but I did have 2 children and I wasn't one of the lucky ones whose body just bounces back.  I am not ashamed of how I look and dress in the clothes I like, as you can see in the picture above.  I like to wear leggings and tops that don't cover my backside. Why should I?  Unfortunately too many people fall victim to the whole "you should look like this" trend when buying clothes and it is making many people ill, seriously ill.

Growing up I used to look at magazines and think "I wish I could look like that" but that was before I knew those women didn't actually look like that at all. The flawless skin and looking perfect was due to the wonders of photoshop!!  With the growth of the internet and online shopping, the "need" to look perfect and have that "perfect" body shape is much worse now than it ever was.

I have looked at a few websites and being honest the majority are the same, they all use thin women to promote clothes they class as plus size. Online retailer Pretty Little Thing is one of the examples.

Their PLT Curve range is for size 8-20 has a statement above it - 

For all our girls that are blessed with a body like an hourglass or all about that b(ass) - we salute you. Body confidence is key to keeping your look on-point. If you typically have an ample bust and booty featuring a slim waist in-between, trust in our shape range (in sizes 8-20) to ensure the perfect fit

Yet the pictures show size 8-10 women modelling their clothes!! Now I don't know about you, but I would look utterly ridiculous in the majority of their clothes range, I will go as far as to say I really don't like much of their range purely based on the statement above. Not all women in the size range above have a slim waist!!  Now I am not body shaming when I say that, the simple fact is, we are all different shapes and sizes.  There is no one size fits all.

Example from PLT Curve

H&M are the next on my list.  They have H&M+ which covers sizes 18-36.  I like the fact they cover a good range of sizes but they are boring and well not very flattering. A lot of their tops are baggy, which I do like sometimes but their range should include other styles!! Say it with me, bright colours!!

Example from H&M+ 

The other part of this makes for hard reading.  So many young people, male and female, see these models and think to look perfect they have to be super thin.  What follows sadly can turn into an eating disorder which soon takes over their life, or tragically claims their life.  

Media using photoshop to give the illusion of the perfect body shape and flawless skin needs to stop!!  Clothing brands need to stop constantly using thin models to show off their clothes. They should embrace women of all sizes!!

Please never ever feel ashamed of how you look or who you are. Be proud, dress the way you love and live life to the fool.

If you, or someone you know have an eating disorder, please seek help as soon as possible by visiting your GP, out of hours or even go to a&e.  Never let anyone make you feel worthless.