Right now, you're probably sitting and thinking, "How could that be? How could a girl not want to shop at VS? Their stuff is so (beautiful/sexy/whatever your word of choice is)!" For lovers of their brands, it's impossible to fathom the idea of someone hating the Victoria's Secret franchise. But really, it's not a far stretch. As an average 20 year old female, I can honestly and truthful say that I strongly dislike Victoria's Secret, and Pink. I really don't even like going into one of their stores. I find them to be overwhelming, with their products overly priced, and their images to be a shot in the heart of the average bodied female.

I cannot speak on behalf of all females, especially those who do not look like one of the VS Angels, but it's undeniable that these models set truly unrealistic body standards for women (and if you do happen to look like a VS Angel, that's great too). Every time I see a VS advertisement, or get dragged into the store by a friend or my sister, I can't help but wonder if the body of these photoshopped models is what really is considered to be ideal and desirable. Yes, everyone has, and is entitled to, their "types," but to compare female bodies to those models and say that if you weigh more than that, you're considered "plus-sized" is absolutely wild. Now, I am not saying that everyone thinks that women who weigh more than a VS model are plus-sized, but the fashion industry as a whole sure has made a point to make it seem that way. According to the CDC, the average weight of females today is around 166 pounds. Of course, healthy weight is dependent on height and body frame, and can be measured by your Body Mass Index (BMI). Looking at the VS Angels, I think it's easy to assume that these women weigh a lot less than what the American average is (which is fine, if you're healthy). But the problem lies with the misrepresentation of what the average American woman looks like. All of the VS Angels look as if their bodies were handcrafted by the same person, then you slap some photoshopping onto the advertisements, and you have yourself a perfect human being. The general public can idolize these models and love the store all they want, but how comfortable are they making you in your own skin?

I know that when I walk into a VS store, I immediately feel uncomfortable, and that is coming from someone who is pretty comfortable with their body. I'm at a healthy weight, I'm in pretty good shape, but I don't look anything close to what these models are. Sure, maybe I'm being a little too sensitive by being that affected by these models, but I can't help but feel pressured to look like one of them. They are clearly loved and adored and desired by millions. They are setting the standard for beauty and sex-appeal, which again, is unrealistic considering that most women do not look like these models. What upsets me is that they put out an advertisement encouraging customers to love their bodies, which is all well and good, expect it was incredibly misleading and nothing like you would want it to be:

The first thing you see when looking at these ads is that it's talking about loving your body. Great. Wonderful. You absolutely should love your body. The second thing you notice, is that every single one of these models has just about the same body build. How is that encouraging to love your body, especially if you don't look like that? If you look a little closer at these ads, you can see that they're actually talking about a new product of theirs. You'd think that if they were encouraging customers to love their bodies, and wanted it to go with their 7 new styles, that they might get 7 models with different body types to really push the message, but that's just my personal opinion.

Even some of their models have quit because of the way it makes them feel. A British model and actress that we all love, Cara Delevigne, quit modeling for Victoria's Secret a few years ago and moved more towards acting. But why? Being a VS Angel looks like fun. In an interview with People Magazine in August of 2015, Delevigne said, "It is a mental thing as well because if you hate yourself and your body and the way you look, it just gets worse and worse.” How can a company promote loving your body if their models hate their own? Modeling isn't supposed to make you hate yourself, but yet, that's what it's turning out to be, in this case. Delevigne goes on to say that quitting was a much better choice for herself. Being an Angel doesn't seem like that much fun anymore, now does it?

So, as a 20 year old female who wears bras and underwear, but doesn't shop at Victoria's Secret, where do I go for these necessities? I go to a store that makes me feel confident about my body, embraces the imperfections of their models, and doesn't retouch their photos (and is also better priced): Aerie. I have been shopping at Aerie since American Eagle launched it, and have absolutely adored their clothing ever since. But once they created their #AerieReal campaign about two years ago, I loved them even more. This campaign encourages their customers to love their bodies, imperfections and all. Not only do they enforce this message by having models of all different body types, but they stopped retouching their models. This allows the shoppers to see that even models have flaws. They're real people, just like us, with stretch marks, and curves, and other regular things that we girls feel self-conscious about every day! Seeing body positive ads like these, can make any girl feel confident:

These girls are absolutely beautiful, and most of all: they're real. Aerie's campaign slogan is, "The real you is sexy" and it is most certainly true! Aerie has honestly done a fantastic job with this campaign and has done their best to represent all body types. It's realistic, it's positive, it's wonderful. Just when you think they can't get any better, they do! They're even partnered up with the National Eating Disorder Association (a.k.a. NEDA). Every year, they sell products with the NEDA logo printed on it, where 100% of the proceeds go back to the organization to raise awareness about eating disorders. Coming from a company in an industry notorious for models with eating disorders, this is inspirational. It doesn't get more body positive than that. Their positive message has paid off for the company, too! In the two years they've had this campaign, their sales have completely spiked, and have made them a huge competitor in the market (particularly for Victoria's Secret)!

At this point, you're probably asking yourself, "Okay, so what's the point of this?" I'm not here to tell everyone to stop shopping at Victoria's Secret. I'm not here to tell you that they're the worst. If you like their clothes, and you feel confident about yourself and your body, that's perfectly fine and great! Shop wherever you want! Buy what makes you happy and comfortable! My point is that, if you're someone like me, don't feel weird about not liking VS. I know that I get weird comments about it sometimes, but I don't like shopping in a place that doesn't make me feel comfortable in my own skin. I love that Aerie encourages women to embrace their imperfections and has models that look more realistic to the average, every-day woman. Plus, their stuff is super cute! I love their campaign and what they stand for. That is why I will always be #AerieReal.