Within the last five years, there has been a surge in women speaking out about the importance of having self-confidence. This movement is widely known by younger generations as being “body posi” which is short for body positive. This term is used to remind young women that they should feel safe in whatever skin they’re in.

More and more often we are seeing women of all shapes and sizes posting pictures on social media in bathing suits, or clothes typically exclusive to specific body types. While it is incredible that this change is occurring, it seems there are still categories to which body positivity must be confined.

So, let’s get real for a minute. Whose bodies are we truly celebrating?

Before I get too deep into my rant, let me just say that by no means am I saying we should not celebrate the bodies which I will exemplify. What I do have an issue with is the lack of representation among which bodies we do celebrate.

Simply put, we, as a society are just not doing enough.

A more recent fashion trend is the bralette. Let’s take for instance a figure such as Taylor Swift’s- tall, thin, modest breasts. Commonly when body types like Taylor's are displayed in the media they are packaged with over-sized sweaters, crop tops, or boxy, a-lined dresses. Each of these is styled with a bralette beneath them. The frequency of this comfortable casual look is quickly increasing in both stores and the media. While I am all for women finally finding comfort in their clothing and saying hell to underwire, where does this leave the women with a bigger bust?

Women that wear any bra size larger than a C cup must jump through hoops to buy bralettes. On average, a bralette costs $20, but for larger than a C cup the price can range from $40-$60. And that is only if you can find a store that sells D cups and larger. Although bralettes are more comfortable, they provide little support. Therefore, the larger the boobs the lower they hang. And the fact is that society looks down upon what does not look up.

True, not all women in the media are exclusively shaped like Taylor Swift. But what is truly being said when the “busty” women in our media are those such as the Jenners and Kardashians? No longer is Kim Kardashian the only sister frequently appearing in the media, but also Khloe and Kylie. With their heavy presence, we start to believe that Kim's body type is not an exception. We begin to believe that anybody can and should have a body like theirs.

After the rebirth of Kylie Jenner, a surge of being “slim thick” has been seen. Additionally, this phrase is now being used in songs such as “Caroline” by Anime. For those unsure of to what “slim thick” refers, it is in direct reference to those bodies such as Kylie Jenner and the Kardashians where a woman has a small waist, flat stomach, but a large butt.

So, what about the women that are just thick? Can my body not be celebrated if my stomach is not perfectly toned?

And as we see this rise in the presence of these two body types for women, the “dad bod” is on the rise for men. While women are being celebrated for bodies that are difficult (and expensive) to achieve, men are being celebrated for a soft, round shape. Why can we not celebrate all bodies of all genders? Why is the female body under constant critique?

Ladies, this one is on us too.

We cannot be picking out every flaw of other women. Stop scrolling through Instagram and whispering to your friend how unflattering that photo of Sally is. Don't mention the back fat or double chin shown by the angle of that photo. Why can't we be happy that she has found the courage and self-confidence to post her body on the internet?

But just because we aren't body shaming other women doesn't mean it is okay to body shame yourself. Frankly, dissecting our own bodies can be even more harmful than we realize. While we are saying are complaining about the cellulite on our thighs or smallness of our boobs, what message does that send to a woman that has more cellulite of smaller boobs than yours? By critiquing ourselves we are inherently criticizing other women.

What if your best friend never thought about arm fat until you complained about yours? What if it was at that moment she began to hate her arms in addition to her stomach?

It's hard being a woman. Sometimes I feel like it becomes more exhausting with each day that passes. As women, we are constantly told what our most body must look like, who we should aspire to be. We are told that we must confine to limited options; if we do not conform then we will never be wanted.

In a world filled with TSwift and Kardashian-Jenners, let's recognize that more body types exist. Let's celebrate each other. Let's celebrate ourselves.

So, here's to all the women that never dreamed of posting a bikini pic. You've got this. And I'll be the one to kick it off.

#bodyposi