This past summer, I wore a crop top and high-waisted skinny jeans.
I ran into an acquaintance of mine at the mall, and we got to talking about everyday things when she bought up my outfit. She said, "Wow, I love what you wearing! How do you get the confidence to wear that out?" I questioned her, asking what she meant, and she replied by saying that usually bigger girls don't wear such tight or revealing clothes.
I'm not the skinniest girl in the world, but I ended up being very offended by her comment, but not for the reason you think. I was not upset with the fact that she implied I was overweight, but because she implied that I had to find the confidence to wear the clothes that I wore. Why do I have to be body confident to wear clothes that are popularly worn by many girls?
Why do I have to be body confident, when I'm already comfortable with my body?
Society builds up this idea that if you are overweight and you wear tight or revealing clothes, then you are the image of body confidence. In all honesty, it usually is never the case. The majority of clothes the fashion industry produces are never ideal for women of bigger proportions, and when they do, the clothes are usually never appealing or something that I would genuinely want to wear. I personally wear the styles that are trending, whether they are fit for my body type or not, simply because I like it. I like to wear them because I'm comfortable with my body.
Just because I am overweight, does not mean I need to be body confident.
Sometimes it feels like when the media is preaching body positivity or body confidence, they make it seem like if you aren't madly in love with your body, then you need to find different was to find that confidence so that you can portray that in society.
Instead of preaching body confidence, preach body comfort. I personally am not madly in love with my body. I work out and change my eating patterns all the time in hopes that I can get the body that I prefer. But just because I am working for a different body, does not mean I hate my current body. I am actually very comfortable with my body. Yes, I have a noticeable belly, arm flab, and big thighs, but that does not make me feel sad or any less of a human being.
Saying that I need to have body confidence is kind of an insult, when you think about the fact that they are implying that I am struggling with my weight. No one asks a skinny girl how they are so confident in their body, so why should I be treated any differently? In the end, we are all human with our own unique bodies which should not help us up to a stand of any kind.
Preach body comfort. Don't let body positivity have a negative connotation.
