I recently read an article on The Odyssey title "Slim-Thick Is The New Thin." The article was well-written and personal, but from the moment I read the title continuing through the entire piece, I had several thoughts I couldn't shake off. Above all was the idea that bodies, particularly women's bodies, could be either "in" or "out" of style. As though the shapes of our bodies, our most personal yet public forms, should be as changeable as our clothes. As though you are only valuable to society if you fit the new "slim-thick" (a recently made up term) body type, consisting of a small waist and flat stomach with large thighs and a round butt. Saying "Slim-thick is the new thin" does not work the same way as saying "green is the new black" or some other phrase referencing the way that certain things go in and out of style in the fashion world.

This article struck me especially hard because, well, I am thin. I am five foot eight and weigh about 115 pounds, wearing a size one or two. I work out every day, but I don't have large thighs or a large bottom, no matter how hard I work. I'm tall and skinny, but not without curves. I have nothing against girls with a "slim-thick" body type, they are beautiful and have every right to flaunt their shape. But to go so far as to say that my body type is essentially "out of style" or outdated is wrong in so many ways. If someone is physically healthy and happy with their body, that is all that matters.

Since the rise of this new "trend," I have heard several people, including my friends, admire a girl for being "thick" and express the desire to have a body like that. Even I am guilty in some ways; I have tried to increase muscle mass in the lower half of my body. There's nothing wrong with working out harder and gaining muscle, but no one should do it because they want to look like someone else. They should do it because they want to because it makes them happy. Women's bodies are not items of clothing which we can shove to the back of the closet or discard when they go out of style, and thinking like this only further objectifies women. Over the course of history, different ideals of beauty across different cultures have caused women to go to some extremes. For centuries, plump bodies were valued for showing fertility and wealth, as well as pale skin which was valued for conveying that the woman was wealthy enough to not have to work outside in the sun. Nowadays, women work themselves to gain fit, tan bodies, quite the opposite of the historical trends. As a society, we value whiteness in beauty, favoring Eurocentric standards over that of others, forcing women of color to assimilate as best as possible rather than celebrate their own unique beauty. At the same time, white women are told they can't be too white, so they torture their skin in the sun or the tanning salon to be more "attractive." What I'm trying to convey here is we should celebrate women of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds, and stop sexualizing and objectifying certain looks over other. Healthy is beautiful, and healthy can look a million different ways. Whether you are thin, "slim-thick," curvy, or have any other body type, you are beautiful regardless of whatever type is "in" at the moment.