Nowadays, it seems like everyone wants to look like Beyonce, Kim and Khloe Kardashian. They want a flat tummy, little waist, and a massive butt. These women have come to represent the ideal body in 2016. Women are doing anything to look like their favorite celebrities, whether it be diet pills, waist trainers or endless booty workouts. Every celebrity you see in the media has that perfect hourglass shape. While I have to admit these women are beautiful, I still have to wonder, when did their body type become "in?" Only 10 years ago, women were dying to have Angelina Jolie and Megan Fox's slender bodies. Now, in 2016, it seems that the long, slender body type is "out of style," while the curvy, hourglass-shaped body type is "in style." My question is, when did body types become a trend?
I have always been curvy. Even growing up, I had a small waist (though it is not as little now as it used to be, thank you very much freshman 15), wide hips and a big butt. I was the awkward junior high girl who didn't know how to dress her body. No clothes fit me right, and I found myself embarrassed by the size of pants I was wearing. At 12 years old, I was envious of other girls' bodies. I wanted so badly to be able to buy Hollister or Abercrombie jeans, but in reality, those brands were never going to fit me. At that time, everyone wanted to be tall and skinny like Hollister models. Everyone wanted flat stomachs and little, perky butts. I was not built that way, and I was told over and over again that my body type was wrong. At one point, I was told that boys thought I was gross and that my butt jiggled too much when I walked. At 12 years old, I hated my body.
I grew up believing that having curves was a bad thing. The media convinced me that I was defined by the size of my pants. I was bombarded for years with photoshopped pictures of ultra skinny women that said, "Lose 20 pounds in 10 days!" In the past year, though, I have noticed a shift in the media. Women are now dreaming of that "perfect hourglass figure." Magazines now promise women "the perfect booty!" Ladies now want curves, when 10 years ago, ladies wanted skinny.
Now that I'm in college, I'm constantly hearing remarks about my body. Whether it's a random guy across the parking lot (ugh), my roommate and friends or the salesperson trying to help me find jeans. My roommate and friends are always complimenting my body shape. They often ask me why I wear such big clothes and tell me that I should be proud of my body. They reminded me that my body type is what is now desirable.
It was always hard for me to explain to them why I had such a hard time simply accepting their compliments. When you grow up believing that your body should look a way that it never will, you have a hard time loving the way you look. Society has changed its mind, sure, but that doesn't mean my mind has changed with it. Just because society now says my body type is "ideal," doesn't mean I automatically feel that way.
It is so silly that we even care about specific body types. Nobody has a perfect body, and no matter who you are, you are going to find something about yourself that you want to change. My best friends are all tall and skinny with long arms and legs. I think they are gorgeous, but they are constantly pointing out what they want to change about themselves. Even Kim Kardashian has opened up about her on again-off again body confidence struggles. Do I need to say that again? Even Kim Kardashian finds things she wants to change about her body.
As a society, we need to stop. We need to change our mindset and realize that everyone's body is different. There is no "perfect" shape. Nobody is perfect, but everyone is beautiful in their own way. Whether you're tall, short, skinny, curvy, round or flat, you are beautiful. Your body type is not "out of style" or wrong. Your body type is beautiful, and you should embrace that. I know it is easier said than done, but self-love is so important. Forget what society says, because a body type is not a trend. A body type is not a phase. A body type can not go out of "style." A body type does not define you.
So next time you see a picture of Beyonce and start to feel like you aren't good enough, put on those jeans you love. Put on that dress you feel beautiful in, and rock the shit out of it. Look in the mirror and say, "I am beautiful," because you are. Self-love never goes out of style.
