I have a friend who many years recalls her awakening into her acceptance of herself and her body that came to light when she decided to go on a serious dieting regimen.
She did everything she was told to by well-meaning medical professionals – diet, exercise (although it is important to note she was currently healthy), and 55 lbs or so later she was told she “should” be. And yet she didn’t feel as though she was where she “should be”.
She distinctly remembers looking at herself and recognizing she looked unhealthy based on her frame.
This wasn’t like someone with a distorted body image, in fact just the opposite. She was FINALLY seeing her body for the very first time in its true fashion- and realized that she was built to be plus-size of boho womens tops. She looked at the garments she had on and she knew she was meant to be wearing wear for plus size women- garments that looked excellent and for bigger sizes. She realized that she was her most authentic self when she was 50 pounds heavier- close to her original starting point.
She got back to her healthy weight and within a year began a business specializing in comfortable and lovely wear for plus-size women. Today, it is much more than a company to her- it is an expression of bringing out the opportunity for thousands of women to experience great about who they are and that wear for plus-size women can bring out who their true beauty rather than be a way to cover themselves up.
Now, this isn’t some Hollywood-ending kind of story where prejudice and warped tips of human body image don’t exist a lot more, and people today eat well and exercise and discover their personal natural entire body sizes. But still, we are moving in the right direction.
Looking Ahead
At the very least it has turned out to be a lot more and more accepted that people arrive on this earth in all shapes and sizes and that millions and millions (and millions) of women are what’s referred to now as plus size.
This is not just a distinction of words even though the cruelty and the reflection of descriptions like “fat”, “overweight”, etc… which did nothing to inspire clothing makers to make gorgeous apparel. I think a time when prejudice of this nature will be in the past is coming and I welcome it.
