Shapewear in the Era of Body Positivity
When thinking about shapewear our brain almost instantly thinks of Spanx, well okay at least mine does. Spanx has been the leading shapewear brand for decades. It wasn’t until 2015 that shapewear had begun to be considered old-fashioned. To catch up with these ever-changing times, Spanx and other shapewear brands began to reposition themselves. But women today are no longer interested in wearing binding and uncomfortable pieces that inherently slim them down. In fact, women are more accepting of themselves and their curves, a drastic change from the ideals of the past.
Photo by Miguel Salgado on Unsplash
Historically, the ideal beauty standard has been tall and skinny, and it is why shape wear, like Spanx, were created. These ideal beauty standards have created epidemics of eating disorders and body dysmorphia. Women of today are tired of that. Aren’t you tired of being told you’re not pretty enough or skinny enough? According to society if you’re not tall, blonde haired, blue-eyed, and fair skinned you’re not beautiful. Well, news flash society I am short, brunette (currently purple haired which I LOVE, thank you very much), brown-eyed, and olive skinned, but I am beautiful. For a long time, I didn’t feel beautiful because I had begun to gain weight. I mean I’m 23 years old, inactive, and eat out 9/10 times. Of course, I would gain weight and my mind began to tell me I wasn’t beautiful. Isn’t it tiring talking yourself down time and time again? I know it is for me, which is why I decided to learn to love myself. Women are tired of being told they are worth less than other women simply for the fact that they are curvier. With the help of social media, a movement was created to inspire women of all ages to accept themselves the way they are, this is the Body Positivity Movement.
Photo by Arun Sharma on Unsplash
The Body Positivity only continues to grow and evolve. Figures such as Ashley Graham have become pioneers for women of all ages to accept themselves. Graham, such a strong figure, delivered a TED Talk. In which she elaborated on her journey of acceptance and how women can accept themselves. She discussed the damaging speech about curvier people and how “beauty is beyond size.” Women like Ashley urge other women to love themselves for who they are and not to let society tell them who they are.
Photo by AllGo - An App For Plus Size People on Unsplash
Now just like with anything, there is a negative side. With this sudden wave of self-love also comes a negative aspect, even within the movement itself. While the general idea of this movement is wonderful and based on acceptance, the movement itself isn’t always that. Women who don’t necessarily love their bodies are not accepted and become targets of others perpetuating this “positive” idea. Women who have taken the idea of loving their curves have taken it as far as telling others that they too should and should be ashamed for wanting to change themselves. The movement is based on the idea of loving yourself and that’s all great, but you can love yourself and want to change yourself. The two are not mutually exclusive. The idea that someone cannot make a change to her body to become happier is restricting and something that goes against this movement. So, the question is: Where does this leave shapewear? Will it be virtually extinct?
Photo by Velizar Ivanov on Unsplash
The answer is no--absolutely not. Shapewear is beyond just slimming down. It also is a confidence booster. It allows, women to feel more confident, which is not a bad thing. You may think that this new era has no place for shapewear, but that’s far from true. Take Meghan Trainor for example, another pioneer in this self-love movement. She does not hide the fact that she uses shapewear. She loves her curves and likes to flaunt them, and shapewear isn’t holding her back from that. Or, take me for example, a normal average person who sometimes looks for her Spanx to feel just a bit better. I mean are we really expected to wake up every morning and say, “YES I LOVE MY BODY?” I know for a fact I can’t do that. Spanx is annoying and constricting, and every time I wear it, I’m reminded how much I hate it, but I still do need it from time to time. Shapewear brands are also changing, they’re not telling you that you need to be slimmer to be beautiful but telling you they can be like makeup--accentuate your features beautifully.
Photo by Joe deSousa on Unsplash
Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash
Written by Daphne Rivera, Contributing Editor, PhotoBook Magazine.
Instagram: @daphneriverx.
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