More Curves in the World...Scratch that, More Healthy Women In the World!

Like many women, my weight has seemed like a sliding scale going one direction or the other throughout my life.  Notice I didn't say whether the "one way or the other" was a good or bad thing?  We still live in a society where models are rail thin although this is slowly changing in the fashion industry.  I fear my young one seeing such thin dimensions.

For the first time in my life I've embraced the skin I'm in.  I won't deny that it has been a battle at times.  I have been an amateur body builder and have played competitive sports for nearly half of my life.  I love fitness.  But as I've posted in previous posts, my body has failed me the last three years or so.  I've undergone 4 surgeries including the replacement of both of my knees.  I also had two discs in my back removed and fused/fixated back together.  There is not one particular thing that has caused this.  I have chronic arthritis and I was told some of the body building sped up the degenerative disc and knee issues.

Photo credit from Net-a-Porter
Sophia Loren

My point in sharing all of this is that my body has now gone through another life change.  At first I was horrified that my 9% body fat shot up to over 20% and I have weight in areas I never imagined.  But this is the skin I am in right now and I am embracing this change.  As women, we are so hard on ourselves.  And as a society we are rich with media images depicting how we should look.  I obviously love fashion, but there needs to be a healthier output of our body images.  I see this more and more.  I will never be a size 4 again and I am OK with that.  Just a few short years ago I looked so gaunt I barely recognized myself.

Marilyn by Sam Shaw, in Amagansett, New York, 1957.

I love to look at some of the icons from years ago like Sophia Loren and of course Marilyn Monroe. These women were celebrated for their curvaceous
bodies.  I would much rather this be the baseline for how young women can be beautiful.  I feel I have also fallen victim to fashion's ideals for you rarely see a size 14 walking the runways.  Many modeling agencies have "Plus" size beauties, but would love to see a better mix across all the major fashion magazines.  I have also posted previously that I'd love to see the high-end retailers have either "plus" options or better pieces across the

board.

Credit:  Getty Images

Today's curvy women like Beyonce' have spoken
openly about how she loves her curves, not being too thin or fat.  Most of us would die for her beautiful hourglass figure.  Tyra Banks has also been a positive ambassador for young women everywhere.  As a model, we have
seen her body take many shapes and she has been incredibly successful as a model, mentor and television host.  This photo of Tyra on the runway shows a much curvier shape than she has been in the past.  Queen Latifah has always been a fav for me as well.  She is unbelievably talented and carries herself beautifully in everything that she wears.


And of all the Kardashians, Khloe seems to get pressured the most with her beautiful hourglass figure.  It is hard to imagine that someone has to live up to a
realty that doesn't exist for most women in the world.  This makes many of us feel that that this beauty standard is unattainable.  On the positive side, these women are some of the best examples as female celebrities who embrace their gorgeous figures without labeling or succumbing to these pressures and criticisms.

H&M just used a plus-sized beauty Jennie Runk wearing the retailers new swimsuit collection. Hooray!  This article from Business Insider is a must-read on this topic: www.businessinsider.com/plus-size-models-2013-5?op=1.  It is entitled "The Hypocrisy-Laden History of Plus-Size Models" by Laura Stampler.

Many of us remember Italian Vogue turning the tables on the stigma to plus size modeling through a cover and lavish spread filled with curvaceous beauties.  The editorial showed them in lingerie positioned around pasta and wine.  I get the message, yes these models eat and many thin models eat as well.  I have a dear friend whose daughter is a world-class model and her thin beauty is natural, healthy and should not take the wrath for the many girls who do not take care of their bodies or feel pressured to the extent they don't eat or do other awful things to keep their weight at bay.  At any rate, this Italian Vogue issue really did show the world that we can use beautiful models whether they are a 0 or a 20...just as examples.

The real reason why the H&M campaign is so amazing in my mind is because they don't call out the

model or the article as "plus" or "big girl"! This is refreshing and I hope that we will come toward a day where there is not a separation between the two.  In fact, I have not said "Plus" one time since my body change in front of my daughter.  I'm a little curvier or I have a rounder booty, yes and we laugh and celebrate what each of us looks good in.  We need to be sending our young women and some young men that this body image nation is not what it is all about.  It is about loving yourself, speaking your word and standing behind issues that need our support.

There is beauty in thin and curvy women, with the right support behind them and a love they have for themselves deep inside, they'll go far.

Teach your children well.

Cheers.