Ashley Graham's Been Having Difficult Conversations for Two Decades. Now People Are Listening. “I always say there's been a victory every year in my career,” Ashley Graham tells me, the day after her 31st birthday, having just wrapped a photo shoot. “Whether it was the first time I was in Vogue, or the first time that Lane Bryant put me in a national campaign and it went viral because the networks said it was too racy…. There was just always something.” In 2018, Graham has her pick of victories: designing a denim collection for Marina Rinaldi, being named a brand ambassador for Revlon, going viral yet again for another one of her ads….
These are on top of many, many more covers, runway appearances, fashion collaborations, television appearances, the book deal, the music video cameo, the Barbie, and other projects that have kept the model busy since the one job that really blew up her profile: the cover of the 2016 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. When Graham fronted that magazine in a purple string bikini, she became the first curvy model to do so—another victory. 'Escape the corset': South Korean women rebel against strict beauty standards. When Cha Ji-won decided to throw out all her makeup and cut her hair, her mother was the first to tease her: “Oh look, I have a son now.” For more than a decade, starting when she was 12, Cha would meticulously apply cosmetics, chasing the narrow definition of beauty that dominates South Korean society. In middle school, she applied foundation to lighten her skin tone, avoiding teachers who would punish her for violating school rules. She watched YouTube make-up tutorials to hone her skills and by her early 20s would spend as much as 100,000 won (£70) a month on cosmetics.
But amid a wider feminist awakening in South Korea, Cha has chosen to ditch her makeup, lipstick and dyed blonde hair. “I felt as if I had been born again,” Cha said. Cha is part of a growing movement in South Korea fighting against unrealistic beauty standards that call for women to spend hours applying makeup and perform skincare regimes that involve 10 steps or more at each end of the day.
Since you’re here … Fat Liberation Isn’t About Whether Fat People Are Healthy. This issue is nuanced. However, I think it’s important not to allow the demand for fat rights to be reduced to a referendum on the health of fat people. I also think it’s important to change the way we think about what health is in order to take this conversation from one about an individual pursuit of certain outcomes to one about a cultural shift in how we treat all stigmatized people.
To begin with, I generally find the health question to serve as a derailment mechanism. I’m talking about human rights and every person’s right to a life free from bigotry and discrimination – primarily a social issue - and the person who brings up health often wants to wrench the conversation back into personal responsibility – an individual issue – in order to rationalize bigotry. Having a conversation about the individual without having a conversation about the culture in which that person exists is, I think, incomplete. You Might Also Like: Calling Myself “Fat” Isn’t Brave, It’s Just True Related: Billie razors: 'First razor ad with hairy women' wins praise online. Image copyright Billie on Unsplash "Body hair. Everyone has it. " Simple words, but they've prompted a debate in the US and beyond this week thanks to a new razor advert that shows women actually shaving their body hair. Surely that's not so revolutionary? Except it is - because normally ads for women's razors show plastic-perfect, airbrushed legs that are already totally smooth.
Razor brand Billie says it's the first to feature hairy women for 100 years and the advert has gone viral as a result. 'This is damn beautiful' On social media, many women applauded its close-ups of hairy female toes, armpits, monobrows and stomachs. "THIS IS DAMN BEAUTIFUL" wrote Instagram user @bigparadethroughtown. "When brands pretend that all women have hairless bodies, it's a version of body-shaming," Billie co-founder Georgina Gooley told Glamour magazine. "It's saying you should feel ashamed of having body hair. " Can a company selling razors really say it's not complicit in that? Reese Witherspoon Launches Plus-Sized Draper James Collection With Eloquii. Without Water, the Women of Cape Town Are Redefining ‘Self-Care’ Julia Sullivan hasn’t felt “properly clean and fresh” since December, when she went home to visit her family in Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city, from her current base in Cape Town, nearly 900 miles south on the country’s west coast.
For the past year, the 26-year-old has been taking stop-start showers: She turns the water on to quickly wet her body, ensuring there are buckets by her feet to catch the water as it falls for later use; she turns it off as she soaps up; and then she turns it back on to rinse off, all in a matter of two minutes. The water, she says, is running for no more than 45 seconds total. At first, the promise of a nice, long shower during her visit home seemed like a dream—until she was standing under the water. “It was strange, because I [felt like] couldn’t actually stay in the shower,” Sullivan says.
“I think [conservation] has been so ingrained into our psyche now that you get very anxious about having the water running.” “America’s Next Top Model” Is A Prisoner Of Its Own Premise. How Megan Crabbe Used Instagram to Heal From an Eating Disorder - @BodyPosiPanda Interview. When she was 16, Megan Crabbe began her recovery from a years-long battle with anorexia, and for the next five years, yo-yo dieting and exercise bulimia kept the Colchester, England, native from healing her relationship with her body. That’s when she discovered the #bopo movement on Instagram and decided to stop dieting forever — and never went back.
Although @BodyPosiPanda’s journey to heal herself turned her into a body-positive influencer, amassing almost 900,000 followers and counting since 2014, she still felt pressured to be the perfect bopo activist for her followers. Here, Crabbe, who’s now 24 and recently released the book Body Positive Power, explains how she slowly let go of disordered eating while inspiring others to do the same. I’m in my bedroom wearing only my underwear, scrutinizing the 100-plus photos I’ve taken of myself, from all different angles, over the past several hours. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Curvy Kate Becky Long Photography Getty | Abby Silverman. 24 Things You Could Do Instead Of Telling A Woman What To Wear. Themuse.jezebel. Teens Protested Their High School's Sexist Prom Dress Code And Won. Uniqlo launching new modest line featuring hijabs and abayas | Metro Toronto. Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo will debut a line of modest-wear in Canada in February, including hijabs and abayas, the long black dress worn by women in Saudi Arabia, and pieces inspired by the baju kurung, a tunic-and-pants outfit worn widely in South East Asia.
“It’s really for everybody, but in terms of a more specific demographic, it’s for anyone who sort of wants that more modest aesthetic,” said Hana Tajima, the British designer behind the line. The collection, for spring and summer 2017, will land at Uniqlo’s two Canadian stores, at Toronto’s Eaton Centre and Yorkdale Mall, on Feb. 24. “Uniqlo really pays attention to consumer demand and there is a consumer demand for modest-wear and we are happy to oblige,” said Kat Adams, Uniqlo spokesperson. “This is such a diverse market, we are very hopeful that it will receive a positive reaction.” Uniqlo has been selling modest-wear in other markets since 2015 and it’s not the only fashion retailer to do so.
'Fat yoga': Ottawa woman wants to create safe space for bigger bodies. Mélanie Jubinville-Stafford, a yoga teacher-in-training, plans to make space for people who are craving a serving of body positivity with their yoga classes. Jubinville-Stafford started practicing yoga about a decade ago, and has been training to become a teacher since August. She hopes to host what she calls “fat yoga” classes upon graduation in March and already has an offer to teach out of a studio in Cumberland. Jubinville-Stafford’s desire to create safe spaces in yoga comes from her experience as a self-identified bigger-bodied woman who has felt unwelcome in “traditional” yoga studios and gyms. There was even a time when Jubinville-Stafford couldn’t buy workout clothes because of her size.
“Before Old Navy had XXL clothes, I remember not even having the dignity of having (workout) clothes … where I could kind of blend in.” Evelyn Harford / For Metro Jubinville-Stafford said her body weight is always in flux. Her ultimate dream is to start her own studio. 11 Charts For When You Feel Bad About Your Body. This Woman Fights Gender Stereotypes With Hilarious Cartoons. » French businessman ‘to pay all burqa (niqab) fines’ Rachid Nekkaz has set up a million euro fund to pay fines for women who choose to wear the full Islamic veil in countries, like France, where it is against the law to do so in public. A French businessman has set up a fund to pay fines for women who wear Islamic veils or the burqa in public “in whatever country in the world that bans women from doing so”.
Rachid Nekkaz, 38, a real-estate businessman based in Paris, traveled to Belgium on Wednesday to pay 100 euros for two women fined in the first case in the country since the law was adopted there. “I'm in favour of a law to convict a husband who forces a women to wear the niqab and who1 forces her to stay at home. But I'm also for a law that lets these women move freely in the streets, because freedom of movement, just like any freedom, is the most fundamental thing in a democracy, ” Nekkaz told reporters outside the courtroom in Belgium. The same day, he paid a 75 euro fine for a woman in the north-eastern French town of Roubaix. FFFWeek 2016 Showcases The Diversity Of The Body Positive Community.
Full Figure Fashion Week 2016 (FFFWeek) and The Curvy Con brought curvy women from all walks of life to New York City for a week of events celebrating our curves. It was an incredible experience that truly highlighted the diversity of the body positive community. The women walking the runways and attending the events varied in size, race, age, identity and everything in between. They showcased their unique styles at a range of events from the "Golden Confidence" pool party to the "Curves At Sea" all white cruise, the runway presentations and more. Knowing how amazing each and every one of these women is makes it hard to imagine a world that told them that they are less than, because they may be more than. Fortunately for us, FFFWeek and The Curvy Con exist — to celebrate our size and the beauty that makes up our community.
Beyond the women in attendance, the brands and designers also showcased diversity. Madeline Jones, editor of PLUS Model Magazine, and Gwen DeVoe, founder of FFFWeek. This Indian Plus Size Blogger's Response To Instagram Removing Her Swimsuit Posts Is PERFECT. 6 Ways I Was Taught to Be a Good Fatty (And Why I Stopped) 9 Reasons Not To Shave Your Legs This Spring (Or Ever, If You'd Just Rather Not) I haven't shaved in years. I choose to let my personal preferences dictate my body hair maintenance rather than societal expectations. That said, winter melting into springtime has made me reconsider shaving my legs in the past.
Don't get me wrong; I adore the fuzzy aesthetic. But spending so many cold months in jeans and leggings used to have the potential to genuinely make me forget why I was making some of my beauty choices. The first few times I wore shorts or skirts as the seasons changed were characterized by a certain measure of embarrassment, ultimately forcing me to rebuild self-confidence in my body. These kinds of setbacks made me question my identity to no end. Cultivating any kind of body positivity is a process, though. Here are some reasons to blow off shaving your legs this spring, because hair removal simply isn't for everyone. 1. One great reason to set down the razor for good is simply that it can cause so much discomfort. 2. Shaving can often exacerbate dry skin. 3. How I Use Tinder - Made My Stomach the Profile Pic. I went with the first bio that came to mind. Courtesy of Dana Hamilton Advertisement - Continue Reading Below "I have this idea in my head that boys won't like me because of my body.
I know there's a beauty hierarchy and I am not at the top of it. " That's what a 20-year-old college student said to me about the fact that she hadn't had sex yet. When I heard her say that, my mind started spinning—because I felt like I was talking to my 20-year-old self. Back then, I couldn't fathom someone tolerating—let alone actually being turned on by—my body. Regardless, this girl hadn't made that discovery yet for herself. But I didn't. But then I decided to push the envelope a little further and do something more drastic.
I created a Tinder profile where the sole picture is that photo of my belly. The picture is nothing sensual. The moment I finished posting it to Tinder, I went into a momentary panic. And almost all of them messaged me first. Nicolette Mason interview: Addition Elle collection and body positivity. What’s the message behind the dresses you co-designed?
Walk me through the thought process behind this collection. "There are 7 dresses and 6 silhouettes. The idea was to take classic shapes that cater to a range of body types – different shapes, not just my body type – and give them a twist. I wanted to infuse some trends, but not so much that this will be something that feels dated very quickly. Like the cut-out shoulder dress: the sheer detailing at the bottom gives it a hint of trend, but it’s still definitely a classic little black dress. You’ve said in the past that you like to look at fashion through a socially conscious lens. Tracing the body positive movement over the last few years, would you have imagined arriving at this place five years ago? Until we reach a point where sizing is completely inclusive? So for you the term isn’t loaded?
With body-positivity and fashion, what’s your ultimate goal? Read more in our Fashion and Trends channels. My Curves Have No Bounds: Fashion's In-Betweener Gap. Jessica Biffi, Blogger, Fashion Designer, Project Runway Canada Finalist -- What is your earliest memory of having a negative body image or self-conscious thought? I've always been heavier, even as a child. There were always comments made about my weight from family, from as young as three or four years of age. What was the turning point for you in your journey to self-love and acceptance? When I was in high school I became very focused on fashion. I decided in grade 11 that I wanted to make fashion design my career. On Ashley Graham And Sports Illustrated's Idea Of "Progress" | Jason Najum. Last weekend I watched the 2016 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue TV Special. With no volume. Alone in a bar. If you're ever gonna be alone in a bar on a Saturday night trying to get some work done and have the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue TV Special begin playing on three overhead televisions, no volume is the way to go.
Good looking hosts relentlessly smiling, blindingly beautiful women parading around in sparkly dresses as photos of them in the concluding stages of undress flash across the screen. Exotic locales. With the show's volume down I was free to see this, purely, unfettered by the sound of the industry's self-aggrandizement or Nick Cannon's pleasant mediocrity. The hosts kept bringing out more specimens, one hotter than the other, all of them somehow with piercing Russian cat-eyes.
Being a few cocktails in I was all ready for some easy hating and lamenting of the state of -- but wait, what was that? Now of course body acceptance is an important cause worthy of promotion. I Won't Be Renewing My 'Vogue' Subscription - I'm Not Inspired by Images That Don't Represent the Beauty of Diversity | Iskra Lawrence. Fattitude Trailer. Our Imaginary Weight Problem. What If Body Acceptance Doesn't Work? How About Body Neutrality?
50 Body Acceptance New Year Resolutions (That Don't Involve Dieting!) Selling Shame: 40 Outrageous Vintage Ads Any Woman Would Find Offensive. Being Naturally Skinny Doesn't Make My Body Any Less "Real" | Julia Brucculieri. Can We Just, Like, Get Over the Way Women Talk? -- The Cut. Here's What Our Obsession with 'Plus Size' Really Says About Us. Nine Steps to Be Ready to Wear Sleeveless Shirts or Shorts Next Summer | Queer Fat Femme. Bitchy Resting Face and female niceness: Why do women have to smile more than men? This Is What Plus-Size Clothes Look Like On Plus-Size Women. Showing girls that 'Strong is the New Pretty' Leaving Facebook... When Your Mother Says She's Fat. Slut Shaming and Concern Trolling in Geek Culture. Going Topless In Public In NYC - The Outdoor Co-ed Topless Pulp Fiction Appreciation Society. Bubbly Rebel Wilson Covers New "Glamour" Magazine. "It Sucks Being Pretty," Explains Reality TV's Samantha Brick.
Pop Stars Celebrate Women's Rights in Stilettos and Leather Underwear. I'm Sick Of Men Telling Women To Feel Better About Their Bodies. How 'Slut Shaming' Has Been Written Into School Dress Codes Across The Country. H&M Uses Plus-Size Model For Swimwear Campaign Photos. H&M Whittles Down Acceptable Body Types To Exactly One. Sexual Objectification, Part 1: What is it?
Can fashion magazines #KeepItReal? Unshaven Mavens. Lisa Bloom: How to Talk to Little Girls. Please Don't Tell My Girls They're Pretty.