Fashion’s Relationship With the Body

The sentiment ‘love your body’ can be challenging for those of us who don’t conform to the idealised version of the feminine form to accept our bodies as beautiful.

the body is an amazing thing, but what does it feel like to have one? This is essentially a question about living in your skin and what it feels like to be you. The answer changes for many from time to time. occasionally we find pleasure in the body and appreciate its power – its ability to run, dance, bear children or heal itself.

There’s nothing more beautiful than the human body, yet it also presents many problems. Our reflection in the mirror reveals all the ways we feel we don’t measure up to societal standards: we focus on our flabby thighs, stretch marks and skew teeth or ask ourselves if we’re too short. The fashion industry has intentionally worshipped one kind of body throughout its history: tall, skinny, cisgender, white; fashion and the body are primarily related to self-awareness and their combined influence suggests a connection.

How the individual perceives their body is their body image, and selfperception is a combination of their thoughts and feelings. My clothes have certainly worn me at times rather than me wearing them and have dictated the way I feel about myself. It’s common for people to blame their bodies for ill-fitting clothing. An unhealthy body image, low self-esteem and unhappiness with their identity can result from this.

The fashion industry has been fixated on its stereotypes of what is perfect-looking and cool for so long. It’s a culture that’s encouraged women to hide themselves if their bodies don’t look a certain way. It has become normal for us to compromise on what we want to wear to meet society’s body standards.

In the process, we may not have noticed that our mental health and self-image have suffered as a result. There’s a tendency amongst many people to associate losing weight with achieving a particular clothing size to look good in certain garments. Standard sizings and industrialised textiles have contributed to the mindset that we need to conform to a certain body type.

The fashion industry prefers tall, slim bodies as they fit into smaller clothes. Making these garments requires less material and costs less money, meaning the industry can produce larger quantities. Therefore, if your body doesn’t fit the

mould, you’ll feel the need to change it at all costs to fit in. Thankfully, we’re starting to see attempts to turn the tide.

The body positivity movement emerged in the early 2010s as a dedicated social media campaign to support and celebrate the vast majority amongst us who don’t meet such narrow definitions of beauty. Ultimately, the goal is to develop a fashion industry that celebrates women as they are and liberates them from self-consciousness. What are the prospects of changing a system so rooted in its ways? Our self-worth is determined by a sizing system that has proven to be inconsistent and unreliable.

Society’s obsession with thinness has imparted the message that we’re never good enough. Too often, fashion is presented in a way that’s inaccessible, elitist and unattainable to many consumers.

Let’s change this message and focus instead on what we can do. A key reason for the industry’s longevity and ability to push boundaries is the passionate and creative community that it fosters.

The business side of the industry should, however, strive to foster the bodypositive aspects of the fashion culture:

adopt a healthy Mindset

Focus on reducing the stress you experience around food and your body. Stress worsens your health more than a missed workout or chocolate ever will.

It’s important to take care of ourselves and establish sustainable healthy lifestyle behaviours, and in turn, a healthier mindset.

selfacceptance precedes self-love

Human bodies are vessels that transport us through the world. And we only get one design, the one we have today. When we feel guilt and shame in our skin, we become more vulnerable to physical, mental and emotional harm.

It doesn’t matter what we weigh, how big we are or what shape we are; respect comes from within.

Find clothes that Fit your Body and Make you Feel good

Don’t let your closet overrun with clothes that don’t serve you anymore. You deserve to feel confident no matter how big or small you are!

“the goal is to develop a fashion industry that celebrates women as they are”