If you have ever heard of American Eagle, then you probably know of Aerie. Aerie is an American Eagle branch that produces women’s lingerie, comfy clothes, and encourages women to embrace their bodies.
Aerie has created a campaign that focuses on “more body positivity.” They do this by not retouching ANY of their model’s shots. These shots highlight the imperfections that every woman has on their body, and show that these imperfections are natural and should be embraced. The company has enlisted the help of “Aerie Role Models.” These include singer Rachel Platten, Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, actor Yara Shahidi and model Iskra Lawrence.
The goal of the Aerie campaign is to help girls feel comfortable in their own skin, and encourage them to embrace their natural beauty. Aerie’s models challenge the “supermodel standard” because of they often publicize photos that are never retouched. These models reflect the range of women’s bodies and encourage societal acceptance of all shapes and sizes.
The media has created the image of the ideal woman’s body which is nothing short of perfection. The idea of “sexy” has been monopolized by the media and women today do not feel comfortable expressing their bodies if they do not fit the image that the media has created. Aerie has adopted this campaign in an effort to make women feel more comfortable, and this has simultaneously has increased their sales. Women want to shop for clothing that they think will look good on them. Since the majority of women are not stick thin, having models that look like real women have contributed to Aerie’s success. Ever since I was introduced to the Aerie brand, it is one of the stores that I shop at the most. Seeing models that look more like me, as well as millions of other women, makes me feel more comfortable and proud in my own skin, and makes shopping more enjoyable.
I cannot speak for every woman, but I believe that a large numbers of girls experience an unhappiness with their body. After I arrived at Muhlenberg and I was introduced to the Aerie, I realized that I had positively impacted the way I saw my body. Throughout middle school and high school, I obsessed over the fact that I did not have the same body as my friends. After reading about Aerie’s new campaign and watching Iskra’s YouTube videos about self- love and accepting yourself the way you were made, the message finally clicked. Just because your thighs might be bigger than somebody else’s does not define the beauty of your body. Just because your body is different or doesn’t fit the media created image of “sexy”, does not mean that you are not beautiful. Our bodies are strong and we should embrace them. Our bodies were made to do amazing things. Aerie is encouraging girls to realize that. Believe in how amazing your body is and do not doubt its ability
Sources:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/17/aerie-unretouched-ads-photos_n_4618139.html
http://time.com/1187/american-eagle-ditches-photoshop-for-new-lingerie-campaign/