The Her Campus National Editors write about products we love and think you’ll love too. Her Campus has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase. All products are in stock and all prices are accurate as of publication.
Insecurities about my own body, like many other women, have been instilled in me from a young age. I was constantly comparing myself to other beautiful women and lacking confidence in my own beautiful, real body. I fell in love with Aerie Real in college because they are all about empowering women of all shapes and sizes to feel beautiful and confident.
Not only are the styles very cute and cozy, but the atmosphere of the store is unmatched with other stores that sell women’s clothing and undergarments. In stores like Hollister, I personally don’t get the same feeling of inspiration to be confident as a woman. I tend to feel more like the goal is to dress for the male gaze in these kinds of stores, not to mention how overpriced they can be. Aerie makes me feel like I’m supported by other women and their clothing feels reasonably priced for what you get.
Aside from the way the store makes me feel when I walk in, I also have a love for what the brand is about when I’m not shopping. On their website they also make it clear how dedicated they are to uplifting women, even if we aren’t buying clothes. The brand is all about feeling healthy and loving yourself, something a lot of women struggle with in our competitive, rather shallow society. As a Gen Z’er, I remember always wishing for those thigh gaps and blonde hair in the early 2000’s. I was only 10-years-old when I started to see how important looks were to people, and it was sad. My younger self would’ve been so much happier with Aerie around back then. Young girls everywhere now can look up to brands like this that promote “Lov[ing] your body, lov[ing] your mind, lov[ing] yourself”.
I look up to brands like Aerie because it is fierce and beautiful in it’s work to spread body positivity outside of the store. In high school, when I would take part in National Eating Disorder Awareness (NEDA) walks in NYC, I remember the massive role that Aerie had. It was at walks like these on the Brooklyn Bridge that I had the amazing opportunity to meet body love role models like Iskra Lawrence. I still remember that moment like it was yesterday. Iskra was so kind and let my sister interview her for a project about NEDA. At the end of our interaction she hugged me, and I remember feeling so lucky to have women like her as the face of a great brand like Aerie. Iskra is beautiful, and I want my kids to see women, real women, like her featured on ads and in the media in general.
Whether it be shopping for cozy sweaters, sweatpants, bras, scarves, swimwear, or getting involved in the body positivity/mental health movement, Aerie pretty much has it all. My appreciation of the brand genuinely grows stronger as time goes by. My dream is to work for a brand like this that is so dedicated to fighting antiquated, unhealthy beauty standards and bringing out the best in REAL women.