In our day and age, people are judged more now than ever for what they wear and how they choose to present themselves, despite the lines being more blurred than ever. The already decided upon standard of beauty has been engraved into the minds of the American people and is present through almost any work of media. So much so, that even Disney princesses do not have realistic waistlines. This standard of beauty is so unattainable that the majority of the models we see (both on Instagram and not) have been photoshopped or edited to some degree. Another example of unattainable standards is when children’s shows cast actors much older than the character that they are playing; this leads children to develop an unrealistic image of high school life, and what they should look like by that time. Adding in the over-sexualization of the female body, and there is no wonder why thousands of western women are insecure about thier bodies.
Do not stand by and let someone trash talk someone else
People cannot change certain aspects of themselves, and in this time people feel as though sharing thier brutal opinion all of the time is ‘savage’ when it is really just rude and annoying. Pointing out that someone does not match your ideal of beauty isn’t going to help them or you in any way, it is just going to make them feel bad. Recently someone made a snarky remark about a girl’s clothes to me, and I didn’t know what to say, but I also didn’t want them to think that it was okay to shit talk women who are minding thier own business. Despite my better judgment, I didn’t comment on it, instead opting to not gossip and change the subject. Some people are content with the weight that they are, and do not want to change; that is their prerogative, and the rest of the human race should let them be as they want (whether it be a few or a few hundred pounds).
Understand and accept Androgyny
Androgyny is the quality or state of being neither specifically feminine or masculine: the combination of feminine and masculine characteristics. This is regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Androgyny is not a new term and has been something consistent throughout the 20th century, but it is starting to take on different meanings with people in the LGBTQ+ community. People are challenging the stereotypical gender roles and letting themselves express themselves through fashion, whether that means a man wearing a crop top and chaps (thank you prince) or a female in a utility jumpsuit, or suit. Androgyny is popular in eastern cultures, where silhouettes are erased, whereas in western cultures religious coverings are not seen as a choice. This is excellent because it’s steeping away from what is inherently female and male, and allowing people to decide what they want to be.
Accept ‘feminine’ guys and ‘masculine’ girls
I use quotes to stray from the traditional gender roles put in place; Men deal with body shaming almost as much as women do, there is a set standard of beauty for men as well and if they do not look like that then they can develop insecurities and toxic masculinity. Men tend to stay away from sharing thier emotions or even pursuing fashion because it is seen as ‘gay’ (no not literally just to be mean). Athletic women get an abundance of heckling, not only from men, but women as well. These women are seen as masculine of unattractive because of thier physical strength. This is a result of our society praising physical strength in men and mental strength in women. Women are expected to be pretty or smart, not strong, but many women do not configure to this idea, and that is something we have to accept as a collective. Men can be curvy and women can be muscular and it is completely okay and normal.
We’re not going to act like Serena Williams isn’t wonder woman *swoon*