Womens body identity is an issue close to my heart, and is something that I've been meaning to write a post about for a long time, and it was when I read this , that is spurred me to say something. I have in the past had very black and white ideas about female beauty and how we feel about ourselves and our bodies. On one hand my business is in fashion, an industry notorious for promoting the anorexic look, and ignoring anything resembling a narural female body.In college I shaved my head, didn't wear make up for years, never wore a bra, and generally wore mucky drab clothes. Somewhere in my head I thought this was a statement about female empowerment and an unwllingness to conform to an idea of what a woman should want to be. It was something I needed to do at the time, but I was denying myself a lot through my militant feminism. I wasn't willing to let anything 'girlie' in for fear that I would become trapped under a preasure to be beautiful.
Most women I know don't like their bodies, thankfully as I get older the women around me grow enough to learn to accept what they have and hopefully at some point they will love it. I've seen too much of anorexia to know that the path of self loathing only leads to destruction. I'm not sure what this post is about except that I have a great sadness inside after the things I've seen friends do to themselves, something has to change about how we live as women. Especially at this time of year when every ad on tv is trying to tell you another way to feel inadequate about yourself. I don't diet, I don't feel guilty about food, and I refuse to berate myself about how I look...maybe it's a start.
Most women I know don't like their bodies, thankfully as I get older the women around me grow enough to learn to accept what they have and hopefully at some point they will love it. I've seen too much of anorexia to know that the path of self loathing only leads to destruction. I'm not sure what this post is about except that I have a great sadness inside after the things I've seen friends do to themselves, something has to change about how we live as women. Especially at this time of year when every ad on tv is trying to tell you another way to feel inadequate about yourself. I don't diet, I don't feel guilty about food, and I refuse to berate myself about how I look...maybe it's a start.
You might find this interesting on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUUAgZ8f1OU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUUAgZ8f1OU
You're beautiful. :)
ReplyDeleteKudos!
Someone, somewhere along the way realised that it's easy to make people believe that there's something Wrong With Them. And they realised it meant they could sell them stuff to make it better.
ReplyDeleteWe can see that especially now during detox season... All I can say is that you're on the right track Ruth. The only track that makes sense.
Thanks, it felt weird writing something so personal in such a public space,but I'm glad I did it.
ReplyDeleteHear hear! About 8 years ago I came out of a dark time of HATING my body, and by hate I mean hate at its full despise!
ReplyDeleteI was a full time fitness instructor before this and did every diet, and exercised for up to 3 hours 2 or 3 hours a day.
I dropped to 8 and a half stone, (I now vary from 11 and a half to twelve stone!) and ate nothing but fruit for weeks on end untill my body forced me to eat something of substance before I kealed over.
Then keith came into my like and made me so comfortable about myself, he is my saviour in more ways than one!
I now wear what I want as long as im comfy, and eat when and what I want, I am so much happier in myself, but I havent fully lost the mindset, I still am very conscious of my body and how it reacts to food, blotedness and IBS are a couple of things that spring the mindset back into full pelt and I get the urge to detox or exercise in copious ammounts but at least now I stop it :) Im in control and it feels good :)
So thank you Keith I really owe it to him :)
(I think I may blog this!! every woman should feel good about themselves, every woman is beautiful)
(BTW are you going to the blog awards in feb? I voted you as best fashion blog :)
Wow Lette I never knew any of that, I'm glad you got through it and that Keith was there for you.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of going to the blog awards, do I just email them and ask for an invite. Yey thanks for voting for me!!
no no no invitations needed, just go!! its on in the cork airport hotel and its basically just ring up and book in for the 21st of feb, but make sure u say its for the blog awards, keith and I will be there, it will be tons of fun and maz from Made Marion will be there too :)
ReplyDelete