This is something I think about often, how can I be the right kind of fat? When we think about the body positivity movement we think about beautiful plus size women wearing crop tops and high waisted shorts, living their best life, and not giving a fuck. How did this become the right kind of fat? Now, I find myself falling into this idea more often than not but it seems like this is another way to separate the body positive movement. The movement that all bodies are good bodies seems to be overshadowed by just another way to make us questions ourselves, “am I the right kind of fat?”.

I’m here to say that not every plus size person wants to wear revealing clothing in order to love themselves. I have been guilty of pushing this idea, my friends will say they do not feel comfortable in something and I say, “you look great in it” or “don’t worry about what people say”, and I forget to consider what they want and what makes them comfortable. Loving your body does not happen by just putting on certain clothing, it takes hard work to dismantle the hate that has been instilled in us our whole lives. The body positive movement I want to promote doesn’t stick to the thought that there is a right kind of fat. It promotes acceptance of all bodies, trans bodies, bodies of color, disabled bodies, hairy bodies, female bodies, male bodies, queer bodies, and every body in between. When we talk about body positivity we need to break the stereotype that in order to love ourselves we need to conform to what society views as acceptable.

So how do we do this, how do we promote body positivity for everyone? How do we show just as much support for those who feel this movement isn’t for them? The people who dress modestly or who lean towards the masculine end of the spectrum deserve to be lifted up and represented as well. So lets try something this weekend, tell a plus-sized babe in your life that they look nice, you like the way that shirt fits them or they are killing it in those pants. Let them know that you appreciate them and that they are beautiful. Loving yourself doesn’t mean that you need to show off your body for everyone to see, it means being comfortable and confident in your own skin.

Let me know how you practice self love. What makes you feel best when you wear it? What do you hope people notice about you when you go out? I’d love to hear what makes everyone feel like their best selves.

Until next time, babes.