For years now, we've heard study after study suggesting that the average American woman wears a size 14. And yet many plus-sized women grapple with self-esteem issues rooted in unrealistic and narrow representations of female body types within the media, the fashion industry's long-standing refusal to even acknowledge the proprotions of the average female consumers, and the mean-spirited remarks made by peers, colleagues, and so-called friends. After years of dealing with chastisement, mockery, and derision, one plus-size woman decided to stand up to body-shaming bullies by putting together a plus-size swimwear lookbook–in the form of a video–in which she flaunts her figure and expresses her love for the skin she's in, encouraging other women to do the same.
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YouTube vlogger LoeyLane's swimwear lookbook video has received over 1.4 million views since it was first uploaded on August 18th and the comments it has elicited range from supportive and effusive to contemptuous and cruel. Even in this day and age, the body image debates rage furiously.
In the video, Loey poses in a multitude of halter top one-piece swimsuits and adorable retro-flavored bikinis with high-waisted briefs, all the while discussing her own experiences as a size 14 woman. She talks about how people assume she sits at home and eats all day long when, in truth, she doesn't even consume fast food. She speaks candidly about how many folks tell her she needs to lose weight in order to be healthy but then giggle mockingly when she ventures into the gym. But instead of turning the video into a 2-minute-long complaint, she relates her experiences and then turns the tables on viewers, saying, "Before you tell me what's wrong with this body, let me tell you what's right." She then celebrates her body: how she can run for miles without it quitting on her, how she has sexy feminine curves, how her body is strong and resilient.
After declaring her pride in her body, she asks the questions so many women obsess over, "If this is the average size of the American woman, why isn't it being celebrated as beautiful and magnificent?" With this video, LoeyLane is actively taking a "be the change you want to see" approach to the body image discourse in our society. Not only is she addressing the fat-shaming tendencies that persist in our society, which we all know have such a harmful effect on young women's psyches, but she's literally flaunting her body instead of hiding it or acting like it's a source of shame. Kudos to her!
Women come in all shapes and sizes and Loey is beautiful just the way she is — not despite being a size 14, not because she is a size 14, but because she is herself, her glorious authentic self.
Embedded content: http://youtu.be/d_kcIUVPsDw
Image Via Thinkstock/Youtube
