I like to touch on the subject of self acceptance every so often, because it is something that I work at constantly and so many of us have issues with (plus size or non-plus size). It’s basically the human condition–we’re not perfect, and never will be.
It has taken me years to get to a point that I am okay with how I look, act, appear… I remember being SO self conscious through my tweens and teens. Added to this I was very shy. I thought I was so huge and couldn’t dress or look like the skinny minis around me.
There wasn’t as much of a movement for the plus size industry 10+ years ago as there is now. The only plus size they had was ugly old lady stuff, Lane Bryant (as a young girl I wasn’t a fan), and Old Navy (which went to size 20-22, I think).
I remember there were certain things I wouldn’t wear or I had to wear a certain way. For example, I only wore tank tops if I had a sweater to go over it because I was self conscious about the size of my arms. Now, little things like that don’t mean so much to me. Granted, there are still things that I won’t wear, but it’s more of a matter of making myself look the most flattering as possible–muffin top is not attractive on anyone!
When I started this blog and my shop, it was a figurative slap in the face to start looking at pictures of myself. I knew I looked a certain way, but it took time to get used to seeing myself through the eyes of a camera. To accept myself from head to toe. I would literally look at the pictures once and CRINGE like crazy. I would take a step back, and each time I looked at the pictures again they got not so bad, and even good.
In conclusion, I am a work in progress and most likely will always be one. I know my size and weight will go up and down through the years, but I’m getting OK with me. I hope that other girls start feeling the same way. It is liberating!
