Body Image and It's Effect on Summer Clothing

Hello beautiful! I'm so happy to be writing for you all this week! I've been in a bit of a slump these past few days, and writing always helps me feel inspired again. I know I'm a bit early for this, but in today's post, I'm going to be talking about body image during the summer. From my experience, something about the season of summer makes the demons of negative body image ever more present. Summer fashion and summer heat usually call for more revealing outfits, so those of us who aren't quite comfortable with that can feel self conscious.

I think we all need a good reminder that people can wear what they want to wear, for whatever reasons that they want. If you read my post about personal style and body type, you might remember my talking about how people are treated differently regarding their clothes based on their body type. This post is going to be a little similar, but with a closer focus on the summer season.

If you've ever heard anyone talking about getting their body "summer-ready," you might know what I'm talking about here. There's a certain pressure on everyone to go to the beach, look stunning, and post the most immaculate photos that only comes out during the summer. Maybe it's the way big companies market their products like summer clothing and swimsuits or maybe it's the way we've idealized certain ways of living your life in the summer, but either way, I've noticed something different about the way I feel in public during the summer.

While researching for this post, I found an article from Zencare about a very similar topic to me by Shoshana Ort, LCSW. I pulled a quote that I think really explains what I'm trying to say here:

"Magazines, TV shows, and now social media push the message that summer is for showing skin — but only if that skin covers a toned, slim, tanned body."

"The Summer Body Standard Is Fake — Here’s What No One Tells You About Body Dysmorphia" https://blog.zencare.co/summer-body-myth-body-dysmorphia-truth/

So we've established and recognized the problem. But where do we go from here? What am I supposed to do if someone judges me at the beach? How do I wear clothes for myself during the summer?

It's not like we can go out and change all of the ideals that have been ingrained into so many peoples minds, including our own whether we realize it or not. It would be a better use of our time to focus on protecting ourselves and others from harsh judgement and ridicule that we may receive for simply existing.

The first thing that I think is important to remember is that everyone is always going to want something different from you. For example, your mom might want you to cover up because of her impending fear of seeing your collarbone. But your friends or classmates might want you to wear the same bikini as them which you might not be comfortable with. There will never be a way to make everyone happy, but there is a way to make you happy, and that's wearing the clothes that you enjoy wearing and are comfortable in.

I know that's easier said than done, especially with people on social media showing you the most picture perfect portions of their lives. That's part of why eating disorders and body dysmorphia are running rampant. But, influencers still find ways to romanticize it. I've done a lot of research on eating disorders in teenagers, and I've found that social media algorithms are one of the biggest perpetrators in making eating disorders more widespread and destructive. I'm sad to say it, but there isn't a lot I can do about this EXCEPT for getting my ideas out there and continuing to post about this on my blog.

What we all can do is put our health above everything. I'm being serious. Put it above your classmates' opinions about your body, your mom's comments, and the advice of that random influencer that appears on your feed every June. Put it above anything that I write on this blog. I mean it. I'm not the one living in your body, so I shouldn't control how you live with it, and neither should anyone else.

The very last piece that I want to mention is the assumption that everyone is looking at us. Most of the time, this couldn't be further from the truth. It's something worth reminding yourself when you feel self-conscious in public.

That's it for today's post! Thank you so much for bearing with me during my two week break, and I hope you all have an amazing week!

Remember, if you ever need a hand, girl, let me help!