Body Positivity movement demands representation in all fashion

The body positivity movement has been around for years, and now there is finally change taking place. The first main movement was in the 1850s-1890s, with people fighting for the Victorian Dress Reform.

The aim was to end women needing to modify their bodies with corsets and tightlacing, plus the right to wear pants.

Even with the historical context, the movement is for everyone. It won’t be a body positivity movement if they focus on one type of body.

Throughout the fashion world, white, skinny, young and female models dominated the runways. The same can be said about males; however, it would show the so-called “fit” body type in specific showcases.

However, this is a narrow viewpoint and doesn’t reflect the world around us. Around 2012 is when the body positivity movement took to social media and started to grow.

The body positivity movement challenges society’s view of the “ideal” physical size and shape of a person to be more inclusive of all genders, disabilities, races and sexualities. Mainly, it is a movement to better reflect the world around us.

Not only that, but it also shows people that there isn’t just one type of person. Adding representation to the fashion world includes everyone, not just a set group of people. It allows people to see themselves on runways and feel comfortable in their skin.

Many would assume that the movement is well accepted since it is inclusive; however, that isn’t always the case.

The idea that a body has to be skinny to be healthy is one of the pushbacks within the movement. This isn’t true for starters, and it also creates an unhealthy ideal for people that they aren’t good enough to wear specific clothing. This ideal is harmful. The movement isn’t there to promote an unhealthy lifestyle; it’s to encourage acceptance of the body we have.

When talking about the body positivity movement, it’s crucial to call upon the issues that it can still carry.

Often it can leave many members out, such as people of color and the LGBTQ+ communities which is the opposite of the movement’s purpose. Leaving out groups of people can create a toxic environment. It can create an isolating feeling when there is no representation regarding one of the basic needs for humans, which can be clothing.

How can we apply this on campus? Whether we want to admit it or not, our campus is not free from facing the judgments of other students. Just listening around to students speak about their life here, it’s clear not everyone is as accepting as the school will have us believe. We can’t change how people will view how we dress, and everyone will hold their opinion.

Fashion is not here to constrain us as people. To quote Alexander McQueen: a high-end fashion designer, “Fashion should be a form of escapism and not a form of imprisonment.”

Fashion is a form of self-expression, even on a campus that might judge how you choose to express yourself.

Body positivity will always be hard to broach and cover everyone because of differing opinions, especially being on a college campus. Plus, everyone will always hold views of the community around them.

Body positivity should be a movement that brings people the ability to see themselves on the runway, not just what the media wants to portray as the norm in the fashion world.