Sexy Comes In Every Size
by Yuliya Rae
Featuring Andréa Campbell, Chelsie Rolen, Jen Castro, Marissa McCann-Lee, and Shaquana Ramsee. Photography by Yuliya Rae of Zippertune Photography.
The female form has been the subject of admiration and debate for many centuries. Sculptures like Venus of Willendorf, found in 1908 by a European archeologist, depict the female form with large breasts, plump middle, and thick thighs – all signs of fertility, and traits society viewed as alluring and desirable.
But in recent decades the definition of sexy has been drastically altered.
Thinness became the new ideal. Fueling the diet industry, a surge in eating disorders, and women’s plummeting self-esteem, as the average woman couldn’t conform to society’s ideal of attractiveness.
We were told we needed to look “sexy”: to strangers, other women, and definitely to men.
What no one ever told us was to feel sexy for ourselves first, because society’s “sexy” constantly changes. Also, trying to keep up with the trend is exhausting and futile, as we are only chasing an unattainable ideal. The only people benefitting from the chase are the diet pill manufacturers, beauty magazines, and clothing brands telling us the size we need to fit into.
But the truth is that sexy comes in every size because sexy comes from within.
Seeking self-love rather than outside validation will set us free to live comfortably in our bodies; to love ourselves whether we are tall and thin or short and curvy.
Once we let go of the idea that we need the world’s acceptance, admiration, or validation in order to feel good enough, beautiful, and worthy, we will create a new order where acceptance of our bodies becomes as natural as breathing, and we as women will truly change the world.
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