Self-love is a concept that has evaded me almost my entire life.
For a majority of my adolescence, I was at war with my body, nitpicking every imperfection: zits, stretch marks and stomach fat.
While I wish I could say this was just a phase that I shortly grew out of, I’d be lying. Today alone, I’ve probably critiqued my appearance at least five or six times.
Unfortunately, my struggle is not unique.
Women across the globe constantly judge and devalue their bodies, comparing them to unrealistic standards of beauty commonly showcased in advertisements and other media platforms.
Rather than appreciating all the amazing things our bodies can do, we tear them apart. In some cases, words aren’t enough. Many resort to extreme dieting, cosmetic surgery and even suicide.
Around 91 percent of women report they are unhappy with their bodies, according to DoSomething.org. And honestly, how could we be when we are inundated at such a young age to look a certain way that can only be achieved through Photoshop.
In recent years, there have been several ads promoting body positivity for women. Although often impressive, none were truly striking enough to convince me things could change — until #AerieREAL.
Olivia Heersink | Argonaut
The lingerie campaign seeks to increase self-acceptance through the use of unretouched images and features a diverse range of models with different racial backgrounds and body types.
I was instantly struck. I had never seen advertisements like these before — I don’t think anybody had.
Last month, the campaign got even more real, showcasing women with disabilities and other medical issues, such as vitiligo and diabetes.
Ad Week reports, “Aerie selected these women because they ‘represent the inclusive beauty that makes up the DNA of the brand, which is committed to empowering all customers to embrace and love their real selves.’”
Seeing these women so comfortable in their own skin inspired hope — not only on a national scale, but a personal one.
After struggling with body issues for years, it was amazing to finally see women who actually looked like me, and I wasn’t the only one to think that.
Following the release of the July ads, several people took to Twitter and praised the brand for their inclusivity.
One user wrote, “Aerie is doing something so special. I have never seen true diversity of age, ethnicity, ability and size from a company in my life — this is representation.” I couldn’t agree more.
Ads, like #AerieREAL, should be the norm, not the exception. It shouldn’t have taken this long for something like this to be done.
The only reason the campaign is so groundbreaking is because it has never been achieved before, which is so disheartening.
Accurate representation matters. Aerie was able to realize it, and now, other brands need to.
Olivia Heersink can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @heersinkolivia