Another Retailer Has Joined In To Embrace Body Positivity, And It’s A Win For Us All
When you think of the beauty industry, 5'10" tall supermodels, heavily photoshopped images, and unrealistic store mannequins probably come to mind.
But these traditional industry staples are beginning to fade into the background and rising to the forefront are new retailer campaigns that embrace body positivity. They challenge the stigma of what "real" women look like and emphasize the belief that all bodies are beautiful and that we are perfectly imperfect.
Industry Norms
Victoria's Secret is one of the largest fashion brands in the world. Famous for their "Angels," these supermodels are tall, thin, gorgeous, and strut up and down the catwalk like they own the world—and in a way, they do. For years, fashion magazines and TV commercials only featured women who fit this very narrow scope of female representation.
For years, it was engrained that in order to be beautiful, we had to have perfectly dyed and styled hair, a faceful of makeup, all while fitting into a size two.
A Negative Body Image
It starts as teenagers or even in childhood, but popular media, advertisers, and now the addition of social media constantly bombards us with what is considered beautiful and what's not.
With that in mind, it's not at all surprising that many women, men, and adolescents have struggled with body image. According to CNN, "Up to 61% of adolescents have reported experiencing body dissatisfaction to some extent." A negative body image can lead to poor self-confidence, mental health issues, or eating disorders.
Body Positivity
But, over the past decade, societal norms are beginning to change. Whether it was plus-sized model Ashley Graham or model Winnie Harlow, who has a skin condition called vitiligo, women who didn't look like your standard Victoria's Secret Angel began walking down fashion show runways and poseing for the front cover of magazines.
This sparked a wave of body positivity in the fashion and beauty industries, and retailers are taking notice.
Old Navy
Clothing retailer Old Navy recently announced the launch of their BODEQUALITY campaign, and it's bound to make waves throughout the industry.
Impacting all 1,200 stores, Old Navy is now "offering every one of its women's styles, in every size, with no price difference," according to the press release. They're also ditching "plus-sized" sections, and introducing mannequins that represent a variety of body sizes.
Old Navy, Continued
The change is currently being applauded by users on social media.
While Old Navy is the first retailer to make this level of change to its operations, they're not the first to embrace body positivity. It's a trend that over the last several years has been catching fire for all the right reasons.
The Dove Self-Esteem Project
It's not just fashion companies implementing change, but also other beauty retailers. In 2004, Dove implemented the Dove Self-Esteem Project which features resources for parents, teachers, and youth leaders aimed at supporting youth and their self-esteem.
"We have a vision of a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety. Our mission is to ensure the next generation grows up enjoying a positive relationship with the way they look—helping young people to raise their self-esteem and realize their full potential."
Dove Self-Esteem Project, Continued
According to Dove, "Eight out of 10 girls are so concerned with the way they look that they opt out of important activities."
So as part of this campaign, Dove made three pledges. First, they pledged to portray women as they are in real life, to portray women with "diversity, honesty, and respect," and to help girls build their body confidence and self-esteem.
The #AerieREAL Campaign
In 2014, clothing retailer Aerie (owned by American Eagle Outfitters) launched the #AerieREAL campaign. The brand announced that it was ditching the use of supermodels, would feature models of all sizes, and most notably, was no longer retouching images.
"The brand took a stance and declared that the supermodel standard of beauty was no longer the standard—REAL was," according to Aerie's website.
#AerieREAL Campaign, Continued
According to Jennifer Foyle, Chief Creative Officer of AEO Inc. and Aerie Global Brand, their decision to focus on body positivity was simple.
"The purpose of '#AerieREAL' was to let our customers know that there is no reason to retouch beauty, while giving young women of all shapes and sizes the chance to discover amazing styles that work best for them," said Foyle. “We wanted to help empower women to be confident in themselves and in their bodies.”
Share Your Thoughts
From race and gender equality to mental health and body positivity, many companies are now using their enormous platforms to instigate large-scale and positive social change. Small changes such as refusing to photoshop images and featuring models of different ethnicities and sizes can make ordinary people feel better represented.
When it comes to the body positivity movement, what more do you want to see large corporations do?
