The Black Hair Tax: No Breaks for Black Women Who Want to Avoid Breakage
‘For Centuries, the Image of Femininity has been Thin’: Reclaiming My Fat Body as Feminine
Femininity and its association with petite elegant beauty is a stereotype that harms us all, not just fat women. When was the last time you went into a shop and saw pretty clothes advertised to fat women? Clothes that had a floral pattern, clothes that were pink, yellow, or green. Clothes that were figure-fitting and not just baggy and oversized. People will never view my fat body as feminine because I was never given the chance to present myself as feminine…
How Visiting Nudist Beaches is Helping Me Overcome Negative Body Image
I refrain from covering my lumpy, bumpy bits that hurt every time I think of them; I try to abandon those thoughts. I crave freedom within my body. Sometimes, pushing yourself into a zone of vulnerability is how you reach that sense of liberation. I am surrounded by other people who are letting themselves go. I am safe. I am beautiful, just like them…
‘We Are Not Fur Coats’: A Look at Changing Body Trends
All through my adolescence, female bodies have been going in and out of style. One day it’s cool to have thick thighs; another day it’s embarrassing. One day being ‘thick’ is all the rage, and women obsess over gaining weight. Another day, women and girls kill themselves to be slim…
Navigating Fatness: Generational Trauma and Decolonising My Body as an Indian Woman
Fatness as something of aesthetic value is something about which there are varying opinions in India. Oddly enough, India used to be (relatively) accepting of fat bodies. In movies, you would see women with bulging stomachs dancing with male leads, having their stubby fingers linger on their stomachs for a while longer before they spin and spin, displaying their beauty to you, the viewer…