Hype
While the concept of female beauty standards is nothing new, the advent of social media has further heightened the already unrealistic standards of what the ideal woman should look like. The body positivity movement, which began as a way to empower plus-sized women, seeks to challenge these standards.
In an effort to show that all bodies are beautiful, advocates of the movement all over the globe have worked towards having more inclusivity and representation in the fashion industry. With this goal in mind, several local brands are leading the movement in promoting self-love and body positivity for women of different looks and sizes.
A significant cause
When Patti Manuel Go got seriously into fitness, she noticed that most activewear in the market didn’t suit her needs. “I found that everything was either really expensive, or unflattering, or kind of boring,” she shares. From this casual musing, the activewear brand TheShapeShop came to be.
Similarly, sisters Jaemy and Joanna Meija started their clothing line Terraquota after Joanna, who has a plus-size body, had a hard time finding stylish clothes that fit her well. “It’s very vital that fair fashion should be acceptable to anyone and everyone, and that includes thoughtfully-made plus-size clothing,” they share. “Fashion and comfort should not be confined to small-medium-large.”
Photo courtesy of Terraquota
The owners of these brands also understand how a positive body image can improve one’s overall welfare. For the Meija sisters, accepting and appreciating our bodies are one of the first steps towards improving one’s physical and mental health. On the other hand, Go believes that well-designed clothing can help customers feel both comfortable and confident.
From another perspective, Elora Picson, a writer and photographer who has modeled for body positivity campaigns, understands firsthand these transformative effects of being body positive. Picson believes that acceptance should start as a deeply personal experience involving self-love and self-care.
“It shouldn’t matter to the entirety of the masses, it should matter to you,” she explains. “Once you see yourself in a positive light, you recognize your past struggles with your body and you start to unconsciously grow in empathy for the people around you.”
Fostering inclusivity and representation
In advocating for body positivity, Go believes in the importance of discourse, communication, and education. TheShapeShop team regularly consults with their clients, asking for design input to suit customer needs. Aside from customer communications, they occasionally hold seminars on promoting inclusivity for all body types.
Photo courtesy of The Shape Shop
Likewise, Terraquota advocates for genuineness and confidence with the hope that people develop healthy relationships with their bodies. “We know that our worth and weight are in no way connected to each other,” Joanna Meija says.
As co-founders of a local brand, having an inclusive size range is Jaemy and Joanna’s way of recognizing that Filipinas do go beyond traditional sizing—and that this is nothing to be ashamed of.
On the other hand, Picson advocates for the movement primarily through example. “If other women can see my photo and read my works and understand that it’s for them and no one else, then I’ve helped paved a way,” she says. “When someone asks me how to start being body positive, I always tell them—as cheesy as it sounds—‘Look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself you’re beautiful until you believe it.’”
The future of the movement
However, individuals and corporations still have much to do in furthering the body positivity movement. Go says that the movement is still at its infancy—existent but not widespread. The Meija sisters also believe that there is still room for improvement.
While many more plus-size Filipino women are wearing what they want to wear, Picson believes that the Philippines has a long way to go in terms of eliminating societal forces that impede one’s self-determination.
“Even in the features that I’ve gotten, no matter how positive a light it puts me in, there will always be that one person saying ‘Yeah, but you’re still fat,’” she shares. “It’s not my job to educate them, but it is my job to reflect to the world how I feel about my body so I can inspire other women to feel the same way. As long as I’ve reached a number of women who can internally believe that they are beautiful, then that’s enough for me.”
Advocates such as Go, Picson, and the Meijas prove the possibility of a more inclusive fashion industry. The hope is that more professionals will follow suit by featuring plus-sized models, designing body-inclusive clothing, and promoting body positivity. In doing so, they’ll take steps in creating an industry that treats all bodies equally.
Exposé