In Love with the Shape of You – Down with the “Perfect” Body

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Written by Perry Wyatt |

 

In our world, it is easy to think critically about our bodies. When we have individuals like the Kardashians continuously in social media and what seems like an endless circle of burpees, fad diets, playlists to get rid of your bingo-wings and waist trainers – it is hard not to be cruel to our bodies. However, someone on my Instagram feed recently caught my eye and reminded me of how trivial public perception is.

Fitness blogger of Blogilates and creator of Popflex activewear, Cassey Ho, recently posted on Instagram a series of pictures in which she edited herself as the “Ideal” female body shape from different periods in history.

Over time the “ideal” body has changed enormously and Ho changed her own body to prove how fickle we are as humans and trivial the “perfect” body is. Courtesy of Ho, we go through a journey of public perception from the 1400s to the modern day.

Ho – “1400-1700 The Italian Renaissance – Looking full with a rounded stomach, large hips, and an ample bosom is in. Being well fed is a sign of wealth and status. Only the poor are thin.”

 

It is incredible to see just how much the idea of the “perfect” body has changed. In the background of each of her body-edited pictures is a picture from that particular time or of an icon from that time.

 

Ho – “1920s – Appearing boyish, androgynous and youthful, with minimal breasts, and a straight figure is in! Unlike the “Gibson Girl” of the Victorian Era, women are choosing to hide their curves, and are doing so by binding their chests with strips of cloth to create that straight figure suitable for flapper dresses.”

 

Ho – “1950s – The hourglass shape is in. Elizabeth’s Taylor’s measurements 36-21-36 are the ideal. Marilyn Monroe’s soft voluminousness is lusted after. Women are advertised weight-gaining pills to fill themselves out. Playboy and Barbies are created in this decade.”
Ho -“Early 90s – THIN IS IN. Having angular bone structure, looking emaciated, and super skinny is what’s dominating the runways and the magazine covers. There’s even a name for it: “heroin chic”.

 

We can see just how problematic and potentially dangerous some of these body fads can be. The problem remains that they are just trends; people’s opinions change like the wind so trying to match obscene body trends might be doing damage to us. This “extreme” skinny strikes a chord with me that’s eerily familiar in our own time.

The “triple zero” size exists today and has been dubbed as a “disturbing” with triple zero measurements being just 23 inches around the waist. I remember hearing that it could’ve been the start of a toxic trend of dangerously thin individuals alongside the “thing-gap” phenomena.

 

Ho – “Mid 90s-2000s- Big boobs, flat stomachs and thigh gaps are in. In 2010 breast augmentation is the highest performed cosmetic surgery in the United States. It’s the age of the Victoria’s Secret Angel, she’s tall she’s thin, and she’s always got long legs and a full chest.”

 

Ho – “Mid 2010s-2018 – Big butts, wide hips, tiny waists, and full lips are in! There is a huge surge in plastic surgery for butt implants thanks to Instagram models posting “belfies”. ? Even cosmetic surgery doctors have become IG-famous for reshaping women. Between 2012-2014, butt implants and injections rise by 58%.”

 

It is easy to compare ourselves to others and judge ourselves by the harsh ideas of others but damn, that’s a sad way to live. We need to accept ourselves and love our bodies – after all, we only get one.

Ho posted another photograph of herself the next day with the caption, “The perfect body = the real me.”

I believe Cassey put it best as she said at the bottom of her original post.

 “Why do we treat our bodies like we treat fashion? “Boobs are out! Butts are in!” Well, the reality is, manufacturing our bodies is a lot more dangerous than manufacturing clothes. Stop throwing your body out like it’s fast fashion.

Please treat your body with love & respect and do not succumb to the beauty standard. Embrace your body because it is YOUR own perfect body.”

 

I have followed Cassey’s YouTube channel Blogilates for years and she really is an inspirational soul. She is an advocate for body positivity and loving yourself which I honestly believe we all need more of.

Love yourself more, there is only one of you and you’re perfect the way you are.

 

 

 

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