Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Growing up full figured: The Evolution of the big girl





This subject has been on my mind for quite some time. I've had trouble with this all my life. I never knew how effected I was until I started to recognize the patterns in the relationships I had or the choices I made (especially in men!). Honestly, it started with the movie Phat Girls that recently came on tv.  Not that I've never seen the movie before; it's more like I watched it with new eyes. What I saw before was a big girl trying to find love, what I see now is a big girl who once was a little girl with image issues trying to find love in another person instead of finding it within herself. In doing so she uses fat burners, diet pills and drinks; only to be disappointed that no change as occurred. How cliche right? But with all honesty its the truth, how many of us has the same story to tell? I know I do. As a full figured woman, I never thought about why I fight so hard to be heard, taken seriously, or even considered a factor. I now have an idea of why; (this is my opinion) I think its because as a full figured woman we are often pushed in to certain roles in life that don't necessarily fit who we are as people, and because of this we often become mean or bitter, some become desperate, needy, or clingy. These are roles we are stuck  in because those are the roles we see portrayed on tv or in real life; desperate women trying to fit in to a mold that isn't made for wide hips and thick thighs. Growing up I felt the same pressure to fit in, and in some ways I still feel the pressure; but it is a lot less, and I'm more excepting of who I am, and what I will possibly never be. Some ideas we may have of our selves isn't realistic to what our bodies can actually be. This is hard to face, but realism is a must! And I'm not in the habit of lying to anyone especially myself.  

Who do you remember in your growing up that gave a positive image of that a plus size man or woman should be?

Fashion is one way we've stepped out of the box with the stigma created around a sexier woman. In fashion I've found that I was sexy, expressive, desired, and flirtatious (well I'm naturally flirtatious anyway!); but the personality and confidence really comes out when your comfortable with who and what you are. How do you feel when your all done up and sexy?

Recently, being a bigger woman doesn't get the bad press it use to. Now we are the lead actresses, the love interests, as well as the best friends and mothers. We have really made strides in recent years and became the new "it" girls of society, IT TOOK LONG ENOUGH! How have you evolved? Can you approach someone and start a conversation or give a flirtatious eye to a gorgeous man/woman across the room? These are some things that come with growing up & evolving into a you that you want to be without the pressure of society constantly making comments on what you can't be.

Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out www.Facebook.com/fashionplusblog

 HOW HAVE YOU EVOLVED?

*Images from Google Search
-chgisj.wordpress.com
-amplifyyourvoice.org
-fullfiguredpotential.tumblr.com