I preach confidence, acceptance, and self love to my readers when they confide in me with their body image struggles. But I realize that someone telling you to love yourself, doesn’t make it any easier.
Ever since I had a picture of myself in a bikini go viral on Facebook—which resulted in so many women and men reaching out to me to share their own body concerns—I have been thinking about how I respond to my readers, and how I help them through these difficult times. I portray a very confident persona on social media and on this blog, and although that is very true to who I am, I should be more transparent.
The truth is, I have the same hardships as most of my readers, and I believe that almost all women do, too. No matter how strong, confident, and “perfect” someone may seem, they have insecurities, too. We’re all human. And with that being said, none of us are prone to having doubts or feeling like we could be better or look better.
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I am lucky. My journey to self love and acceptance wasn’t too difficult. As I grew up, I gradually started to accept that I was different from what was considered beauty / body goals, and that was fine, as long as I still valued and loved myself. Although I have always been confident, there are still instances where that strength is shaken. As women, we are inundated with images in the media of the way we “should” look. And while I have seen more acceptance and diversity in the media in regards to the inclusion of different ethnicity and body types, there is still an overbearing message and image that says, “You still aren’t perfect.”
It’s also difficult to be a plus size woman who loves fashion only to be shown by the industry and designers that you don’t deserve trendy, well fitted, and modern-looking clothing because of your size. Feeling sexy and confident feels like a tiresome task while swimming through layers and layers of oversized clothing that designers think plus size women want to wear. Which is why when a gorgeous piece of clothing comes along, like this dress from Dresslily, I can’t help but appreciate the designers who flip the middle finger to the notion that plus size women don’t want to show off their body. This dress, with lace detail and a plunging neckline, makes me feel unstoppable and perfect in my own way. If you need a pick me up, or a burst of confidence, wear clothes that push you out of your comfort zone and give you a new appreciation for what your body can pull off. For me, it was this dress. Hold your head high!
xo – Natalie
I’m wearing a 2x. Order one or two sizes larger that what you normally wear, this dress runs small.
Photography by: Katherine Davis
