Body Image

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I feel pressure at work. It is expected that I dress a certain way, wear makeup, wear my hair up, etc. This is because as a tutor, I am a role model to elementary-age children. While we keep it casual -- the kids call me by my first name, and jeans are absolutely allowed -- I still need to present a professional image. I think that professional women are expected to wear makeup -- not heavy, necessarily, but some -- and to either cut their hair or wear it up. (I have an asymmetrical cut so I can't really put it up as it is too short on one side, but when I had long hair I never wore it loose.) My husband also likes it if I am nicely dressed and wearing at least lipstick and eyeliner, but he understands that I have days where I'm just lazy.

I've also had the experience of showing up "overdressed" for an interview (I didn't get the job) and for work. I always wear something professional to work -- no short skirts or dresses, no very long skirts or dresses, always wear socks or pantyhose, polish my shoes so they aren't scuffed, neat clothes without wrinkles, no tight shirts, no low-cut tops, etc. I also wear heels most of the time. In my day-to-day wear, I wear skinny jeans, fitted tees, belly shirts, tight tops, short skirts and dresses, and tall boots. While I am most comfortable in that, I would never wear it to work as a teacher feels pressure to dress in a certain way. There are causal and dressy versions of it, but very few of them show the amount of skin my out-of-school choices of clothing have!

I used to, when I was a teenager.

I think that was more my insecurity over being picked on, though. And I've always had a lot of curves.

Now, I love my curves! Phew. Glad that's over with.

I've never been the type of person who wants to look airbrushed because I know that's impossible. However I do want to stay thin, I want toned muscles, but I don't want to be skinny. This isn't because of people in magazines (I don't even read magazines) but I just like the way I am now & don't want to get any bigger.

I hate my body and have really low self esteem/eating problems but not really because of magazines..its just how I myself have always felt....partly why I dress the way I do.
I'd love to just have a slim face/be toned but as I'm curvy I feel fat constantly.

I feel very little pressure. I certainly don't want to look like everyone else, or like women in magazines. I suppose most the time I don't want to look ugly, although I don't really know why.

There is no options for no.... I dress how I wish.

I always compare myself to my favourite models. I don't have much self-esteem.

It's usually more about wanting to look like my old self (15-20lbs less). I don't want to be some skinny model, I like my curves, but I just want to fit into a medium shirt again. I finally got back into large, WOO! My pants are fitting a little looser, but on top I lose weight quicker.
I have been eating less since I went off some meds, which is the reason for the weight loss.

I like being thin, because I feel more like myself. I don't think it's unfair to want to look on the outside the way I feel on the inside. It's the same way with short hair and liking converse shoes.

Society does put that pressure on people and sadly makes a lot of people obsessed and unhappy, but luckily I don't really care what society thinks and don't let anyone pressure me into anything.

I don't feel like I have to look like people in the media. I know that the pictures are usually fixed to make them look perfect. It is unrealistic and unhealthy to expect anyone to look like those photoshopped models. People should be allowed to be happy about who they are instead of feeling pressured to copy someone else.

I'm okay with my own appearance. I find myself pretty and I don't care if other people disagree. Their opinion doesn't matter to me.

I know that it would do me good to lose a little weight, but that's just for the sake of my health. I don't care how it would effect my appearance and I don't obsess with it. I have lost weight and been thinner before and it had its good and bad sides. I felt fitter, it was easier to find clothes and many people treated me with more respect (weird how one's weight affects people's attitude), but I didn't like the extra sexual attention I got from men or the jealousy I got from some women, so I know that weight loss does not make everything perfect.

I also feel lighter and my movements feel easier when I'm on the overly thin side.

I'd like to be a bit heavier, though.

All human societies have "norms" regarding fashion and body image. Nothing new about that.

To me, the real issue is .... exactly who gets to set these norms and what's their agenda? In the case of fashion and body image, in Western civilization to a large extent it's the advertising industry, in cahoots with the entertainment industry.

Personally, I find it irritating that a very small group of people in New York or Los Angeles is entrusted with that role, especially since in the case of fashion there's no real rhyme or reason to it, it's just based on their whims and their desire for profit. However, the other side of that coin is that flying in the face of your society's "norms" means there's a greater likelihood of being considered unattractive or weird.

I don't believe anyone really wants to be considered unattractive or weird, or to be ostracized for being different, so it's a balancing act, especially for women. There's nothing wrong with wanting to look good. For that matter, there's nothing wrong with wanting to appeal to men. What's wrong, in my opinion, is attaching too much importance to it at the expense of the development of our character and intellect and talents.

It's absurd beyond words that our worth would be measured by how big our tits are or how unwrinkled our skin is, and yet it's as if that's exactly what the fashion/entertainment complex would have us believe. And that's what we fight every day, and every time we look in the mirror. It's a mindset we have to carry to our daughters, and of course, to men. I guess we'll see how it all turns out.

Hmmm naaah. Well if I see a certain outfit or something I like on a magazine I'd say "ooh I want that" and it would inspire me to try out that look.

I watch Project Runway and I am routinely disgusted by the appearance of most of the models. They are so skinny! Their collar bones stick out, their elbows are the widest part of their arms, and their heads look too big for their bodies. Whenever I see a picture of a pouty model, I always think, "Bet she'd cheer right up if she ate a cookie once in a while!" I just find skinny overall uappealing, and studies show that being a little overweight is actually much healthier than being underweight! I feel no pressure to look like a model, as I think they look unhealthy and unattractive. To me, the perfect body is Angelina Jolie's in Mr. and Mrs. Smith -- she's toned, curvy, and a healthy weight. I grew up stick-skinny longing for curves. Now that I'm a bit older and have added a few pounds, I'm 100 times happier than I was! I figure now that I have some curves, I'm not going to complain. Considering which of my body parts my husband likes the best, he doesn't mind either! I've heard that when asked to pick a silhouette they find sexy, men tend to pick a woman with some meat on her bones, and a much curvier shape then women do when asked to pick which sihouette they think men like. (None of my girlfriends, who tended to be on the thin side, ever complained about my weight, either.)

I know I posted here already but I felt like I wasn't being totally honest so here goes...I really hate my body and still have issues with my eating habits.