Awhile ago, while I was perusing some internet hate-fuel, I saw a tweet linking to an (over one year old) article claiming that “Boobs are back in a big way.” (I would link you to it, but I think giving it more clicks would just add to the problem.)
This comes after a consensus in the previous few years (led culturally by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and songs like Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda”) that big butts were the new fad, and conversely boobs were out. (I tried to Google some evidence of this, but the phrase “boobs are out” wielded some less-than-helpful search results.)
Songs like “Anaconda” and Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” were meant to celebrate parts of the artists’ bodies that had previously underwent criticism, which is totally awesome. It empowered women with brazenly bulbous backsides to own what they had and acknowledge the beauty of their curves. Unfortunately, it also enabled some cultural mouthpieces to declare that because one body part is now “trendy” to flaunt, another is less so.
Self-love and body positive are important, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of diminishing the bodies of other people.
I decided to make a positive contribution in the world of body image to counteract the negative one I just saw. I asked a bunch of really cool, really real people about what their favorite parts of their own bodies are. I just wanted to see what makes people perennially proud, outside of what’s “in” or not. Here are some of the results I found.
We love our legs!
“My favorite part of my body is my hips/legs! I’ve always been told I have good muscle definition and long legs. And my hips are wide. I just like the shape, and I feel confident when I’m dancing.and my legs make me feel athletic (even if I’m not)”- Nora R.
“My favorite part are my legs because they’re strong and let me bike!! They also look good in dresses”- Lindsey M
“I think my legs. I used to hate them growing up bc they were chicken-y but I’ve put a lot of muscle on them and they’re stronger now” -Mikaela H
“I love my curvy hips and long legs!” -Grace H
“My legs. For all the shit I’ve put them through- 2 intense knee surgeries- they hold me up and keep me going. They’re strong, and beautiful not in spite of my scars but in part because of them. They tell my story more than any other part of my body, and it’s a pretty damn good one” -Ashleigh P
We love our eyes!
“My favorite part of my body are my eyes. I’ve always loved that they have a dark brown color that has become lighter with my hair!” -Natalie D.
“My eyes because they help me see the beauty in others and the world around me.”- Kate B
We love our eyebrows!
“Weirdly, I love my eyebrows. They’re the only thing, when I look in the mirror, that seem masculine on me” – Bentley S
“My eyebrows!! Because I used to be self-conscious about being hairy but now they’re fashionable!!” -Maya D
“My eyebrows. I dunno why.” -Michelle D.
We love our hair!
“I like the dark color of my hair and eyebrows.” -Lynnea L
“I like my hair even though sometimes it has a mind of its own. I love the color it lightens to in the summer and I love a good curl.” – Sidney G
“I love my hair because it’s different and I have yet to meet someone with the same hair type as me.” -Grace G
We love our mouths!
“My mouth because it smiles and talks and those things are what I do best and make me happiest.”- Aislinn B
“My favorite part of my body is my lips. I love how my top lip is shaped so beautifully like a little heart. They are too thin and they aren’t Kylie Jenner thicc, but like Goldilocks, they are just right for me. They can rock any color and frame my smile wonderfully!” -Mandy M
“My favorite body part is my smile. I had braces for a very long time so I appreciate it more. I feel like I smile a lot and I think you can tell a lot about someone through their smile.” -Sarah Jane B.
We love our T and A!
“My favorite part of my body definitely has to be my popping booty! I even got a small butt tattoo just for myself!” -Erin H
“Super weird but mine is my nipples…I also don’t wear bras because free the nip and comfort and whatnot so I feel more confident about myself and my breasts now.”- Melanie E.
“BOOTY!! She’s cute and tattooed and I love her.” -Makayla M
We love what makes us different!
“My collarbone, my proportional toes, and my brain.” -Colleen W
“My favorite part of my body has to be my freckles. They are the reason I don’t wear makeup (so they can always shine through) and they are the reason I don’t have to wear makeup (they naturally mask acne and scars very well). They are a statement piece that is always with me, and they make my face especially unique. Someone may have my nose or my eyes, but they’ll never have that one freckle under my eye that looks like a smudge o’ chocolate.” -Madeline M
“My favorite part of my body is its insane ability to be flexible. The human body is capable of so many fantastical things and it’s exciting to be able to discover new ways to contort my body.” -Taylor S.
“This is kind of weird, but I love my shoulders. They’re not thin or small, but wide and strong. I put my favorite tattoo on my shoulder.”- Katie V
“My height. I used to be very self conscious of it but now i embrace it and try to see the positives. I can reach tall things and it is something that sets me apart from other people!” -Daniela A.
“I would say my hands because they can carry a whole language on them when I sign ASL.” -Liza T
“The favorite part of my own body is my neck. I like the slim, slender shape it has, as well as the three wrinkles that meander through the middle, facing any viewer straight-on unapologetically… My neck is everything and it inspires positivity within me in unfathomable ways.” -Aliza S.
“I like my shoulders because they hold some much weight all of the time (physical and mentally) and strength to me is gorgeous.” -Sierra W
As for me…
I love my round face shape. I used to hate it, and I’ve often compared my face to a Cabbage Patch Kid, a chipmunk, and the actual moon. My eyes are big and my cheeks are chubby and there’s only certain haircuts I look good with. It’s been passed down in my family and makes me resemble my mom. And my grandpa. And probably a bunch of other really cool, loud, happy, kind, giving, fun, boisterous relatives I’ve never met. It makes me look happy and youthful and approachable, which I’d like to think I am.
And everything you love about yourself is beautiful. All the time.