It's time to dress how WE want

For years, women have constantly been defined by their bodies, physique and how they can best fit society’s mould of how a woman should look. There have been multiple trends, ranging from heroine chic, to how to best get that hourglass figure to now female empowerment with icons like American rugby star Ilona Maher. 

Fundamentally, a woman’s body type and shape is not of social matters but actually an independent part of our autonomy. We should embrace our figures and be proud of our bodies and what they can achieve. Whether that is being tall and reaching the top shelf or being short and being able to touch your toes. Our bodies are personal to us and that is not for society to change and influence. 

Women like Ilona Maher are such an inspiration, using her platform to promote female inclusivity and encouraging women to accept their bodies. We are constantly told that being thin, tall and super model-esque is the best figure to have but in 2024, the best figure to have is what we’re born with. 

I remember distinctly in lockdown the craze of Chloe Ting (no slander to her), where her ‘small waist and round butt’ or ‘do this everyday to lose weight’ were so popular. These are all expectations of women, being small, petite with plentiful assets. We need to negate these stereotypes, we are who we are and that is to be embraced by yourself, by society and everyone around you. You’re worth it, in every sense of the word and nothing will ever change that, especially not misogynistic ideals. 

The same is to be said for fashion and clothing. Jeans are constantly described as ‘bum sculpt’ or ‘shaping’ designed to accentuate certain desirable aspects of women. I don’t see men’s jeans using this type of vocabulary!

Equally, there is an extreme lack of plus size inclusivity and promotion with many women being unable to shop in stores. We should be able to dress how we want to dress, with all sizes, shapes and figures being able to do so easily. 

Edited by Rosie Wood