You’ve probably heard the term bopo floating around the plus-sized community, or perhaps you’re familiar with the long-form label, which is body positivity. Is bopo all about plus-sized gals only? How do you even become more body positive?
Although body positivity is associated with the plus-size label, true body positivity means being accepting of all and everybody, even smaller and bigger ones. To work on your own body positivity, take it one day at a time and find positive influences online.
Today’s article is going to be an unfiltered view into what the plus-size label has become and what it means to be body positive in the 2020s. If you’re struggling to get into a more bopo mindset yourself, don’t worry, as I’ll share some pointers.
Let’s get started!
Is the Plus-Size Label Inconsistent?
The plus-size movement is at an all-time high right now. Big brands such as Nike have embraced plus-size mannequins. In 2022, plus-size model Yumi Nu appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, which used to exclusively be for rail-thin women.
Yet what exactly does it mean to be plus-sized?
Well, that’s kind of the thing. No one knows. This is something I’ve discussed extensively on the blog in the past, but it’s been a while, so I figure a recap is in order.
According to some sources, you’re plus-size once you’re a size 12. Others say you have to be a size 16 and more still say that it’s a size 18. I’ve even seen some resources out there stating that you’re plus-size if you’re a size 8.
Most people could look at a group of women and determine which one is plus size by looking at her, but as for what size constitutes being plus, that’s still just as much of a mystery as ever.
If a group of magazines can’t agree about what constitutes being a plus-size woman, then you can bet that fashion houses can’t either.
Even among straight sizes, it seems like at every retailer you shop, you’re a different size. We’ve all seen social media posts from frustrated women showing five pairs of jeans. The woman fits in each one, but the sizes are different, sometimes up to five different sizes.
The benefit of straight-sized women is that they can walk into any store and find something that fits them. Plus-size women still don’t have this benefit, which is why plus-size boutiques and online shops have popped up all over.
If someone doesn’t cater to these women, it’s hard to say when mainstream fashion will. Fashion is finally starting to catch up with bigger sizes than a 12, but it’s still going to take a long time.
The inconsistency of plus-size clothing labels, the lack of availability at many stores, and the backlash that plus-size women receive whenever they get a share of the spotlight to continue to perpetuate the inconsistencies that exist for bigger women.
All these factors rein in a plus-size woman’s ability to express herself. Imagine if a straight-sized woman walked into a store and had only five or seven options to choose from. She’d go straight to the manager and raise hell on social media, right?
Yes, and rightfully so! But when it’s a plus-size woman who faces only having a handful of options at a store, she usually doesn’t say anything about it. Bringing it up would also bring attention to her size, and who wants more of that kind of attention?
Plus, there are so many rules about what plus-size women can and can’t wear based on what’s “flattering.”
It goes so far beyond not wearing white after Labor Day, a rule that’s basically all that stops straight-sized women from wearing whatever they want (and few women even abide by the Labor Day rule anyway).
With so many issues like these apparent into the 2020s, there’s still much work to be done to give plus-size women the same kind of basic shopping abilities and respect that straight-size women have.
Body Positivity – What Does It Mean Today?
Now I want to switch gears and spend the rest of this article discussing body positivity, including what it means to us today.
Body positivity, in some form, started all the way back in the 1850s during what’s known as the Victorian Dress Reform Movement. Victorian women of the time were tired of tightlacing and corsets and wanted to be free.
The first modern wave of bopo occurred in the 1960s. Another wave happened in the 1990s, bringing us to the most current wave in the 2010s.
Perhaps due to the power and pervasiveness of the Internet, body positivity, these days has hung on, sticking around for two decades so far.
So what is body positivity today? It means to accept all bodies.
Going a little deeper, to be body positive means that you believe that everyone, regardless of appearance and size, deserves a positive body image. It’s not just about bodies that look like yours or bodies that the media has told us are acceptable.
It’s for everybody.
By the way, body positivity is not solely about a woman’s size. It’s about every aspect of her looks.
The latest wave of body positivity has railed against retouching photos that hide blemishes, wrinkles, facial or body hair, and yes, maybe a fat roll here and there.
Body positivity has had a positive effect. Mattel produced Barbies in 2016 that offered 24 hairstyles, seven different skin tones, and three unique body shapes.
Considering that Barbie herself has long since been the embodiment of what beauty ideals are, this is huge.
It’s good that body positivity has had such an effect so far because the prevalence of social media is more damning on body image than ever.
It’s not just adult women who look at perfect Instagram models and feel worse for themselves. A much more impressionable subset of society has been affected, teens and children.
According to the University of Washington, when girls between nine and 10 years old were surveyed on their body image, 40 percent said they had attempted to lose weight. These girls haven’t even gone through puberty yet and already they don’t like their bodies.
Another stat from the college mentions that over 50 percent of girls over 13 in the US don’t like their bodies. By age 17, as many as 78 percent of teen girls are unhappy with their appearance.
Social media has proven to be the catalyst for a lot of this self-hatred, but it’s not entirely to blame. Television, movies, and magazines that celebrate thinness and make it seem like the only beauty standard have also contributed to this body image epidemic.
Bopo is the panacea, and I sincerely hope the movement continues to grow!
How to Work on Your Body Positivity
Body positivity starts with how you feel about yourself. Once you can accept yourself, you’ll find that it’s so much easier to accept others.
To wrap up, I want to share my top tips for working on your body positivity so you can spread light and acceptance to others!
Start with Body Neutrality
How in the world are you supposed to accept your body when you have half a dozen trouble spots that you could easily point out right this second?
For a lot of women, that’s a daunting proposition.
Rather than try to change your mindset instantly, which will never work anyway, try to approach your body image neutrally.
Body neutrality is a counterpoint of body positivity and also an important part of the attitude and mindset.
There will be days when you don’t like your body even when you work on your body positivity, and body neutrality is a good fallback.
You can think neutral thoughts about yourself that prevent you from backsliding into negative thoughts and self-talk.
It can take some time to train your thoughts to be neutral and not negative. Some mantras that you might repeat to yourself are as follows:
· I am so much more than my body or my appearance. I am a whole person with interests, hobbies, skills, and abilities. How I look is just one small part of me.
· I don’t exist to be attractive to other people.
· Being attractive is not the end-all, be-all of this life. Living a happy, fulfilling life that works for me is the most important thing, not how I look.
· It’s okay to not like what I see when I look in the mirror sometimes. Maybe I’m tired, I’m sick, or I’m bloating because of my period. I give myself permission to exist in those tough times without necessarily having to be attractive.
· How I look does not determine how worthwhile I am or how much love I deserve. People love me for the entirety of me, not just my looks.
These mantras will put you in the right headspace for body neutrality. Repeat them as often as necessary!
Remember That Sizing Is Inconsistent AF
Look, we’ve all been there. You find some clothes you’re really excited about (which can be quite the feat as a plus-size woman), and you want to try them on before you buy them.
You get into the dressing room and that cute new dress or nice pair of jeans doesn’t fit. Cue the instant dejection.
Remember, even among straight-size women, clothing sizes are so inconsistent that you can’t expect that a size 12 from one store will fit you the same way that a size 12 does in another store.
To prevent the heartbreak, I’d recommend picking up the same garment in a size 10 and a size 14 and trying them all on.
If none of them fit, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with your body. It means that the store sells clothes that run a little small.
Remember, at the end of the day, clothes are meant to fit your body. You’re not meant to fit into clothes.
Oh, and if you’re feeling terrible about your body image because you caught a glimpse of yourself in the dressing room in between trying on outfits, don’t sweat that either.
It’s long since been known that dressing room lighting is notoriously bad. It brings out every flaw, and that’s true of any woman of any size. It’s not just you!
Embrace What You Like
Body positivity does have the word positivity in there, so what about your physical appearance do you already like?
Maybe you think you have a killer smile or really nice legs. Perhaps you like the length of your fingers or the size of your bust.
Whatever it is that you can embrace about yourself, no matter how small, go on and embrace it wholeheartedly.
The goal from there is to build upon that one thing you like and begin finding more and more about yourself that you also like.
Sometimes, it takes practicing body neutrality for a while before you can begin liking your body more, but you will get there.
Find Positive Influences
Instagram became the bopo hub, and so it might be where you find refuge as well. Perhaps you tracked down some great body positive Twitter accounts or you even join a Discord or Facebook group.
Seeing other bodies like yours reminds you that you’re not the only one who looks like this, even though being in a bigger body can sometimes be quite an isolating experience.
Plus, as I’ve talked about on the blog before, seeing other bodies like yours do incredible things like wear that cute dress, go to the beach in a bikini, or just enjoy life without so much focus on body image could inspire you to do the same!
Conclusion
Plus size women still face many challenges, such as lack of clothing variety, inconsistent clothing sizes, and a public perception that doesn’t want to catch up and join the rest of us in the 21st century.
Fortunately, the body positivity movement is bridging many of the above gaps and, more importantly, allowing women to safely and confidently occupy a body of any size!
