Healthy or Skinny?

Hi Everyone!

I hope you had an awesome weekend! I definitely had a relaxing one. :)

Today's post is about society's view on models...are they healthy or skinny? I bring this up because I was on my way to work at Ribbons and Bows this afternoon, casually looking at my Instagram (at the stoplight, of course), when a photo from Victoria's Secret popped up. It was their regular model with her bangin' bod jumping on the beach! So precious and adorable, right? But then I immediately thought "Wow. Is that the most positive body image to send to women?"

I know of so many girls that would die to look like that, and no matter how hard they try, most probably won't. Not from lack of trying, but because of the way their body is built. I mean, I know I'll never look like her. It doesn't matter how much weight I lose or how thin I am--God blessed me with some wide set hips and junk in the trunk even J. Lo would be jealous of. Both of those things will always give me curves no matter what weight I'm at, and, over time, I've learned to embrace it! Especially after working at Ribbons and Bows--I've learned almost every girl has a "thing" she hates about her body. If they have a small cup-they want implants. The larger cups want breast reductions. Thin girls want curves--curvy girls want to be thin. Everyone wants what someone else has...which makes me wonder: why can't we LOVE what God intended us to have, rather than what we think looks good?

That's why I had such a problem with the picture I saw on my Instagram. What girl doesn't wish for that body? I even used to want to look like those models! I've always wanted to be so happy to be in a bikini that I was jumping for joy too! But it's just not realistic. By the way, I know there are naturally thin girls, so PLEASE don't think this is a slam toward you at all. Some great friends of mine are naturally thin with a high metabolism and eat like crazy (yep, I sometimes hate them a little too!). I'm just simply stating that average girls don't need to have that desire to look so different and to wish away their blessings. I think we should all desire to be healthy...not skinny. I mean even after the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, I saw too many girls on Facebook stating that they wanted "that body," and that they needed to run 20 miles and eat lettuce for months. It seriously made me sad for them. We're all beautiful women in our 20s and I feel like we should embrace who we are and what we have a little more than we do.

So, because of all of the pressure to be thin in the world (especially in the swimsuit/intimates area), I'm making a vow right here, right now that Exes and Ohs Intimates will always, always have wonderfully healthy, curvy girls to represent their brand. I know one of the models I have right now definitely eats cupcakes and ice cream (in moderation, of course), which is what I want. I want girls to look at my lingerie on models and go "That's gorgeous!" rather than "That's pretty, but I'll never look like that." I pray that Exes and Ohs will give women a positive sense of self and help them to feel beautiful-no matter what size they are.

So, let's all just be a little more positive and a little easier on ourselves and each other today...even if it is a Monday!

Exes and Ohs,
Kinsey