E012 Flattering, Femininity & Fitting-in

Welcome to episode 12, today we are chatting about 3 connected f-words that have negatively impacted my body image, confidence, and love of fashion. Flattering. Femininity. Fitting-in. In particular, we will be focusing on the impact these words have had on folks growing up in larger bodies, and the ways in which I’ve found my way back to myself BEFORE the world told me I was too much.Content warning: at 23:15, loss of a parent, and my personal experience of grief as a teenager. Whilst I will not be discussing what happened, it’s an important part of my story. Please take care of your mental health, and either skip forward 60 seconds or miss this episode.Takeaways* We cannot heal our relationship with clothes sizes if brands are just NOT making the sizes.* There are many small businesses and brands doing the work, making the effort – which proves that it’s not about cost, big clothing brands do not care about fat people.* The Cambridge Dictionary defines ‘flattering’ as: “making someone look or seem better or more attractive than usual”* The relationship we have with our body size, and our intention when dressing our bodies is often a result of how society has told us we SHOULD look or behave.* Get curious about colours, silhouettes and the clothes we wear, especially if you feel your clothes don’t reflect who you are or how you feel.* Challenge the stereotypes that impact the way you show up in the world, especially if they hold you back from self expression.“We are not meant to fit the clothing, the clothing is meant to fit our body.”Chapters00:00 Introduction to the F Words: Flattering, Femininity, and Fitting In03:54 How flattering, femininity and fitting-in relate to diet culture04:55 Content Warning & Content Disclaimer08:01 Clothes Sizing & Why It Fails Plus Size Bodies11:08 Clothes Size & Anti Fat Stereotypes15:56 A reminder for poor body image days17:51 Redefining 'flattering' and why it's not a compliment23:15 Content Warning: Death of a parent, and processing grief23:33 Loss and Its Influence on Self-Expression28:29 Embracing Individuality 32:16 Navigating Fashion Choices in a Limited MarketNext WeekBonus Episode (paid subscribers only)In Practice: Hunger, Restriction & Our Feelings This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cultureofitallpod.substack.com/subscribe