I like baggy jumpers. But they may have to go.

Just now, as I was scrolling through Facebook for the umpteenth time today, I spotted this.

It was posted by Unpacking the 'F' Word, and comes from Curves Ahead (click here for their page).

Today I went to a Colour me Beautiful colour & style consultation. for years I've felt trapped in jeans and t-shirts. I look young, and I dress young because it's easy, comfortable, and I'm bored of it.

I like baggy jumpers. I like the kind of jumper you can snuggle up in. The kind you can put on and you become the jumper; your world is that jumper.

But baggy jumpers, according to my style consultation, are not good for me. Not good for my body type.
For my figure, I should be wearing fitted tops and jackets, to define and highlight my waist. Wear things that make my short legs look longer.

Baggy jumpers are the antithesis of fitted jackets. And aside from the aforementioned comfort, baggy jumper serve another, more sinister purpose.
They cover me up.
They hide my body.
They theoretically stop me from being harassed on the street.

When I make a conscious effort to highlight my figure, meaning my boobs and my waist, I get more looks and, ultimately, more comments.
This is not a scientific study by all means. It's just my own experience.
Comments in themselves are not necessarily harmful. It is the context in which they are made - a person assuming that their opinion of your appearance is of any consequence to you; by them saying you are looking "sexy" or that they'd "do you" as if you were an object to be, well, objectified.
And the reaction of the comment maker if they do not get a positive or any response - "f*ck you bitch"; "miserable c*nt".

And the idea amongst the comments and the consultation I went on that looks are important. Very important. In fact, the most important.

(Actually, that's not what the consultation was about. It was about finding what suits me and what works for me and I can choose to use that how I like. Looks are whatever you make them, and everyone is beautiful. It is only your perception of beauty that makes other people in the world ugly.)


So being told that I should wear fitted jackets and show off my waist, show off my figure, now that's easy to hear, easy to accept, but hard to put into practice.

Perhaps I shouldn't expect such behaviour from men. Not all men are street harassers DUH.
But why do I automatically anticipate it? Why does the idea of wearing clothes that actually FIT me terrify me a little bit? Because of the countless times it has happened to me? The countless times it has happened to others?

The above picture is right. Your body is not a problem. The problem lies in our attitudes towards our, and also in other people's need to have an opinion on it. You need to love your body. I need to love my body. And other people need to stop making comments that aren't goddamn welcome because I have never met you before in my life mate and the fact that you've spotted my tits does not mean you are genius. The words that just came out of your mouth, "Look at the tits on 'er", proves otherwise. Freedom of speech doesn't mean you're allowed to make women scared to wear a sodding skirt/top/dress/bin bag/hessian sack/birthday suit.