Recently, my best friend and I made a toast: to girls who look better with their clothes on. Because that's who we both are- we look great in a shirt and pants but not so great naked or in a bikini.
I personally believe that it's more difficult to look and feel good about yourself being a 'clothed-girl' than a defined heavy or skinny girl. Clothed girls are right in the middle, and as every middle child knows, the older and younger siblings get more attention. It's not that you don't matter- it's that you're the one that gets lost in the shuffle. And that's exactly what's happened to these middle girls like me and my friend. We feel uncomfortable in our own skin.
Recently, there have been a surge of awareness for body beauty, with gorgeous girls of all weights and body types saying how much they love themselves, and to that I say, well done. But look more closely at those girls- they fit into two categories: heavy and skinny.
There are no clothes for middle-sized girls, and especially no bathing suits. There are no models for anyone that wears a size seven, a size M, or a C/D cup. And there is the feeling that you are always, always too big. Because there's no proper label for someone that's in limbo between big and small. You look at skinny people and think that you're too fat, or look at heavy people and worry about gaining weight. It's a constant feeling of worry and concern- is she bigger than me, should I eat this, do I still fit into my jeans?
I want to see this size reflected in mainstream culture, to see girls in ads that look like me, with a little bit of a belly and some junk in the trunk. I like the way I look: I am proud of the curves I have and the way I can pull off clothes that my stick-thin cousin can't. But I want to see the fashion world, the model industry, and the average, size seven girl walking around feeling too big and at the same time too small, respect and love us for who we are- the middle sized girls.