With it being Women’s History Month, and now International Women’s Day I’ve been thinking a lot about strength. As I’ve made this journey towards body positivity I am learning that there is strength in vulnerability. My fear of vulnerability is intense, but within the last 6 months, I’ve started following body posi babes on Instagram who practice vulnerability and are entirely badass in doing so.
I’ve spent my entire life feeling invisible. The media likes to pretend that people like me don’t exist and when you’re awkward and trying to be confident, it sucks. Luckily the internet is a thing and I’ve been making a point to follow confident women who look like me. All I can say is wow, has it done wonders for my confidence. I highly suggest you do the same, but to celebrate today, I want to share the 5 baddies on Instagram who’ve helped me find the strength in vulnerability.
@gracefvictory
Can you even talk about body positivity without saying her name?? I first found Grace on YouTube years ago and have been in love ever since. She dubs herself the internet’s bigger sister and that couldn’t be more accurate. Her advice is always honest and genuine, she’s hilarious and her fashion sense is inspiring. My favourite thing about her might be her Instagram stories though. She’s always so honest about who she is and how she feels and it normalizes so many of the anxieties I have. What I’ve learned from Grace the most is that there is no shame in recovery and that we should embrace healing just as much as we do our careers and personal lives. The vulnerability she displays for the world genuinely made me rethink the relationship I have with my own body and everyone should get to experience her light.
@emmatamsinhill
I don’t know what it is about these British ladies, but we need more of that energy over here. Somehow Emma’s online presence alone makes you feel like you’re old friends because she’s just that real and lively. Her focus on body positivity and self-love is almost like a slap in the face because her honesty is so refreshing. If you follow Emma, then you know three things: 1. Emma is shameless, 2. She always lookin like a snack, and 3. She is hilarious. Besides her playfulness, my favourite thing about Emma is that she knows how hot she is. Society treats plus size women like they should feel lucky for any attention sent their way and it’s exhausting. Thankfully Emma knows her worth and is so open about it, her existence alone dismantles countless stereotypes and inspires thousands.
@tabriamajors
Plus size model Tabria Majors first came to my attention for her viral video shutting down body shaming. To me, she is a hero. Her work for Sports Illustrated literally shuts down any doubts I have about myself and she keeps me inspired to work for what I want. My selling point for her is her Instagram stories. Every day she goes through a workout for her followers to participate in. That probably doesn’t sound like a big deal to most, but there is a size 16 woman, doing burpees and shit wearing whatever she wants and not caring!!! Tabria Majors is the perfect example that plus sized people can actually work out, care about their health and still enjoy the size of their bodies.
@jazzmynejay
Like everyone else, I found Jazzmyne through Buzzfeed, and thank god I did. Being able to witness someone being so unapologetically themselves has helped in restructuring my mindset. I’ve come to terms with the misogyny that I’ve internalized throughout my life and how that has translated to what a woman’s body should look like. I constantly think of clothing in terms of what is flattering or not and it’s honestly just crap. When I look at Jazzmyne, she uses every single outfit as a statement. Every piece of clothing is a reclamation of her body and I wish to be that confident one day.
@meghantonjes
Miss booty revolution herself, Meghan Tonjes is like O.G. body positivity. Loud-mouthed, opinionated, Tonjes is probably known best for her quick wit. However, it is her softness that made me fall in love. The booty revolution was born out of the body positivity movement, making fat bodies feel visible and appreciated. What’s special about Tonjes’ Instagram is that it’s a celebration of her body without sexualizing it. It’s very difficult to embrace your body publicly without having it tarnished by the male gaze. Ironically all of Tonjes’ body posi photos are voyeuristic, and yet there’s still no space for a male influence in any of them. Meghan’s Instagram is a reminder to celebrate our bodies, to appreciate the space we take up and it is beautiful.
