Designer creates world’s first line of lingerie for women with colostomy bags
A friend linked this to me. This seems frivolous, but it’s actually a pretty big deal for women who have digestive diseases (like colitis) that are sometimes treated with colostomies (where they remove the diseased part of the colon and link the healthy end to an external bag). The designer said he had friends who were nervous about being naked with a new partner because of their situation. So this guy made stoma plugs that look like cute accessories, not medical devices. That fabric flower in the photo above is actually serving a health purpose in addition to being adorable. The designer also found a way to redesign the colostomy bag so that it doesn’t bulge under clothing and has a vent for gas - again, big deals for people who live with them every day.
I usually hate linking to the Daily Mail, but this is actually really awesome. Would be great if the designer could follow this with some more masculine and androgynous styles for people who aren’t femme presenting.
Feminism and Weight Anxiety
[Trigger Warning for fatphobia, body policing, depression, anxiety and maybe eating disorders]
New video from Holly-Rae discussing body positivity, feminism and personal insecurity.
This Dame:
Tumblr: http://toughtea.tumblr.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/missraaae
Blog: http://toughtea.wordpress.com
A bad day for body positivity…
I’m so sad about this.
Christina Hendricks Offended by “Full-Figure” Comment
You can read the above article for more details and to watch the clip, but the gist of the incident is that an interviewer asked Christina Hendricks about her “full-figured” body and how she has served as an inspiration to other women. Hendricks cut that portion of the interview, they started again, and the interviewer asked the same exact question. Hendricks once again protested, responding with “I think calling me full-figured is just rude.”
Now, please don’t get me wrong, I completely agree with the sentiment that society’s preoccupation with her body is absurd and appalling, and I cannot even begin to imagine how it feels to be in her shoes. She has every right to not want to be asked that question.
However, as a feminist and as a larger woman, I can’t even articulate how hurt I am by Hendricks’ comment. The reporter has minimal tact and seems kind of oblivious, yes. But to be offended by the word “full-figured,” to me, says “excuse me, how dare you associate me with one of those people. I am not fat, how dare you call me that to my face.”
With that simple expression, Hendricks is making it known that she sees being full-figured, fat, curvy, whatever you call it, as bad and wrong and shameful. She has automatically assigned a pejorative context to the word. She does not want to be associated with that group. It is as if the reporter had said “as a woman, you have inspired a lot of people” and Hendricks replied with “I think calling me a woman to my face is kind of rude.”
Our society has taught us to think this way, and I can appreciate that. But there are only so many hundred times a day that I can stomach hearing people of all types equating “fat” or “heavy” with “ugly,” “lazy,” “worthless.” The next time you say to yourself “does this make me look fat?”, I want you to imagine saying the same thing about other oppressed and shamed populations. “Gross, does this shirt make me look Latino?” “I was going to eat that bagel but I don’t want to be a Jew.”
(Also, please know that I am in no way trying to compare or equate fat shaming with racism and anti-semitism. I merely want to draw attention to the ways in which we instinctively use theoretically neutral descriptors to convey that something is bad, wrong, or unpleasant.)
I really respect and admire Christina Hendricks, but learning about this made me feel completely dejected and deflated. A woman I look up to as a strong symbol of body acceptance just said my body offends her, and that really, really stings.
FUCK YOUR “BODY POSITIVITY” FOR ACTING LIKE IT’S MY FAULT FOR STRUGGLING TO LOVE MY BODY. THAT SHIT IS HARD. THIS IS ME HATING MY BODY.
fuck your white body positivity. fuck your cis body positivity. fuck your able-bodied positivity. fuck turning the shame on people, not power.
you’re doing it wrong if you don’t understand the legacies of colonialism and racism in beauty standards, in the states and abroad. if you don’t understand their relationships to eating disorders in poc communities. if you don’t understand how brown and black people struggle to love their racialized bodies. you’re doing it wrong if you don’t understand how trans people, most especially trans womyn, due to the culture of absolute violence that is reserved specifically for them, perpetuated even by other trans people, struggle to love their bodies in this cissexist world (thanks, white gender binary). if you don’t understand that sometimes, trans people just hate their bodies because they aren’t right at the time, that they will never be able to achieve the bodies that they want. if you don’t understand that trans people will always have a complicated relationship with their bodies. you’re doing it wrong if you don’t understand that disabled people struggle to love their bodies in this ableist world. if you don’t understand that some disabled people view their bodies as being wrong or bad, and are struggling with making peace with that. if you don’t understand that disabled people will always have a complicated relationship with their bodies.
you are doing your boring feminism so wrong if you don’t understand that you’re hurting the most marginalized.
Women, we’re actually all in this together, it’s no joke
Emily’s back! Discussing ableism within feminism, body positivity and a need for greater representation for disabled women.
More Feminism and Ableism Videos! http://bit.ly/OMtKuj
This Dame:
Tumblr: http://siouxsieismygrandma.tumblr.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/icaruskissmygun
“You aren’t on our minds, and we don’t care what you think is attractive or unattractive. We aren’t trying to be beautiful for you. If we were, we’d walk around in Victoria’s Secret fashion show lingerie all the time… actually, that would be kinda fun.”
I love this video.
Click through to watch the video too, it is brilliant.
(Although an additional point needs to be made that sadly many people, particularly women, do feel pressured to dress for others instead of for themselves. People do wear make-up, and wear certain clothes, and have cosmetic surgery to fit in with the very narrow standard we’re told is “beautiful”. People also do these things because they themselves think they’re beautiful and that’s how they want their body to look.
Body mods and beauty practices aren’t the problem, the pressure for people to conform to a certain set of standards is. - Becca)
Body Positivity! (Jenn has lots of feelings)
Feat. annoying strip of light!
Jenn talks about how it can be had to have a positive relationship with your body but suggests it is possible. Also due to her feelings she is more passionate than coherent.
Body positive sites!
fuckyeahbodypositive.tumblr.com
adiosbarbie.com
Dames online:
facebook.com/thosepeskydames
thosepeskydames.tumblr.com
@thosepeskydames
This Dame online:
bitemebeautiful.tumblr.com
@jenncanrelyonmeSo this made me cry. It was everything I needed to hear tonight and that I did not know I needed to hear. Tomorrow I turn 18. I become a woman. To celebrate I, and a friend, are having a formal party. My best friend bought me my first ever full length dress and he, my mother, sister and father are to date the only people to witness this rare sight. Quite frankly I am absolutely petrified about wearing it tomorrow night. I am so afraid of looking too skinny. Of being gross. Of everyone looking at all my imperfections.
Its silly. My best friend thinks I’m gorgeous and it’s his opinion that matters the most to me. I needed to be told the ‘hip dip’ thing, I have always been so self conscience of it. Thank you so so so so much. I know I can do it tomorrow now. Despite the nerves, because chances are most of the rest of the guests will be feeling the same.
Wish me luck!
And this right here is why we make our videos. <3
GOOD LUCK! - Becca xx
