Fat and fashion forums
I belong to a few different forums, some of them fashion based. I gave up reading fashion magazines, but I still participate in these forums, for the interactions and for like-minded individuals. Well, mostly like-minded. I mostly keep my politics and beliefs out of these forums and purely focus on the fashion. Sometimes, I need a break from the world I am so immersed in and these forums provide that for me. But sometimes, these worlds collide.
I believe fashion is expression, fashion is art, fashion is political and fashion is something that can be played with or ignored. I don’t believe in any fashion rules and, frankly, I don’t really care what other people do or don’t wear. This is probably unusual for someone who belongs to a fashion forum, I admit. Some of the rules that forum posters enforce on themselves and others are so strict and so rigid, I wonder how they have any fun with their clothing at all.
People often post with questions on how to wear this article of clothing, what to wear with that article of clothing and I have to restrain myself from saying, “Wear what you like, how you like! Who cares?” But I recognise that people do care. That the poster cares.
Threads are created about how to look slimmer, less fat, hide more, and disguise it all. These frustrate me, especially when they enter into threads dealing with plus sized fashion. It can be such a body unfriendly place that it gets depressing.
So, why not leave? Why not just ignore it if it bothers me so much? I don’t know. I guess I want to see change. I’m not really sure how that can happen and I recognise that people aren’t as far along on the fat acceptance, or even body acceptance path and some people will never take that path. I am not about to try and force people to love themselves and their bodies 100% of the time, however much I wish I could. I don’t, and I don’t expect others to. Bodies and how we feel about our own are way too personal for many people and that’s ok. I accept that. But I like to think in a teeny tiny way, mine, and other people’s body acceptance posts might reach someone. Might make just a smidge of difference. Might make at least one person read and think, “You know what? My body is ok. I am ok.”
