By 13, I knew I shouldn’t ‘show too much skin’. That if I did, ‘they’ might get the wrong idea. And ‘they’ might think I’m loose. And ‘they’ might judge. And we don’t want ‘them’ judging, do we? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. My chest, it’s changed massively in the last two months. And out of anything with this pregnancy, It’s what has made me feel the most insecure. ‘You must be loving it!’ Friends joke. But no, I say. ‘I don’t know how to dress.’ I’ve realised what I really mean is: ‘I don’t know how to dress in a way that ‘they’ will approve of.’ Because suddenly, even though I haven’t changed, my BODY has. And society sends different rules for my different shape. It’s unfair. It’s ridiculous. And it’s worth challenging. Our bodies do not define us. And we should not be judged Simply for existing In whatever shape we happen to be in. But so often women are. I think about how, as girls, we are told to not show shoulders, because shoulders are distracting. I think about how, once as a teen, I was sent to the principal’s office for a bra strap that slipped out. I think about how as adults, women are shamed for brstfeeding in public, even as men walk around without tops on. I think about how so much is filtered through the male gaze, To the extent that anything, almost anything women do, can be seen as ‘suggestive’. And how it’s a woman’s job to navigate this, Instead of a man’s job to change their thoughts. I think about all the double standards And unwritten rules. So today Even as I learn to navigate this new frame I want to remind you: Show up in a way that feels true to who you are. Rock that hairstyle. Wear that outfit. Lean into your truth. Because life is too short To spend it worrying about what ‘they’ will think. And honestly, ‘their’ opinion never should have mattered anyways. x #selflove #bodyacceptance #bodypositivity