My husband recently commented on my change of dress code in my 40s. A little less covered. Lol It wasn’t something I tended to during my 20s or 30s so it got me thinking. I always told myself that more revealing clothing wasn’t for me. It wasn’t my ‘style’. But after some self-reflection I realized I was hiding my insecurities behind more modest clothing choices. Cue the ‘but you’re straight sized, slim and fit’. Yea, I’ve always been most of those things. What I wasn’t, was comfortable in my skin. Until 40. Caribbean culture, an overlay sexual Carnival culture, can be savage in the value it places on women’s appearances and the unrealistic standards we’re meant to meet. So I was always very self-conscious. Conscious of my tiny AA cups. Conscious of my broader waist. Conscious of my strong back and shoulders. Conscious of my lack of curves, Conscious of every lump and bump that wouldn’t trade places with more suitable spots. I’m not in the best shape of my life. Nothing about my body has changed, that much. Lol Nothing about my body is now ‘better’. So that’s not what prompted this change. 40 did. Deciding F it! This IS my body. This IS my body TYPE. And I’m gonna stop WASTING time wishing I had some other woman’s body while she’s wishing she had mine. Time for that is done. Thank you 40. So it ain’t that I love myself more than myself. (Cause I know the haters are out there 😆) It’s that I now CHOOSE To STOP wearing The weight of other people’s opinions. And love my dang self. PeriodT. {To be honest, seeing other women like @sashaexeter show little hesitation in loving her athletic frame (not that she should have any reason not to, but point being it helped me to see myself differently) allows me to love my semi-athletic frame. Lol I want this to be a chain reaction. } #THISis40 #loveyourself #loveyourselffirst #confidenceissexy #confidenceisbeauty #confidenceiskey 📸 @lapetitenoob