Khloe Kardashian © Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com
Khloe Kardashian who has, for reasons passing understanding, been touted as a “body positive” advocate, recently wrote a post called 5 Hacks to Look Thin AF in Your Pics, including gems like “When in doubt, put a bag over your belly,” and “Bonus points if you angle sideways and use your camera-facing arm. Shoulders back and away from ears. Always."
This is total crap from start to finish. The problem isn’t that people don’t know how to look “Thin AF” in their pictures, the problem is that we buy into this thin obsession in the first place. Here are five hacks to help you get out of a cycle of self-loathing that only profits the people who peddle it.
1. Let go of stereotypes and start perceiving real beauty.
The truth is that everyone has inherent beauty; the problem is that most of us haven’t developed our skillset to see it. So if we can’t see the beauty in someone, that’s on us because there is nothing wrong with the person we’re looking at. And if someone can’t see our beauty, that’s on them because there is nothing wrong with us. Seriously, there is nothing wrong with your pictures, because there is nothing wrong with your body.
There is something deeply wrong with a world that suggests that all women should (and do) want to look as small as possible. Taking up space — whether it’s on the subway or in the full frame of an Instagram — is a revolutionary act that’s worth doing.
2. Get a little gratitude.
Your body does a million things for you every day without being asked — breathing, blinking, heartbeat, um…waste management. Not to mention all the things it does when you ask it to. So how about giving your body some love?
Take some time to write a list of the things that your body does for you. When you have a negative thought about your body, replace it with something positive from the list. The more you appreciate your body, the more you’ll realize that there’s no need to spend your time trying to create optical illusions using some stripes but not others.
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3. Find some role models who are thick AF.
There are plenty of people who are too busy living a fantastic life in the bodies they have now to worry about trying to cover their body with their bag! Seek them out. Follow them. Follow their example.
4. Get in touch with your own style (and fuck flattering).
This can be easier said than done if you are plus size and thus have less access to clothes — an issue that gets worse as our sizes get larger. Still, if fashion is important to you (and, of course, it’s okay if it’s not!), then taking some time to think about how you want to dress — especially thinking way outside any idea of “flattering” — can be incredibly empowering.
5. Just take some damn pictures.
Instead of worrying about how thin you look, think about the memories you want to capture. What do you want to have to look back on? What do you want to share with your friends on social media? How do you want to use photography?
And remember that body love is contagious. Who knows who will see your pictures and decide that they too can capture memories and post them online without worrying about angling sideways and using their camera facing arm. Forget looking thin AF; go take some photos that look you AF!
