Wacoal Embraces Body Positivity
The concept of Body Positivity has created a huge shift in the lingerie industry regarding the plus size market and it is growing within the industry from a limited amount of styles bra types and sizes, to one that has embraced an extensive range. The goal is clearly to meet the needs of the body positive market.
Who are the drivers of this movement?
Mainly teenagers and millennials who are hoping to remove the judgement aspect from society and along with it, peer pressure. Millennials especially are demanding and expecting bras that better meet their needs without feeling as though they are just defined by their size.
I’m sure if you are here at this site, you already are at least somewhat familiar with the Wacoal range of body positivity styles and sizes. Besides the high quality of fabrics and materials they are known for, is another feature, and that is the variety of models they have been adding to their recent ad campaigns and catalogs.
What is Wacoal’s part in the movement?
It is clear that Wacoal-America has totally addressed the market’s demands for a more positive body image by offering such a wide range of sizes and styles to women of all colors, ages, shapes and sizes. Wacoal bras are designed to help women look and feel their best regardless of their body type. When you peruse the WacoalBras.com catalog, you will quickly see the amazing range of styles and sizes available in so much of their bra and lingerie line.
How and why did the Body Positive movement start?
The movement was started in 1996 by Connie Sobczak and Elizabeth Scott long before #BoPo, short for body positive, arrived on the Internet scene. Connie and Elizabeth shared a desire to create a community that offered freedom from what they felt were ongoing and limiting messages from society that kept people in a constant negative struggle with their body images.
Since then, Body Positive has been expanding to include youth and adults to appeal to their body consciousness for a more balanced, cheerful perspective and to promote a relationship with their entire being that is fostered by love, forgiveness, and a bit of humor.
According to the website create by the co-founders, it was Connie’s experience with an eating disorder in her teen years and the death of her sister Stephanie that inspired her life’s work to improve the self-image of youth and adults. The site was founded to honor her sister and to ensure that her daughter Carmen and other children could grow up in a world that focuses on the things in life that are truly important.
Elizabeth, who practices psychotherapy (over 25 years), specializes in the treatment of eating disorders. She is pledged to the Body Positive’s mission because she says it “brings great meaning to her life when she can help people leave body hatred behind and become free to focus on their precious life purpose”.
Body positivity has exploded in recent years with the rise of social media platforms like Instagram and is about promoting an important change in how American culture views bodies, moving from a society where differences are rated by number to one where they’re celebrated for their variety and differences.
Body Positivity in a nutshell.
"Body positivity means I am free," Connie explains.
"I don't have to have corporate America telling me how I'm supposed to feel about myself," she says. Her organization is dedicated to providing resources and training to help people overcome negative body image and achieve self-acceptance.
The partners stated mission is stated as: “Our ultimate goal is to end the harmful consequences of negative body image: eating disorders, depression, anxiety, cutting, suicide, substance abuse, and relationship violence. We are especially concerned about poor body image in teens and young adults. With the inspiration and skills provided by The Body Positive, those who work with us are free to live balanced, joyful, and purposeful lives, and surmount the major obstacles to achieving their academic goals and healthy relationships.”
This writer believes there is still a long way to go, but progress is finally beginning to emerge. I am thankful to corporations like Wacoal for their part in embracing the mission.