November 11, 2014 - Written by: Ria Cajee

All Your Perfect Imperfections: Real Women Have Flaws!

Okay, I’ve had it up to HERE (reaches as high as her 5’2” will allow) with people championing ‘Zero is Not a Size’ t-shirts*.

*An American size 0 is equivalent to a UK size 4.

Please don’t get me wrong, I don’t agree with the fashion industry’s insistence on only using models that are over 6 foot and utterly skin and bone; I’m not endorsing the gruelling, near-starvation diets that many women feel pressured into adopting in an attempt to conform to the media’s totally unrealistic beauty ideal. And I was utterly fuming when I read that Madeline Hill was branded a PLUS-SIZE model at a mere size 6!! That’s at least 4 dress sizes smaller than the national average. Is it any wonder that women’s body confidence is at an all-time low?

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But Zero is a size. In many shops, it’s my size. 100% naturally, with 0% effort on my part. And it makes other women hate me. Truly. I have lost count of the many, many times I have heard people whine (generally when I’m reaching for a slice of cake): ‘Oh, I hate you, you lucky skinny bitch!’

Often these comments are made with a smile or laughed off, but there is an undertone of real feeling there.

My problem with this slogan is beautifully voiced by Grace, in her article ‘Fat Girls Are Disgusting’. Once again, it comes back to the whole ‘real women have curves’ madness.

WHY are we STILL criticising other women’s bodies?! (Hello, Renee Zellweger!)

To quote our Yaz:

‘There are no real/non-real women. There are only women. And we come in all shapes and bra-sizes’.

I was incensed when I heard ‘feminist’ Nikki Minaj’s ‘skinny bitch’ shaming in her highly controversial smash hit, Anaconda:

‘Fuck the skinny bitches!’, she cries.

HOW IS THAT HELPING?!

Yes, we should absolutely be embracing our assets, and taking ownership of our bodies – I am all for that, it’s liberating – but shaming others in an attempt to feel better about our own body types? Really?!

Rather than slagging other women off for their naturally slim figures or hating on those with no booties, or exceptional cleavage, how about we celebrate what other women DO have?! Let’s stop focusing on the negative. Let’s instill confidence into the newest generation of women to love their bodies exactly the way they are.

When ‘real’ sized women were featured in a new advert, the internet rejoiced! ‘Finally’, women all over Facebook cried, ‘REAL WOMEN!’

Except, as I looked at these break-through pictures of ‘real’ women, who were all a size 14 or above, I noticed that not a single one of them had cellulite. None of them had stretch marks. Or uneven skin tone. Or even moles, or freckles. None of them had scars. Or birthmarks.

They had no imperfections whatsoever. They were all airbrushed to within an inch of their lives. And that is when I sat at my desk silently screaming:

REAL WOMEN HAVE FLAWS!!!!

Despite what Victoria’s Secret’s latest campaign would have you believe, there is no such thing as the perfect body.

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We all have imperfections. That is what makes us unique. Yes, I am naturally slim, but I have suffered with acne for my entire life, I have scars; women’s bodies are a battleground. That is what makes us BEAUTIFUL. Not what body type we do or do not have. We should be celebrating each other’s uniqueness!

A few days ago, I stumbled across this article, which describes Keira Knightley agreeing to pose topless only if her boobs are not made ‘any bigger or retouch[ed]… because it does feel important to say it really doesn’t matter what shape you are’.

Now, to be honest, I’ve never been her biggest fan, but, having seen this picture and read her words, my God have I changed my mind!

‘I’ve had my body manipulated so many different times for so many different reasons… I think women’s bodies are a battleground and photography is partly to blame’.

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The message of these manipulated images is that even Keira Knightley cannot live up to Hollywood’s unrealistic expectations of beauty.

If you look at the picture of her, you’ll probably notice the same thing I did: Keira’s small boobs are not symmetrical; one is bigger than the other. Her nipples are not equally aligned. THANK GOD!!!! Even Keira Knightley has imperfections. She’s not the over-airbrushed model you see in the Chanel ads. She’s human. She isn’t perfect.

You know why? Because real women have flaws.

Screw Victoria’s Secret’s perception of the ‘perfect body’, listen to John Legend’s beautiful lyrics instead:

‘Love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections’.

We ALL have imperfections. And they are beautiful. So embrace them. Celebrate them. Love them. And if you really feel that you can’t, surround yourself with people who love them enough for the both of you. They are what make you most beautiful. They are what make you real. And unique. They are what make you, YOU!

If you enjoyed this article, why not check out ‘Real Women Have Curves’ and Other Dumb-Ass Things People Say About Beauty’?