Once upon a time, years and years ago it was time for me to buy "big girl" bras and panties. At the time, Victoria's Secret intimidated me; I would walk in and see a few hot-pink pieces of string sewn together labeled "thong," and I sure didn't understand what the point of that was. I would see rows and rows of racy bras with frilly bows and rhinestones, and that just was not my style. And on top of that, I would almost faint looking at the price tags. Instead, I went up the escalator and walked into Aerie which has been my go-to place for these things ever since.

In addition to Aerie's boho style as opposed to Victoria's ultra-sexy style, Aerie is constantly running amazing sales with their already-amazing prices. It is great for bargain shoppers like me. I constantly check their website and my email for news of sales. Their bralette selection is fire too. But the main thing that will keep me coming back for years and years to come is their #aeriereal campaign.

I remember a few years ago I was scrolling through Tumblr absentmindedly when I saw a picture of a gorgeous girl in a tank top and Aerie undies. Underneath the picture someone had written a short blurb about how this was an Aerie ad and that the photo had not been retouched, and Aerie was making a change to never retouch any of their photographs and will hire models that show all different body types. I looked back at the picture and noticed how beautiful she was with her freckles and smile lines. I remember immediately re-blogging that post and writing "this is why Aerie is the best." And to this day my love for this campaign remains.

While some are skeptical and go on and on about it being a smart marketing move; I believe whether or not it is, #aeriereal has already effected me positively. While I love being a woman, sometimes the pressures of the "perfect" body image can really take a toll on me. When I scroll through Aerie online or walk through the store, I often look at the photos and think hey, I got that same roll or pudge or freckle or stretch mark, and she's a model! This is a totally different experience than feeling like crap when I don't look like a Victoria's Secret Angel. I have had friends set their background on their phones to an Angel for "motivation," and we all know how social media gets when the fashion shows are on TV.

Aerie's decision to begin this movement is something I hope to see more and more companies do as others begin to realize how much influence lingerie and clothing companies have on women's attitudes towards their bodies. I urge all to support this campaign and know that the real you is sexy.