From the time you were little you remember the feeling of always wanting to change something about yourself. You thought your hair was too short, your thighs were too big, your legs were too long, or your eyes were too small. Regardless of what it was, there was always something; something that prevented you from feeling confident. Something that prevented you from truly loving yourself.
You always compared yourself to the "pretty girls"; the girls that were tall, skinny, and had not one imperfection on their face. You looked up to the girls that walked around with such confidence; the girls that effortlessly look beautiful in anything they wear.
Look in the mirror. Realize you are that girl. Recognize that you have come such a long way since then. Realize that you are beautiful inside and out. You are more than numbers on a scale. You are more than just measurements. You are a unique individual that no one else can compare to.
Don't let anyone tell you what you should or should not be wearing for your body type. Wear what you feel comfortable in. Don't let anyone say "you're too fat to wear a crop top" or "you don't have the shape to be wearing that dress". If you like the way you look in it, if it makes you feel sexy and confident, then wear it.
Manufacturers are constantly changing their sizes. An Abercrombie and Fitch size 4 is now a size 8/10. The sizes in one store may be completely different than another store, it may run big or small. Don't feel discourage that you don't fit into your "normal" size. It's just a number. It doesn't define your worth or your value. Isolina Seda, a senior at the University of New Haven, says "my advice is that your beauty is not measured by a scale. True beauty is found on the inside."
Summer is here. Do not feel ashamed of your body. Do not cover up that new cute bikini you just bought. Embrace your shape just the way that it is. Don't overheat your body in jeans because you don't feel comfortable in shorts. Show some skin, make heads turn, and wear a smile confidently.
Society, for too long, has portrayed the image of "beautiful" as a 6' super model weighing 100 lbs. This is not the true image of beauty. Most models in magazines are photoshopped. Most models on the runway aren't healthy. Be proud of the way you look. Don't ever feel ashamed or upset looking at these women. Look at yourself, look in the mirror and love your own look.
Wear that crop top. Buy that bikini. Love your figure. Don't concern yourself with what size the models in magazines are. Don't be discouraged because you don't look like them. Don't hate your body because you don't fit into a size 2 pair of pants or shorts.