I’m a big fan of fashion. I don’t always dress up all the time, but when I do, I really enjoy it! This past weekend I went shopping for spring clothes and noticed something that really bothered me. In different stores I went to, most of them didn’t have my size. A little disclaimer: I know I’m not the smallest person in the world, but I’m completely confident in my body. I know I am beautiful just the way I am.

ANYWAYS, as I was shopping, I got frustrated because there would be several pieces of clothing in a size Small or Medium, but fewer in the Large or Extra-Large sizes. An even crazier thing I’ve noticed is that at Forever 21, they only have clothes in Small, Medium, and Large sizes. They have a small section in the store for “Plus Sized” which includes Extra-Large and up sizes.I think that’s absolutely ridiculous.

As I was shopping and thinking about my frustrations, it got me thinking about how this makes girls feel. Having more clothes in the small sizes creates this stigma of how girls need to be a “certain size”. It’s sort of like how magazines will photoshop models to make them look a certain way, shrinking their waist or airbrushing their skin. Seeing these models and the unrealistic expectations that are put on girls make us feel bad about ourselves and can lead to unhealthy habits.

Something that I have always thought (and everyone else should too) is that everyone is beautiful, just the way they are. Short, tall, skinny, thick, whatever it may be, everyone is beautiful! Going to the mall shouldn’t be a daunting task.It should be fun and make you feel good about yourself! Clothing can be a way to express yourself. It shouldn’t be something that makes you anxious or feel bad about yourself.

Not all stores are hurting the image of girls though, thank goodness. There are stores out there, like Aerie, that are all about celebrating different shapes and sizes of girls.They don’t Photoshop their models and have clothing in pretty much all sizes. Ever since they announced this, their sales have soared. Hopefully other stores will see this, and eventually, we will be in a world where everyone can feel comfortable in their own skin. Until then, be yourself and remember you are amazing (and beautiful) just the way you are!