Over the last two years I’ve been following the ethos of ‘living your truth’ and dressing however the hell you want to dress and so on and so forth. I mostly wear things that skim and skirt over the outline of my body, but does not advertise it directly and I do that as it makes me feel the most comfortable and it manages to hide parts of my body that I am less enthused about; i.e my belly, i.e my VBL (Visible Belly Outline). As much as I have tried not to acknowledge it at times, it’s something that has always been there and will probably always be there and there is no point trying to hide; of course there are outfits that compliment my body in certain ways, however sometimes I just want to wear a tube skirt and a crop top and not give a single fuck and if that means having to show off a little VBL, I’m going to embrace it.
As much as I’m not the biggest fan of my belly, I’ve learnt that it’s not that big of a deal; it’s a part of me and even though I don’t like that part, I’ve got to show it some respect. There are so many plus size acceptance and fashion blogs out there, however it feels like a lot of the fashion focuses on flattening, smoothing and concealing the lumps and bumps as recently seen by the various hashtag campaigns thought up by companies such as Lane Bryant and Evans where the models used were Amazonion, flat bellied, white and in proportion.

Denim shirt – Simply Be (similar) // Crop Top – ASOS // Double Split Tube Skirt – Primark (similar) // Pineapple Scrunchie – Urban Outfitters (similar) // Chelsea Boots – Primark (similar)

It’s a shame when it feels revolutionary to show your body the way it naturally occurs. It is a shame when it feels like a sin to not hide any parts of your body, regardless of how it looks. It is a shame when dressing to enhance every part of your body, including the parts typically deemed “flaws,” is touted as a trend and not a normal, everyday thing, something that should draw no attention.  It’s so important to show that there is more than one type of “pretty” when it comes to plus sized fashion, and if that means showing a bit of belly to counteract the ‘concealing and smoothing’ of our bodies, then so be it.