Ask H&M: Does size really matter?

A woman walks into a room wearing an elegant retro black fitted silk dress. She’s 5”7 and wears a size 14. Not for one second would you consider her to be a model.

Another woman walks into the room with the exact same dress. However, she’s 5”9 and wears a size 6. None of us would doubt for a second that she isn’t a model, as in our minds the latter woman fits within the description of perfect beauty.

But beautiful doesn’t always equate healthy. How can it be healthier when many models have killed themselves trying to be super-skinny?

Society as a whole believes in the misconception that plus-size women are overweight or unhealthy. We all have enough friends who do not fit the standard scale of fitness, yet these are the people whose cholesterol level is lower. And pass every medical check-up.

Wake up people to the curvy revolution!

Many brands – including H&M – have actively catered for woman of all sizes, campaigning that a size zero is not better than a size sixteen.

Models sell clothes. Is it a fact that they hang better on the perfectly slim than on the sometimes-a-little-bit-flawed, too-well-rounded, big-boned, my-legs-are-too-short hottie-to-be. We wear the clothes. Adapt them to your body shape, not the other way around.

The moment you become happy with your size and feel comfortable in your own skin, your confidence level changes and everyone will notice. Never ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Do not allow society – nor let the media – influence your happiness or your health.

We all come in different shapes and sizes. There aren’t too many things I would change about my body, because at the end of the day, I am aware that I am not perfect but I am healthy. Starving my body to death isn’t an option. Nor is stretching it.

I dedicate this article to all the women out there still figuring out who they are. “Learn to love yourself so others can love you too.” And H&M loves you already!

Pooja Sahny