Victoria's Secret has recently come under fire for their perfect "body" campaign. It was an attempt to showcase their "Body by Victoria" bras. They claim that these bras have perfect coverage and they fit perfectly. Yet, if you did not know all of this, you would just see a lot of women who look similar and the words "The Perfect Body" plastered on it.
When they posted the ad, there was a lot of online backlash.
So much, in fact, that they have now changed it online to "A Body For Every Body" using the same picture.
Victoria's Secret changed it without any explanation. They never issued a statement. They never said why it was changed. Obviously they felt online pressure.
That bothers me a little. I do not think they should have changed it. Instead, I think they should have kept the slogan and described what a perfect body truly is...
And sometimes a Victoria's Secret bra will not fit on a perfect body.
After reading about the bra, I wanted to see if it truly was a perfect fit. I wanted to see if it was the most comfortable bra around. I wanted to see if it was everything they claimed.
So I decided to go and try one on.
I have been told my whole life that my body is far from perfect. I was once over 400 pounds. I have lost over 200 pounds yet I still struggle with my weight.
I have put on a few pounds this year but still felt like I could wear one of their largest bras. I think they go up to 38 DD in the store.
When I walked in I grabbed one and tried it on. It would not even come close to fitting. I asked the assistant if they had any bra that might fit me. She looked me up and down and laughed. I would have laughed myself.
It did have me thinking. I did gain some weight this year, and although I have been on a good streak as of late, I still could not fit into their largest bra.
When I told my wife, she first told me that I had more important things to do today which is true. But she also told me that Victoria's Secret clothing runs smaller than other stores.
So I wanted to see if it was true. I went to Target and tried on a 38 DD bra. Sure enough, it fit. It was comfortable but not perfect.
While I was putting it on, an employee named Carmen gave me a weird look. So I looked at her and asked her what was her thoughts on a perfect body. I was expecting an answer like a supermodel or a fitness guru.
Instead, she said, "Not mine." I disagreed.
I am a man who has always hated my body. When I was a teenager, I was too fat. Then after losing weight, I still felt fat. Then when I gained back weight I would look at old pictures and wished I looked like the fat person I was.
Then when I was thin I had loose skin. I had stretch marks. I had man boobs. I never thought I had the "perfect" body.
Over the last few years, I have made a commitment to my health. Sure, I still struggle but I was once over 400 pounds. Every single day I wanted to die. I felt like I was a waste on this planet. I felt like I was far from perfect.
I realized that I had always had a "perfect" body. Everyone does. It bothers me today how much I hated myself for so many years.
My body is the only one I will ever have. Sometimes it will be large, and sometimes it will be small. Sometimes it will look horrible in a certain light and sometimes it will amaze me at the gym.
Loose skin and stretch marks do not make it any less perfect to me. Not anymore.
Sometimes perfect bodies fight diseases and win. Sometimes they run half marathons and sometimes they wow your spouse.
If you ask 100 people what a perfect body is, you will get 100 answers.
I only have one answer.
The perfect body is the one you have.
"Skinny" women have perfect bodies. "Fat" men have perfect bodies. "Fit" women have perfect bodies, and men who have never worked out in their lives have perfect bodies.
You can always work on your body but it does not make it more or less perfect.
This should not be a fat/skinny shaming issue. Victoria's Secret models are perfect just like everyone else. If you do not believe me, ask one of them if they think they are "perfect." I promise you might get the same answer as Carmen from Target.
Victoria's Secret should have just said that all women have perfect bodies whether they wear their bras or not. There are plenty of women who are too big and too small to wear their clothing.
In a time where we focus on body image, I felt like they missed a good opportunity. They were more worried about their image and less about true body image.
I should know. I have a perfect "body."
And I cannot fit into a Victoria's Secret bra.