Zero is not a size unless you're modeling Haute Couture or getting dressed for the Oscars. Yes, that's the sad truth: your clothing size measures your talent. Being a size 6 celebrity (or God forbid size 10 US) will make you feel like you killed a puppy.
Our perception of beauty is not as subjective as we want to think. The media has a lot to answer for, and bullying people who are size 6 or 16 is one of them.
On the other side, there's a whole celebration of size 0, even 00, and at the same time, pretending that body positivity means being obese. The simple, factual truth is that we are all different, but somehow, that stereotype of a statuesque, tall and thin, young woman with luscious locks can't seem to fade.
That creates confusion among average women, and that's why the fashion world plus the media that supports it are messing with your self-esteem. Even more, they are messing with your wallet, even your overall health. So, let's break another stigma and learn how to be happy and healthy, no matter what size.
Size 6 Celebrities Speak Up
We'll start with gentle size 6 and famous ladies who dare to have some curves. Size 6 US translates to the UK's size 10, or M for medium.
Medium means that these ladies are somewhere in the middle, but since we have XXS and XXXXL, it also means that these sizes mean nothing.
That's why our focus is mostly on celebrities who're proud of wearing size 6. But, it doesn't mean that the real body positivity should stop there.
Fashion is a lot of fun, but it should serve you, not the other way around.
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez is usually size 6. Sometimes she's an 8; other times, she's a four. But, she's a perfect ten otherwise, fit, strong, yet sexy and feminine.
J. Lo is the prime example of how to carry your curves. Her confidence comes from a healthy lifestyle and not letting others tell her what she should look like. Apparently, she fired an assistant who told her to diet.
Way to go, J. Lo!
Jennifer Hudson
Hudson was heavily criticized for being size 16. Then, she dropped to size 6, and guess what? People didn't like it because they thought something was wrong with her.
The fact is that Jen Hudson lost weight because she replaced bad habits with healthy ones, but her talent cannot be measured with something as petty as designer clothes and sample sizes.
Jenna Fischer
The Office alumni, Jenna Fischer, went from size 4 to size 6, and clearly, it was a huge deal. She spoke about her experience, saying:
"It's really embarrassing to have to say to your manager, 'I'm now a 6 pant instead of a 4.' Emails go out, and they CC the agents: 'Jenna would like everyone to know that she's now a 6 pant.'"
Awkward, but it doesn't only happen in Hollywood. Sure, your boss won't comment on your weight in front of you, but office gossip or gossip, in general, will make you wonder, "what the heck is wrong with the human population?"
Rachel Bloom
The ultra-talented comedian, producer, singer, Rachel Bloom, is curvaceous, witty, charming and her figure is fantastic. Yet, she struggled, and in 2017 Emmy Awards showed up in a gown she paid for.
No, that's not the shocking part.
The big twist is that designers borrow sample sizes to everyone who's anyone and thin. As Bloom said on Twitter: "pickings are still slim for non-sample size ladies."
Bryce Dallas Howard
Though men adore her curves, this 6 size celebrity also had issues when it comes to finding a dress that fits:
"I like having lots of options for a size 6 [a UK size 10] as opposed to maybe one option, so I always go to department stores."
Simply, fashion houses refuse to deal with talented actresses who aren't size zero. That's just plain wrong because we're the buyers, yet, somehow, these brands dictate our lives.
Beyonce
Queen Bee is also a fashion icon, apart from being a music legend, acting talent, and overall one of the best showpeople ever.
But, in her Destiny's Child days, her mom made all of her costumes by hand because high-end labels "didn't really want to dress four black, country, curvy girls."
Beyonce learned to love her curves, eventually, but imagine being a girl in her 20s and being judged despite her talents.
Sure, Beyonce rules the world now. But, just imagine how many curvy ladies are sitting, eating their hearts out because they feel the pressure to be as perfect as a supermodel, most likely in her teens. That's on all of us.
Rihanna
Riri was size zero, and guess what? She was just as gorgeous as she is now.
Rihanna's weight fluctuated, and that's rather normal for a woman in her 30s. When she's working out and doing her part to stay fit, she looks like a fitness model.
But, when she wants to relax and enjoy herself, people assume she's pregnant. Guess what? Perhaps she wants to take a break. After all, she has an empire to run and deserves to be left to whatever freaking size she may be.
Nasty comments don't seem to bother Rihanna. But it doesn't mean that we have the right to make disgusting remarks every time she goes a size up or down.
Chrissy Teigen
We met Teigen as a young and thin model. But, now, we know her as a strong, sharp woman, mom, wife, and proud size 6 celebrity.
She wants more people to see real women:
"Honestly, I don't have the kind of Instagram feed where I'm scrolling through and seeing real women. And that is killing me because I know what these girls look like, and it's not fair."
While Teigen is being criticized for oversharing, she does talk about important subjects, from her boobs to painful miscarriage. It's called honesty.
Jennifer Lawrence
While actors have to gain or lose weight for their roles, Lawrence feels most comfortable when she's a size six.
However, the Oscar winner, a big body positivity advocate, doesn't think she represents a real woman. As she told Vogue, she works out more than an average person and often feels underweight.
If you ever get to meet Lawrence, compliment her on her success, not on her figure. Despite her beauty contracts and all the praise she gets for her looks, Lawrence understands that this kind of pressure all women have to face is not acceptable.
The Curious Case Of Octavia Spencer
Before snatching the Oscar and all major awards, Octavia told the reporters:
"I'm just a short chubby girl."
One of the most talented actors of a generation had a hard time finding a dress. The connection between fashion brands and movies are well known. But when it comes to dressing up stars to pick their well-deserved awards, well...
Spencer was forced to defend her fashion choices because designers didn't think that someone chubby or simply not sample size could become the next best thing. After receiving her Golden Globe, she said:
"Maybe I should have sworn off peanut butter last year instead of this year. One of the best things about awards shows are you get to wear clothes you would never get to wear."
Words fail us.
Don't Let Your Dress Size Define You
There's a whole industry out there working to make your feel worse. And it's not personal: they simply want you to work out in a fancy new gym, try out new and pricey equipment, spend money on miracle teas, and whatnot.
There's nothing wrong with being thin because not all women are curvaceous. Yet, calling it a sample size or size zero is disturbing. Just like obesity can kill you, so can any other eating disorder. And you know that, yet the pressure on staying young and thin is hard to resist.
Love your body because that's the only one you have. Respect it by eating healthy and exercising. There's no need to do anything else.
Use your energy for something more productive instead of dwelling over the size of your dress. After all, over 70 percent of women in the US don't understand the sizing system because guess what: we're not all equally tall, we don't share the same arm length, and there are dozens of body shapes.
Real Women Can
Real women can have curves. And cellulite, and abs, in fact, they can also wear DD as well as A cups.
What's more, real women can be size 6, but they can also be a 2 or 22. Real women don't have to say anything about their bodies if they don't want to, famous or not.
However, we appreciate those celebrities who keep things real and remind us that behind all that glamour, there's a lot of Photoshop, workouts, and, yes, plastic surgeries. Spanx help as well.
Over 60 percent of women in the US are above size 14. Yet, the majority of fashion brands make up to sizes 12 or 14. Saying that plus size is anything above size 4 is not insulting. It's amusing because real women know that they're strong and fit for themselves. Not to fit into a dress!
This brings us back to size 6 celebrities, who are, according to the statistics, far slimmer than an average woman. Yet, these ladies and those celebrities who are sizes 8 and up are the ones fighting for the right not to be judged based on their size.
