Boudoir is for Every BODY

Boudoir is an intimate art form that focuses on the human body. Its subjects are often in lingerie or tastefully nude. It is not limited to professional models though. FULL STOP. Boudoir is for everybody and every BODY imaginable. No matter your size. Your age. How deep your crow's feet are. If you have a body {and a pulse, because c'mon), you can be photographed. Your body is worth celebrating. And we're gonna do it.

I recently launched the 'In Your Skin' campaign that focuses on every day women. Like you. Like your best friend. The woes and wonders of being in a woman and the process along the way about how you love being in your own skin. You can check out more info about the campaign on the blog. I have had so many women reach out and tell me, "I absolutely love this idea. It's just not for me." Um, huh? Why not? Boudoir is for everyone.

So why am I still ranting and raving that boudoir photos are for everyone? Because the message isn't getting seen or heard. Maybe you've not quite to your goal weight. Doesn't matter. You're still beautiful. You deserve to be photographed. I am literally repeating myself here. There's no right or wrong way to be human. Well, maybe cannibalism, but....moving on. There's no code for what you need to look like in order to love yourself and want to be celebrated. Even the Body Max Index (BMI) that every child and adult is subjected to during routine physicals, is such an antiquated notion. There's nothing that says women cannot have body hair or hip dips. Those things are normal. So, let's normalize them.

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Some of the worst comments that I have heard have come from other women. GROSS. You are not a good friend or a girls' girl if that's how you talk about people. Didn't your mama every teach you, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?" The world is a terrible place without YOU or Chad, Brad, or the Dads talking about how somebody looks in a bikini.

One of my favorite social media personas is Alicia McCarvell. Alicia is overweight and married to a fit man. AND THE INTERNET CANNOT HANDLE IT. People forget that Alicia is stunning. That girl has curves, glowy skin, and is hilarious AF. People also forget that Scott is enthralled with her. He looks at her like he is .2 seconds away from revenging her. He probably does. Hell yes, Sis.

But why are people in such a tizzy? I don't know. Because bigger bodies are just now becoming normalized. Because more women are opting to forgo the razor. I grew up in the 90's and early 00's when heroine chic was the standard of beauty and low rise jeans were so low you had to wax that bikini line or it was OUT for the world to see. And it was not seen. Body hair was a big no when I was coming of age.

There weren't many fashion brands that focused on full figured women--especially young women. Not to knock Lane Bryant, but that's where our moms shopped. The items that were available, weren't always cute. They were loud or busy. Or just too basic. The in-between was gone. And the price was so much higher than the 'normal' clothes. RUDE.

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So now that there are more size-inclusive clothing options, we're seeing those women own their look and their power. The only way to stop that negative talk is by correcting it when you see it and freaking SHOW UP. Show up in the bikini or in the crop top. If that's what you want to wear, then do it. If you like it, I'm gonna like it too. Maybe you're judgmental because you're insecure? Or maybe nobody ever told you that you were once a beautiful princess. Girls everywhere are princesses, BTW. If ya know, ya know, I don't know if you're aware, but you can have cellulite and still be beautiful. Or wrinkles and sexy AF. Those things are not mutually exclusive. If that's the story that's playing in your head (Thanks Brene Brown for that line) then you need to rewrite that story, because that is simply not true.

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My studio, my boudoir group, and my inner circle are a safe place. We pump each other up. That doesn't mean that everything is always sunshine and rainbows. We still feel down about ourselves every once and awhile, but the difference is that you have an entire group of women and your hypewoman photographer (me) pumping you up every step of the way.

Every day, I want you to wake up and look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself one thing you like about yourself. Write it down. That list is going to grow. You're going to start seeing the value in you. Maybe there's only a handful of things on your list, but it's going to grow and you are going to thrive. I am here for it. Maybe booking your next boudoir session is going to be the reason you finally start seeing how beautiful you truly are.