My Aerie feature with Well + Good
Wow, it's really been a minute since I've sat down to write a post here. In the midst of deciding exactly where I want to go with this whole thing it dawned on me that I'd be pretty upset with myself if I didn't at least document some of the cool opportunities I've been asked to be apart of, one of the most prominent being my latest feature with Well + Good x Aerie! These are two very amazing companies shifting how media portrays women's bodies, most specifically in the health and wellness space. They asked be to take part in their latest campaign which included an interview. You can read the feature on the W+G site here.
I also thought it might be fun to share my full interview so I've included that below; enjoy!
Tell me about your self-confidence journey. Have you always felt very self-confident? Was there ever a time in your life that you struggled with it? What did you do to pull yourself out of that time?
I was adopted at a young age and raised in a town where the population is predominantly white. It was really hard to feel accepted growing up because no one, not even my family members, looked like me. I spent a lot of my adolescent life changing myself to try and fit in as much as I could. I fried my naturally curly hair trying to keep it straight and spent all of the money I earned at my part-time job on clothing to dress like everyone else. I realized shortly after high school that I was burning out emotionally. I was exhausting myself trying to fit a mold that I was never born to fit into. It wasn’t until really diving into social media that I saw more women who were like me. I felt less alone knowing there were other women who looked like me and that really inspired me to put myself out there more.
How about now? If you’re having a moment when you’re doubting yourself, what do you do to encourage yourself?
My self confidence is something that I continue to work on every day! There are definitely days when I feel down. I try to remind myself that there are days like that for everyone and the more honest I can be with myself and my audience the better. The more trust there is and the more open you can be with people, the less alone everyone feels!
Do you have a personal mantra that you use daily? What is it and how did you come up with it?
I’m all about spreading positivity and giving support. It literally costs zero dollars to be a kind and compassionate human being towards others; I saw that online that has always stuck with me because it’s so true! It takes way more energy to be a hater than to just empower the ones around you. You feel better when you know you’re lifting others up.
Why do you think women specifically struggle with self confidence?
It’s unfortunate, but so much of the industry profits from women feeling down about themselves. If we’re not feeling confident then we’ll want new clothes or a new hairstyle to give us a boost. Instead showing advertisements that make us feel like we are enough, a lot of what we see in the media makes us feel the exact opposite.
What advice do you have for women who are having trouble feeling self confident?
Don’t be afraid to experiment with your style because that’s how you find pieces that you love and that make you feel confident, follow women online who feel relatable in some way and truly inspire you to take care of yourself and those around you. Reach out to your friends and get real about how you have been feeling. They might be feeling the same way or have a unique perspective you could benefit from hearing. All of these things really helped me build my confidence at times when it was low.
What role do your undergarments play in pulling your look together and helping you feel confident underneath everything?
Right now, everything for me is go, go, go. As a freelancer, I’m always working on something so I need underwear that’s going to work with me. If I’m worried about things not fitting me right or not giving enough support I will fixate on it all day. It makes me feel out of whack and can really throw my whole day off!
Anything else related to confidence or Aerie you would like to share!
I’m thankful to brands like Aerie for using their platform to showcase a variety of women who prove that beauty is in everyone! So much of the industry is built on women feeling bad about themselves because they only feature one very specific body type. It’s heartwarming to know that a women can look at the Aerie instagram page or shop at one of their stores and feel even more beautiful and confident afterward.
