It’s funny how one sentence can remind you of your purpose.
Between Elle’s fashion events and business meetings in Chicago, and my happy hour coffee dates and handmade rummagings in Seattle, it can be hard for us to keep up on anything not “business related.” That’s why, more often than not, Miss Elle and I spend a lot of our non-work time together catching up on each other’s lives.
During one such conversation, Elle caught me up on a debate she’d had about fashion, women’s issues and The Demoiselles. One of her counterpoints was so powerful that it reminded me of exactly what all of our hard work on this site is for:
“The hardest mind to change is that of a 20-year-old girl who hates herself.”
-Miss Elle
TheDemoiselles.com is about many things – it’s about fashion, it’s about self-image, it’s about trends and body type and style – but more than anything, it’s about taking all of that stuff and making it yours. Making your body, and everything that goes in and on it, something you love.
I will never get back all of the years that I didn’t love my body. What’s more, neither will my little sister, who is 21, or my mother, who is old enough to order off of the special menu at restaurants. I hate the idea that they’re wasting any time bemoaning their waistlines or whether they can wear the latest trends without looking stupid, when what they should be doing is enjoying what they’ve got before they’re too old to shake it.
Ladies, we cannot hate ourselves. We can’t sit back and complain about how our bodies will never be what we wish they were or how the grass is greener on the other side. The real other side isn’t having a different body; it’s loving the body you have. And yep, that side is much, much greener. (And there’s no mowing.)
What do you love about your body, and what unchangable part of your body are you trying to learn to accept?
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great post, but… you are NEVER too old to shake it!
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Posted by Patty | June 22, 2009, 11:07 amPatty: As long as you can physically shake it, you’re right: you’re never too old! I was thinking more of the physical limitations that come with arthritis, though.
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Posted by Jennifer Nicole | June 22, 2009, 11:17 amI know this sounds kind of weird, but my BIGGEST (literally) struggle with my body acceptance is… my boobs. They prevent me from wearing so many things, but they’re not likely going to go away without the aid of an anesthesiologist and a knife – which I’m not interested in (anymore). Time to accept and learn about how best to dress ‘em!
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Posted by Elle | June 22, 2009, 11:57 amIs the grass greener on the other side? I’m waxing on passion & purpose over at @TheDemoiselles: http://tinyurl.com/m22b2j
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Posted by Jen | June 22, 2009, 4:03 pmGreat post!! It’s really sad how much hate some people direct towards their bodies. I feel so terrible for them, having to carry it around day in and day out. I’ve come a long way since my early teens in accepting my body; like Elle, I think my least favorite part be my boobs (either that, or my thighs!). People don’t get what a PITA big boobs are! But surgery seems so drastic to me, so unless they grow monumentally, I will just dress ‘em as best I can!
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..10 More Places + Ways to Find Inspiration =-.
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Posted by Michelle | June 22, 2009, 4:35 pm@ The Demoiselles :: Greener on the Other Side:
It’s funny how one sentence can remin.. http://tinyurl.com/mq98af
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Posted by The Demoiselles | June 22, 2009, 6:33 pmGreat post! There was a very long amount of time that I mostly hated my body. But I don’t feel that wa anymore, took long enough! Love my whoe body now, can’t worry about the non perfect bits.
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Posted by eyeliah | June 24, 2009, 6:27 pmI’m 49 and I still hate my body.
I’m too short, my legs are 26″ inseam stumps, I’m broad, I’m solid, I keep my hair long because otherwise I feel like a boy. I’m always fighting my weight which I think is too high. I go to an event and feel like I’m 20 years behind the times fashion and looks wise.
I’m working on it and hope by the time I turn 50 in April I will have some understanding about me and my body and feel better about it.
.-= NancyJ´s last blog ..Nine Months From Now… =-.
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Jennifer Nicole Reply:
July 28th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Please do let us know if there’s anything we can help you with, Nancy: fashion tips, sizing suggestions, etc. I hope that we can be part of the driving force to give you a more positive body image by your fiftieth in April.
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Posted by NancyJ | July 28, 2009, 12:33 pm