Saturday, May 6, 2017

Wiggle Week II

If you're anything like me, you were born sick and tired of looking at gorgeous clothes and thinking 'that's so pretty, but I could never wear that.' My style-obsessed heart aches for all the gorgeous people out there who've internalized society's garbage beauty standards. I've been there and it's not fun. Last November, I decided to devote a week to breaking through these negative thoughts, and thus Wiggle Week was born!

World's silliest graphic.

For those of you who missed the first incarnation of Wiggle Week, here's how it works. Starting tomorrow, May 7, I'm challenging myself to wear a wiggle dress every day for a week, and I'll be sharing my thoughts about the journey using the hashtag #WiggleWeek on Insta and my Facebook page. I'm inviting all of you to join me by posting photos of your wiggly best (tagged with #wiggleweek!) and checking out what everyone else is posting.

Last year's Wiggle Week was a huge step in my own journey toward body positivity, and it was  due in large part to everyone's involvement in the project. Part of this is just from the beautiful support and positivity that participants poured into their comments and conversations with one another. It's hard to overstate how much of a difference it makes to know that you aren't the only one struggling. And for me personally, when I hear that a person I think is absolutely stunning wrestles with the same insecurities and negative self-talk that I experience, it helps me to realize that maybe my own insecurities are just as unjustified. That's a powerful feeling!

wiggle week deadly dames
Blue Steel, babes.
My face when I think about impossible beauty standards
#wiggleweek

It's also so important to me to show that there's no 'right' way to wear a dress: that our idea of what bodies 'should' or should not wear certain styles is just a bill of goods we've been sold by a society that wants to sell things to women by playing on their fears.

I might just be an ornery old broad, but I deeply resent the idea that my goal in getting dressed should be to feel thin and small (but not too small!), instead of happy. Why should I make myself disappear? Why should I feel bad about myself if I don't have the perfect hourglass figure? F. That. But if we ever want to escape these everpresent beauty standards, we have to actually see people with bodies of all shapes and sizes doing their thing in whatever clothing they've put on! Hence: Wiggle Week. I gained so much confidence after seeing the beauty in everyone's posts last year, including those with bodies with which I could identify.

Finally, it was incredibly inspiring to see so many women sharing their own stories about their bodies, and to follow along as those stories evolved through the week of mindful body positivity. This might be the main reason that I actually cannot wait till November to bring back Wiggle Week. It was one of the best forms of body-image self-care I've ever done, and I'm hoping to repeat that experience and share it with as many people as I can!

Invisible mic drop.

Need more reasons to throw on a wiggle, or wear the one that's sitting in your closet that you haven't quite managed to wear out of the house? Why not check out my top six reasons to love the wiggle?

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28 comments:

  1. I love this gorgeous look! And great words too - looking forward to seeing Wiggle Week unfold! Kx

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    1. Thank you so much! Wiggle Week was such an incredible experience last time, and I'm hoping lots of people take part this time!

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  2. This is such a good look! Not only the colours but the whole fit and the shrug is lovely! I'm glad you're so proud of wiggle week, although I'm a bit shy and tend to stay with the same clothes when I travel that's when I get out of my comfort zone and head straight for new things! So I will try my best this summer to feel comfortable with my body and whatever I want to wear <3

    sophieannetaylor.com

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    1. Thank you so much 😘😘! It's funny you mention being shy -- I'm fairly shy (it's part of why I'm terrible with names, because I get scared when I first meet people), but for some reason, I don't mind dressing in some very loud clothing. And YES, I'm all about getting outside my usual styles when I travel, too! It feels like anything goes. Check out the #WiggleWeek pics -- everyone is beautiful in their unique bodies, and maybe that'll help you like it helps me!

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  3. You look amazing!!! I couldn't pull off a wiggle dress at all 💖

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    1. Aw, thank you!! And I'd bet good money that you'd be lovely in a wiggle, as long as it made you feel good.

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  4. I absolutely love your style and your confidence, Emily! It also makes me feel a little sad when I wear bold prints and people say to me "I wish I could pull that off" because everybody can!! I think you look fabulous in your wiggle dress, it's a style I've yet to own but I definitely want to!

    Abbey 🎀 www.abbeylouisarose.co.uk

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    1. You are so right -- the only thing anybody needs to pull off a print of style is a body to put it on and the desire to wear it! Hope you can find a wiggle you like, because they really do put an extra spring in your step!!

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  5. I love your attitude! I've actually always loved fashion, but I only started allowing myself to dress how I wanted in the last few years. I thought I didn't have the "right body" for fashion. Garbage, right? Sharing content like this broadens the conversation on body positivity we so need. Way to go, Em!

    Breanna Catharina
    toocuteforlife.com

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    1. It makes me sad that you spent so long not dressing how you liked, because you really are too cute for life! You're right: the idea of a 'right body' is garbage. If it's your body, then it's the right body for wearing what you want!!

      I'm so excited to see your Modcloth haul once you've got your photo booth going!!

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  6. Oooh can't wait to see what other dresses you wear throughout the week, and can't agree with you more... we should wear whatever we want, and dismiss those silly thoughts that we can only wear a certain thing because of our body shape. I'm going to set aside a week of dressing pretty to work... see if it makes me feel happier tehe. I'll let you know how it goes!

    Lizzie Bee // hello lizzie bee

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    1. Awww, I hope it does make you happier to wear your lovely clothes at work! I know that if I saw you in your gorgeous gyaru outfits, it would make ME happy! If you wear what you like and it makes you happy, you'll feel good and bring a little cheer to the world!!

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  7. This is such a lovely idea! Looking forward to seeing all your Wiggle Week updates.
    Claire xo

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    1. Thank you! It's really a lovely event -- I made some amazing friends during the last one and came out of it feeling so much more confident in my own skin!

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  8. Awww wiggle week is such a cool idea! You look amazing in that dress!
    PaleGirlRambling xo

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    1. Thank you so much! I just couldn't wait to do a second Wiggle Week after seeing how well the first one went!

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  9. Love this look and the idea of wiggle week! I have a serious love for wiggle dresses but sadly admit I often talk myself out of them simply due to the standards in my head of what they should look like on vs how they look on me! Thank you for sharing!

    Britt | http://alternativelyspeaking.ca/

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    1. Awww, those standards in your head are mean old liars -- anyone can wear a wiggle! All you need to make it look good is a beautiful soul ❤️❤️!

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  10. Great idea!! I often just throw on jeans and a tshirt cause I'm self conscious of the weight I've recently gained. I want to lose it to be healthy becsuse I'm worried about my health. But in the meantime, it's so hard to feel confident

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    1. I totally relate to what you're going through. It's hard enough to feel comfortable in your body, but it's even harder to get used to changes in the body you've always known. Try to remember that the people who love you will love you no matter what, and keep the focus on health, because you're already everything you need to be ❤️❤️

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  11. THis dress is gorgeous! I love the bright colours! And the print too. Who said flowers for spring weren't groundbreaking?! Ahah? Not sure a midi dress would look good on me though!t xx corinne

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    1. Thank you so much! And yesss that pun -- I love it! Gonna keep it in mind for the next time I wear a floral dress :). I've seen this dress on taller women and it hits at the knee, so if you're more than 5'2, it might be a length you like 😂😂!

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  12. Dang it! I've been all over the place and haven't been on IG or FB very often to check these things. I was planning on doing some blog photos today....so I think I might try on one of my new wiggles <3

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    1. Oh yay -- I hope you do a Wiggle post! I need to catch up on your most recent posts, too. So glad you've gotten back into blogging ❤️❤️! Hope all is well.

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  13. I love your style, as well as your photography in this post-thanks for posting!

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    1. Thank you so much! It was such a windy day when I took these photos, so I feel quite thankful that any of them came out useable!

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  14. You look beautiful, Emmy. Not prejudiced at all. ♥

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