Lauren Conrad banned these body-shaming words from her website. Here’s why it matters.
Lauren Conrad, who you might know from Laguna Beach or The Hills, also has an awesome clothing line and lifestyle brand which focuses on things like crafts, books, fashion, and health. We love her bright florals and simple, Pinterest-fairy dust-sprinkled DIY-approach to all kinds of fun projects. We also admire the way Conrad takes all of her fans and clientele very seriously and truly cares for their well-being. Well now, the designer and former reality star is taking things one stop further and switching things up on her site — for the better. This summer Conrad is shifting the way her site talks about health and body image, and it’s amazing. In her monthly letter to subscribers, “Letter from Lauren,” she explained how things are going to run on her site from now on:
Conrad, who is known for her work-out and diet tips, has never shied away from encouraging women (and men) from looking and feeling their best — regardless of the season. But to see her edit the rhetoric for her brand is inspiring. In the letter, she goes on to explain the words her editorial team won’t be using anymore — and why.
We are so on board with Conrad’s change in focus. We don’t need to be using the terms “skinny,” “slim,” and “thin” to describe the universal idea of health. There is no one right “body,” and healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes. So, no more “getting slim,” or working toward “becoming skinny.” Now, if you follow Conrad’s site, expect to see fitness tips and tricks that encourage men and women to embrace their natural, best selves. We totally welcome this positive change.
Conrad adds, “Every body is created differently, and healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes.” AMEN.
She’s not the only one to challenge the way we treat getting fit. Back in April, two rad bloggers Fiona Longmuir and Tara Costello called out Protein World’s “Are You Beach Body Ready?” ad that alienated so many women who didn’t look anything like the petite model on the poster. They posed in front of the poster, and transformed the body-shaming ad-copy into the positive hashtag #EachBodyIsReady, which went totally viral and gained a ton of recognition for its empowering stance on bodies and self-love.
We’re psyched to see more and more people fighting our very narrow, rigid beauty standards and replacing them with realistic, attainable goals and standards. And as we can see, it all starts with the way we use vocabulary. Words are powerful, so let’s use them to initiate change and positivity.
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