By Amanda de Lauzon, Digital Media Intern
Life’s too short to not wear what you want!
Our clothes show who we are to the world. We can show our wild side, our girly side and even our edgy side. We can show our personality through our clothes, we can feel confident and we can feel beautiful. So why do fashion brands not show diversity and inclusivity? We as women are always told who we should be, what we should look like and what we should wear. It’s time we break out of that. This Black Friday and shopping season we should try to support brands that promote confidence and positivity. Women should always support women and we can do that even in the products we buy.
Brands to support this holiday season:
1. American Eagle/Aerie
“We stand for individuality, freedom and difference. Our jeans and apparel empower our customers to reveal their true selves to the world – their style, their creativity, their stories, their strengths. Our brand celebrates those who won't be contained by someone else's labels. Real individuals with passion and purpose.”
2. Fabletics
“At Fabletics, we create clothing that inspires you to stay active, whether that means competing in an iron(wo)man competition, sweating in the studio, or chasing after your kids. Our on-trend designs are high in quality at prices you'll feel good about.”
They offer sizes from xx-small to 3x to break the stigma that athletic looks one way.
https://www.fabletics.com/outfits
3. Reformation
Created by female CEO Yael Aflalo, this clothing brand is more than just unique. Reformation is sustainable clothing which we don’t see a lot in the fashion industry. As the amazing Greta Thunberg has taught us, climate change is coming at us fast and every small part of our lives has an effect on it.
https://www.thereformation.com/pages/our-stuff
4. Nike
“Our mission is, To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. *If you have a body, you are an athlete.”
5. ASOS
“We believe in a world where you have total freedom to be you, without judgement. To experiment. To express yourself. To be brave and grab life as the extraordinary adventure it is. So we make sure everyone has an equal chance to discover all the amazing things they’re capable of – no matter who they are, where they’re from or what looks they like to boss. We exist to give you the confidence to be whoever you want to be.”
6. Mantra Band
“That's what we want for you and everyone on this planet. We do this by promoting a lifestyle of optimism, positivity, and mindfulness. MantraBand bracelets are made to inspire. They are the reminders to choose happiness, to live what you love and to be present in every moment.”
7. Alex and Ani
“Alex and Ani's mission is to design products that adorn the body, enlighten the mind, and empower the spirit. Alex and Ani's collections reflect a design aesthetic that celebrates each wearer's unique essence.”
8. ThirdLove
“ThirdLove remains committed to its mission of offering an unmatched array of sizes, and to create perfect, comfortable, and stylish bras for every woman in the world. 'ThirdLove's ethos is to have a bra for every woman, to help every woman feel confident every day of her life.”
What to watch out for:
-Brands that aren’t inclusive in the women they show and promote.
-Companies with very exclusive sizing (like one-size fits all). A brand like Brandy Melville that tells young girls that their clothes is one size fits all is trying to show fashion and beauty as one size. While the clothes are trendy, there are so many other brands to shop from that raise up all kinds of women, not just one.
-Brands that have constrictive standards of beauty. Beauty isn’t just one face, one body or one look. Beauty comes in every shape and size and so should the clothing we see in the stores.
We have to work to buy from brands that impact the world in a positive way, that we can be happy to spend our money on and feel good in. It’s important for brands to increase diversity and inclusivity in their advertisements and in their clothing because women deserve to feel confident and beautiful in the clothing they put on their body.
So this season, bundle up, bear the cold and buy from brands that make you feel good, that make you feel as beautiful as you are.
