A SUMMER BODY? HUN, I'VE ALREADY GOT ONE!

There's so much talk on social media that revolves around getting a 'summer body', a 'beach body' or a 'bikini body'. But I call bullshit. Although I understand fully, the desire of wanting toned abs, lean thighs and an 'instagram worthy' body – it's just a trap. A trap to ensure we buy into the diet industry, and a trap to ensure we loath our bodies so much that we feel the need to alter and change them. 

Young girls are growing up, believing that they need to fit into a mould. A mould that deems them worthy of being loved, liked and accepted within the distorted society that we live in today. I don't agree with obesity, and I'm by no means encouraging it – but what I am encouraging is intuitive eating, along with the practise of self-love and self-acceptance. 

Cellulite, stretch marks and rolls of fat – these things are natural, yet three of the most frowned upon bodily traits within our society. God forbid you step out of your front door with any of these three traits on show, and God forbid you actually accept and love them. When I was thirteen (or even younger), I remember heading to Boots and buying bottles and tubs full of potions that were perceived as 'magic' – apparently they would shrink my thighs, diminish the appearance of stretch marks and cause my cellulite to be gone before my very eyes, if only, eh!? The truth is, these products don't really work and if I'm being honest, I probably knew this deep down.

How to get a bikini body: put a bikini on a body

I've grown up a lot since the days of the 'magic cellulite cream' though, and I've now realised that it's normal. Thin people have cellulite, fat people have cellulite, black people have cellulite and white people have cellulite – everybody has cellulite, and yes, even celebrities do too!

I'm finally learning that it's okay to have jiggly bits, dimply bits and bits that roll and mould into different shapes. All bodies are beautiful and worthy of love, acceptance and SUMMER. All bodies are worthy of having a summer; a summer that's full of fun, comfy clothes and SUNSHINE!

You might look down upon your stomach and thighs, you might look at the tops of your arms and you might cringe or even cry. That's because we've been taught to loathe our softness. According to society, we shouldn't accept, like or show off our softness, and nobody else should find our softness attractive. Washboard abs are what we're all supposed to have, but this is a so-called 'beauty ideal' that will never happen. People have their body types, shapes and sizes because of a multitude of different reasons: medication, illness, hormones, genetic make up and a million and one other reasons. Just like some people are naturally slender, some people are naturally chubby or fat, and that's okay!!

People may perceive body positive activists as 'promoting obesity' and this is wrong on all levels. Like mentioned above, people can be fat, thin, chubby and slim – and all down to a million and one different reasons. Having a certain body type isn't always representative of how healthy somebody is. Someone might eat cakes all day, binge on alcohol and have overall poor health, but on the other hand, somebody might eat intuitively, nourish their body with fruit and vegetables, have the occasional treat yet be chubby/fat/curvy. I know scientists, obesity experts and doctors will not agree with me here, but some people (no matter how much they've dieted in the past) just can't shift all of their extra softness – I truly believe that some of us aren't meant to be slim, just like some slim people aren't made to be bigger.

Please stop beating yourself up over your weight and size. Providing you lead a healthy and happy life (that you're happy with), you're living your best life and that's all that matters. Head to the beach with your cellulite on show; don't try to hide your stretch marks (or as I like to call them 'sparkling lightening bolts'); and wear a bikini with your belly out if that's what you want to do. Summer comprises of warm months where lots of people whom are unhappy with their bodies will hide away – let's not give into society... we need to take stand and live our best lives throughout the warmer months, regardless of chub rub and cellulite. 

Obviously it's easier said than done, and naturally we worry about other people's opinions. But at the end of the day we get one life and we need to live it in the exact way that we want to. Most people won't even care/notice/look at your cellulite, bigger belly, flat bum, stretch marks, big bum, chunky thighs or knobbly knees – people are more wrapped up in themselves to worry about you and whether or not you've got a bit of cellulite on your thighs. 

Wear whatever you want this summer with the utmost confidence that you look hella cute, gorgeous AF and goddamn amazing. Don't cover up your cellulite, don't be ashamed of your soft belly, and don't worry about your stretch marks, (just be sure to wear some little shorts or apply an anti-chafe cream if your legs are prone to a lil bit of chub rub). 

A little more about this stunning outfit I'm sporting on my summer body:

This outfit is perfect for a summers day. Cool, flowing and super chic. I'd wear this to a picnic in a field, a day at the beach, an afternoon in town or for coffee with friends. Chic, cool and super comfy. I'm wearing a stunning dress from Laundry B (with some lil cycling shorts underneath to stop the dreaded chub rub); a beautiful white/cream/beige dual tone bag from Bessie London; STUNNING and incredibly chic sunglasses by Ralph by Ralph Lauren from the Sunglasses Shop; a super on-trend beige baker boy hat from River Island; rainbow tassel earrings from Laundry B; white western style sliders also from Laundry B; and a stunning watch by Zadig & Voltaire from WatchShop.com.

The Mykonos Pom Pom Dress in Nude from Laundry B (£65), is a stunning dress. It comes in 'one size' and fits size 8 – 18. This dress is gorgeous and so comfy too. With a relaxed oversized fit, gorgeous detailing and the most opulent material imaginable, this gorgeous dress has become a staple in my summer wardrobe for sure. I'm in desperate need of the Blue Bell colour of this dress, as it's absolutely stunning and well, a girl can never have too many dresses? Although £65, I definitely think it's the right price for such a stunning garment that I know I'll be wearing again and again. I neeeed it in every colour, it's such a staple. I'm IN LOVE, and you will be too.

My beautiful and ever so chic sunglasses are the Ralph by Ralph Lauren RA5235 sunglasses in beige with gorgeous gold detailing (colour code: 1688T5). With gradient polarised lenses, these sunglasses put a stop to harsh glares which means you'll be able to see more clearly. Perfect for beaches (to stop the glare from the water), and perfect for drivers too! I find that I can see out of these sunglasses more clearly and vividly, and they're really comfortable too. These sunglasses are the chicest, most gorgeous looking sunglasses I have ever seen. The sparkly sections above the lenses are utterly stunning, and when the light beams down on them they sparkle like crushed diamonds. These sunglasses honestly team with any outfit imaginable, and look super chic, opulent and luxurious when teamed with one of my designer handbags!! They retail at £121, and are available in Beige (what I have) and Black too!

My gorgeous bag from Bessie London comprises of dual tones of white and beige – perfect for this outfit! As soon as I got my dress, I just KNEW I'd be pairing it with this bag! And then when I walked into River Island a couple of weeks ago and saw this stunning beige baker boy, I just knew I needed to add it to my ever-growing hat collection (and I knew for sure that I'd be wearing it with this outfit too)! The neutral beige shade means this hat can be worn throughout the seasons, and I cannot wait to sport it when fall arrives.

My shoes and earrings are also from Laundry B, and aren't they just the cutest? The Western Style Sliders are my absolute favourites! I never thought I'd love a pair of white sandals as much as I do, but these sandals are SO comfy and they go with EVERYTHING too, and at £16... how can you not love them? The earrings are also rather beautiful and incredibly fun as well. They're the Tassel Fan Earrings in the Neon Colour Pop option (£9), and I'm honestly obsessed. All I wear earring wise these days are tassels, so as you can imagine, these are gladly welcomed into my life (and onto my ears)!

My gorgeous watch is the Zadig and Voltaire Fusion Watch (£175) from their SS18 collection, read my full blog post about this stunning watch here. It pairs perfectly with absolutely ANY outfit, and the dual metal tone means that you can mix and match your jewellery according to your mood!

I hope you enjoyed this post and got some clothing inspiration and a confidence boost too. Nobody should hide away when it's summer. Embrace the sun, embrace the nature and embrace yo' curves guys and gals!