Forget VPL, this blogger wants us to embrace our Visible Belly Outlines

Alice Sholl
·Contributor
_selfloveclub_
“Cheers to embracing what we’ve been told not to wear” [Photo: Instagram/_selfloveclub_]

Since we were old enough to become aware of unrealistic beauty standards (aka depressingly young) the first thing to be disappointed with was our own, non-flat, stomachs.

Because certain things are apparently meant to stick out – such as boobs and bums – but not too much. And some things aren’t meant to stick out at all, namely our bellies.

Which is an attitude that one body positive blogger is out to change.

SelfLoveClub is instead urging us to learn to love our ‘VBO’ – our Visible Belly Outline – so that we can get back to important things like enjoying our summers.

Cheers to a summer of rocking clothing that give you a visible tummy outline. • Cheers to not giving a sh✨t what people think about your body or the way you dress. • Cheers to embracing what we've been told not to wear because it doesn't "flatter our body type". • Cheers to living free of judgement, reservations, and inhibitions. • Life is short, enjoy it. Don't let others affect your happiness and self worth. Bellies are cute and worth showing off. #BEinyourskin #embracethesquish #allbodiesaregoodbodies ????????????

A post shared by P O S I T I V E V I B E S (@_selfloveclub_) on May 24, 2017 at 9:22am PDT

“Cheers to a summer of rocking clothing that give you a visible tummy outline,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

“Cheers to not giving a sh*t what people think about your body or the way you dress.”

“Cheers to embracing what we’ve been told not to wear because it doesn’t ‘flatter our body type’.”

“Cheers to living free of judgement, reservations, and inhibitions.”

“Life is short, enjoy it. Don’t let others affect your happiness and self worth.”

The other day I saw this "helpful" article that described where, when, and how you should rock a crop top. • The article stated that you should NEVER wear a crop top with low rise pants or bottoms that reveal body fat (god forbid someone realizes you have rolls). • Articles like these basically tell women who have fat on their bodies that HEY, CROP TOPS ARE NOT FOR YOU. Just like we were told for so damn long that bikinis weren't for us either. • It's so damn exhausting feeling like society is policing your body – I am freeing myself of that. It's actually incredibly liberating to find things that society tells chubby / fat / "non-ideal body types" NOT to wear and friggin WEAR IT. WEAR IT AND CHANGE THE DAMN CONVERSATION. SHOW THE WORLD HOW ADORABLE CROP TOPS LOOK WITH YOUR ROLLS SHOWING. • I refuse to listen to these imaginary rules – who created them? WE NEED TO TALK ???????????????? • • • Crop top by the lovely @1aeon ???? #BEinyourskin #croptopsareforeveryone #stoppolicingwomensbodies

A post shared by P O S I T I V E V I B E S (@_selfloveclub_) on May 22, 2017 at 8:47am PDT

“Bellies are cute and worth showing off.”

It’s a simple concept, but a very important one – why do we punish ourselves for having the little bit of chub on our stomachs that just about everyone has?

And her fans have felt similarly.

“Just cried reading this. Thank you x [sic] a million,” one wrote.

“I have a twin mom pooch now and I’m so ashamed of it and walk around daily fearing that I’ll get asked if I’m pregnant again even though that can never, ever happen without IVF.

Thick thighs and chubby bellies are nothing to be ashamed of. Our squish is part of who we are and it is normal and beautiful. I try daily to look in the mirror and tell myself that I am beautiful. Imperfections make us perfect and flaws make us flawless tbh. Take today to #embracethesquish ???? • Remember: be gentle with yourself, you're still growing ????

A post shared by P O S I T I V E V I B E S (@_selfloveclub_) on May 23, 2017 at 2:12pm PDT

“I feel like crap and your post has really gripped me. You look so beautiful to me… so I just need to start seeing that in myself!”

Another added: “You have no idea how much I needed this.”

“I have struggled with my tummy for as long as I can remember to the point where it feels like how it looks and how my clothes fit play on my mind every second of the day… I can’t thank you enough for this post.”

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