If you’re still standing today, you’re a fighter.
But your self-love has probably taken a hit in favour of your survival instincts. Am I right?
Searching online for all the self-love quotes might bring you momentary satisfaction, but it just won’t cut it.
Keep reading to discover 20 simple ways you can practice self-love and show yourself some appreciation today.
Nothing works for maintaining a positive outlook on yourself and your life like adopting a grateful mindset. When you create a habit of focusing on what you do have, it’s hard to allow what you don’t have to get you down. A practical way to do this is by keeping a gratitude journal. It doesn’t have to be a daily essay – just write down three things you’re grateful for each day.
What are the activities that without fail, always bring a smile to your face? Spend more time doing them! From going bush walking to cooking a delicious meal – if it brings you joy then carve out time in your calendar to make these activities a priority.
When you’re doing the same old thing, day in and day out, it’s easy to become bored. This can quickly turn into self-pity. Self-love and self-pity don’t go together. Seek opportunities to learn and grow by stepping outside your comfort zone and trying new things.
We all mess up sometimes. Failure is part of the journey, especially when you’re trying something new. Instead of dwelling on your mistakes, learn from them. Ask yourself, “what can I take from this experience that will help me in the future?”
Nobody’s perfect. It may not be easy but let go of those perfectionist tendencies that only lead to overthinking, stress induced acne and sleepless nights. Lower your expectations to a more attainable level for greater peace of mind. The same goes for your expectations of others.
Have you ever heard the quote “comparison is the thief of joy”? These are wise words to not ignore. Think about the last time you compared yourself with a friend, sibling, co-worker or celebrity – did it feel good? Probably not. Do yourself a favour and focus on your own journey.
Everyone will have an opinion about the decisions you make. Sometimes, it’s because they care. Other times, it’s because they’re just opinionated people. Either way, be selective about the voices you allow in and seek their advice – not their approval.
We all have a story to tell that someone needs to hear. Your journey in this life is unique to you, as are your thoughts and opinions. So, when it matters – share your voice and speak your mind. Because you’re worth listening to.
Are you hurting? Allow yourself to feel the pain. Are you healing? Allow the process to unfold. Are you happy? Allow joy to overflow. No matter what you’re feeling, your emotions are valid.
The way you speak to yourself reflects the way you love yourself. Negative self-talk is one way to allow the opposite of self-love into your mind and heart. Each time you feel yourself verging on that territory, replace it with a positive affirmation – say something you like about yourself.
You may be praised for being a selfless person but when you put others ahead of your own wellbeing, you end up being unproductive. Take care of your own needs and you’ll be better able to take care of others.
This adds to the last point – learn to say “no” if saying “yes” would only fill you with dread and resentment. If you need to stay in tonight instead of going out for dinner with friends, then do it.
In our fast-paced society, it’s normal to constantly be planning the next thing. What am I having for dinner? What am I doing next week? Next month? Thinking too much about the future can cause us to lose sight of the present. Practice being present and you’ll find joy in the little things.
You deserve it. Life can be a lot to deal with and sometimes you and I need a mental break from what’s going on in our world. If you can, book a staycation or time away every few months to clear your mind and reset.
Technology is embedded in almost everything we do today. Though it can simplify our lives, it can also detract from our mental health and wellbeing. Try disconnecting periodically (a social media detox does wonders) to spend time in nature or with loved ones.
A key part of self-love is self-care. Be mindful of what you put in your body and treat it with the highest respect. Also, listen to your body. If it’s telling you that you’re pushing it too far and you need a break – take a break.
We all have flaws. Yours are more obvious to you than anyone else. Accept that your body has features you’d like to change. Better yet, embrace them as beautiful.
When you have people around you who love and encourage you, it’s easier to love yourself. Be intentional about who you spend time with to protect your self-love.
It goes both ways. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Small gestures for others are an effective way to feel good about yourself, too.
Now, this one isn’t an everyday practice. Although it can be if you think of an affordable way to do it! Maybe you’ve wanted to get a massage for months – treat yourself. Maybe you’ve wanted to stay in that luxury hotel since it opened – treat yourself. Maybe you’ve had your eye one of the premium intimates in our essentials collection – definitely, treat yourself.
]]>Maybe.
At or around 1 January each year, millions of people across the world set goals or “new year’s resolutions” in the hope of developing new habits for positive change. And yet, about 80% of these resolutions are abandoned by February.
So, where are we going wrong?
Do we simply lack the motivation and discipline (likely, after the challenge of the last two years!) or is it something else? Maybe the problem lies in how we define our goals. They may be too vague or too far out of our reach.
Among the most common resolutions are:
Let’s focus on the last one – save more and spend less. Perhaps this is a goal you’ve set for yourself in the past, or even for this year. Lockdowns and spending so much time at home may have done some damage to your bank account, as you passed the time engaging in a dangerous online shopping habit.
Or is that just me?
Even just out of pure financial wisdom, you may have resolved to change your purchasing habits so you can save up for that emergency fund, new car, holiday, or down payment for a home. But will setting a goal for yourself like “spend less” help you make positive and lasting change?
For most of us, probably not.
What if spending less means missing out on buying the things we really need? And if we do buy those things, we automatically fail to achieve our goal. That doesn’t seem right.
Instead of a typical “spend less” goal that sets you up for failure, try reframing it and set a goal for yourself like “be more intentional with spending” and define what that means to you. This type of goal focusses less on the amount and more on the item.
So if you’ve had your eye on the Essential Bandeau (as I have), don’t immediately dismiss it because it doesn’t help you “spend less”. Look at it as intentional spending – an investment to help you achieve other more long-term goals such as engaging in more mindful consumption to preserve our precious earth.
]]>You may have come up with ethical, eco-friendly, renewable, enduring, slow fashion.
Or, if you’re like me, the first word you thought of was “expensive”.
In a fast fashion world, we as consumers have grown used to the search for the lowest price for any particular item. The more we consume, the more we’re hungry for the biggest bargain. It’s become about how much we can keep in our pockets while still achieving the satisfaction of owning something new.
As satisfying as it is in the moment, fast fashion comes at a cost (click here to learn more).
Maybe you’ve eyed the Essential Bikini on our website and you immediately thought of a dozen other brands selling a similar product for a third of the price. You’ve read the reviews and descriptions, desire the comfort of the buttery-soft fabric against your skin, yet can’t justify the price tag.
Now, I know not everyone is a finance nerd like me but a great way to make any financial decision is by using a cost-benefit analysis. Stick with me here.
A cost-benefit analysis is like a pros and cons list but using dollar values. So, if you’re trying to decide whether to buy a certain clothing item, add up all the benefits associated with buying it (assigning dollar values to each). Then, subtract the costs from the total benefits to see whether the purchase is worth it.
It’s a useful strategy to use to help you make intentional purchasing decisions. Trust me, your future self will thank you for it!
Using this approach, let’s see whether choosing sustainable fashion is actually worth it by looking at its benefits.
Textiles account for approximately 20-35% of microplastics entering the ocean each year (McKinsey, 2020), a result of washing synthetic clothes.
The fashion industry, fast fashion especially, leaves a mark on our planet. And it’s not a good one.
On the other hand, slow fashion uses eco-friendly fabrics and processes to minimise the environmental footprint from the production and use of clothing. Many sustainable clothing brands use renewable resources in the manufacturing of their products, use recycled fabrics and strive to reduce waste as much as possible.
For example, to decrease the negative impact of toxic chemicals and microplastics in our waterways, sustainable clothing brands use eco-friendly materials such as organic hemp, organic linen, recycled cotton, recycled wool, organic cotton, TENCEL™ and Monocel®. SHADIE BY EA uses TENCEL™ Modal, which comes from renewable raw material beech wood sources. The process used to develop this material is found to use up to 20 times less water than the processes used to make cotton.
Now, if that isn’t good for the earth, I don’t know what is!
Most fast fashion garment workers are paid less than a living wage, live in poverty and consistently work in poor conditions.
Unfortunately, fast fashion doesn’t recognise the value of a human life. The industry doesn’t treat those responsible for its success with the dignity they deserve. As tough as it is to say, our continued consumption of fast fashion implies consent with this behaviour and only fuels the cycle.
But slow fashion provides another way.
The slow fashion business model supports fair and ethical labour practices, giving workers a proper living wage for their efforts. At SHADIE BY EA, our lovely workers and seamstress are paid a living wage significantly more than minimum wage. This gives them access to basic needs such as food, housing, healthcare, clothing, transportation, energy, water, childcare, education, other essential needs, and provision for unexpected events.
By investing in sustainable fashion, you invest in the futures of these workers and their families.
Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landfill (UNEP, 2018).
That’s a lot of trash that only further contributes to waste and our world’s carbon footprint.
Because fast fashion is so cheap and easily replaceable, that’s exactly how we treat it. We wear it for a season then move on to the next trend without a second thought of where our clothes end up. But it’s not just our attitude toward fashion that leads to waste, it’s that fast fashion clothing isn’t built for longevity.
Sustainable fashion brands focus on creating quality pieces that are made to last. These are durable pieces you can wear in and out of every season. Pieces that will look and feel as good as the day you bought them – for years to come.
Let me introduce you to one final way you can approach your clothing purchases to help you make better decisions. It’s the old school idea of ‘cost per wear’. With cost per wear, you take the price you pay for a garment and divide it by the number of times you wear it. So let’s try it now with our Essential Bikini, compared against a similar product.
|
SHADIE BY EA Essentials Bikini |
Another brand’s similar product |
Price |
$45 |
$15 |
Expected number of wears* |
300 |
70 |
Cost per wear |
$0.15 |
$0.21 |
Does that put it into perspective for you?
Think of the clothing you buy as a long-term investment, not just to meet a short-term need.
]]>Bet you’ve heard that one before. Many times. But what does it mean? And does it contribute to negative body image?
This expression apparently first appeared in 3rd century BC in Greek, many years later translated to English by Shakespeare in Love’s Labour Lost as “beauty is bought by judgement of the eye”. The exact phrase “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is credited to Margaret Hungerford in her 1978 novel Molly Bawn.
Okay, that’s it for the history lesson; let’s talk about the meaning of this saying.
On one (more positive) level, this could mean that beauty is subjective and that what one person finds beautiful another may not. Can’t argue with that.
On another level, society – especially the media – has turned this saying on its head such that it could now be interpreted as beauty is created by the observer.
And when you look around – on social media, in magazines, Hollywood – it seems to reign true. Society has been telling us what is beautiful for centuries. If you told me that what you perceive, think and feel about your body wasn’t in some way influenced by what you see in the media, you’d probably be lying (unless you’re disconnected from all technology but if you were, you wouldn’t be reading this).
Unfortunately, the social pressures, media and peer group expectations we face can fuel a negative body image as we absorb the unhealthy messages we constantly see and hear. Maybe you were teased about one or more of your body features as a child. Or maybe you have a different body shape to everyone else in your family. Perhaps your social media feed is filled with influencers and connections who are constantly presenting a faux “glow up” of themselves.
Whatever it is, you’re not alone.
According to recent research, 80% of Australian women are dissatisfied with some aspect of their bodies.
Often, influenced by societal messages, the worst enemy of positive body image and high self-esteem is our inner critic. We’re quick to point out our own flaws before the next person notices. When we see a beautiful woman, our minds subconsciously compare and find all the ways we believe we don’t measure up.
At the end of the day, you define beauty. It shouldn’t be misplaced in the hands of society with its unrealistic beauty standards that only lead to insecurities, self-hate and pure vanity.
"People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder." - Salma Hayek
And that realisation happens through the process of unlearning.
The process of unlearning the unhealthy, toxic messages that provoke a negative body image (including skin colour) that have been conditioned in your mind is a journey. It doesn’t happen overnight.
To shift beliefs about your body that you have held for so long requires an intentional pursuit. It’s about turning up the volume on your own voice and turning it down on the voices telling you who you should be and what you should look like. It’s about challenging what doesn’t sit right with you.
Remember, you are the beholder of your beauty.
Let me leave you with some fire body image quotes to give you that confidence boost and get you well on your way to unlearning society’s negative messages:
"Since I don’t look like every other girl, it takes a while to be okay with that. To be different. But different is good." – Serena Williams
"Being a healthy woman isn’t about getting on a scale or measuring your waistline. We need to start focusing on what matters — on how we feel, and how we feel about ourselves." – Michelle Obama
"I can’t think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself." – Emma Stone
"Say goodbye to your inner critic, and take this pledge to be kinder to yourself and others." – Oprah Winfrey
"It doesn’t have anything to do with how the world perceives you. What matters is what you see." – Gabourey Sidibe
Whenever you need a reminder that you are beautiful regardless of what they say (or what you think), come back to these quotes, turn up Lizzo’s Good as Hell and own it, girl.
]]>*Does a Google search for the same item on several other websites to compare the price*
Been there? I have.
I’m all too familiar with labelling clothing as “too expensive” and settling on a cheaper alternative for the sake of my bank account. But how much is what I’m saving in price costing someone or something else?
Buying fast fashion without considering who really pays the price for my clothing is a habit I’m trying to curb. As someone who takes pride in my style and having many options to put together the perfect outfit every time, it’s not easy. But it’s necessary. I’m on a journey to shift my primary focus in purchasing decisions from style and price to source – will you join me?
To kickstart my journey from consuming fast fashion to slow fashion, I recently watched the documentary The True Cost to educate myself.
And I learned a lot.
Have you ever paused to consider who pays really pays the price for the clothes you wear?
Looking beyond the price tag, there are many supply chain factors that influence the cost of clothing. Fashion is the most labour dependent industry on earth and most of the work is done by people who have no voice in the larger supply chain. The high turnover and rapid consumption of fast fashion comes at a cost of the dignity of these people.
Workers in factories of fast fashion brands are forced to work in poor, high risk conditions – inhaling harmful chemicals, suffering abuse and harassment, working unsustainable hours – all for as little as 39 cents an hour in countries like Bangladesh[i] . A wage that barely covers basic dignity, hygiene and health.
Fast fashion not only has a negative impact on human rights but also on the environment.
To produce a garment of clothing requires the use of natural resources such as water and land; and it emits harmful chemicals. Making one cotton t-shirt uses up to 1,750 litres of water and releases around 5 kilograms of carbon dioxide (about the same as a 20km car trip)[ii] . The environmental impacts don’t stop at the production process but extend to every stage of a clothing item’s life cycle – from sourcing through to disposal.
According to Quantis, a climate consultancy firm, the global fashion industry produces nearly 4 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions[iii]. When looking at consumption per person, Australia is now the second highest consumer of textiles in the world, only behind the United States. Each year, on average we purchase 27 kilograms of new clothing and dispose of 23 kilograms of clothing to landfill[iv].
That’s a lot of landfill! Most of this waste is non-biodegradable – it sits in landfills for 200 years or more while releasing harmful gases into the air[v]. This is fuelled by our throw-away mentality and tendency to frequently replace our clothing with new ‘on-trend’ items.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Fashion shouldn’t be something we wear and toss after a season. It should be made to last a lifetime.
This is where sustainable clothing brands are changing the way we consume fashion. Slow and ethical fashion considers the consequences of each stage of the clothing life cycle – sourcing, production, transport, retail, use and disposal. This ‘thoughtful’ approach to fashion contributes to the final cost of an item of clothing.
When you look at the price tag of an ethical clothing item, you’re looking at eco-friendly sourcing, the use of renewable resources, ethical supply chains, fairly paid and respected workers. It costs more to produce items that don’t result in damaging consequences.
SHADIE BY EA is one of those brands. A first glance, you may balk at the prices of our new Essentials Collection. But that’s exactly what they are – made at a premium. From the biodegradable Tencel material used, to partnering with One Tree Planted to plant a tree for every Essential Scrunchie sold, our business model creates positive social impact.
Our prices reflect products that give back to you and the planet.
The next time you’re tempted to find a cheaper alternative to sustainable clothing because it’s “too expensive”, ask yourself: Can I really not afford this, or do I feel like I can’t because I’m used to fast fashion? Rather than buying the cheaper t-shirt in 5 different colours, consider the more ethical t-shirt made to last.
Let’s swap quality for quantity. It’s not about how much we have but the value it carries. And this value goes beyond the price tag.
[i] https://whatshemakes.oxfam.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Living-Wage-Media-Report_WEB.pdf
[ii] https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/03/business/cheap-clothing-fast-fashion-climate-change-intl/index.html
[iii] As above.
[iv] https://www.planetark.org/newsroom/news/tackling-australias-textile-waste#:~:text=Australians%20are%20a%20fashionable%20bunch,kilograms%20of%20clothing%20to%20landfill
]]>I was comfortable there, covered by the familiar; afraid of being seen.
Maybe I was simply a shy girl.
Or maybe it was more, I was worried that they would see more than my face. That they would look deeper and find a little girl who didn’t know what she could offer the world.
It took a teacher, whose name I no longer remember, to change that. How? She saw me. She saw my potential. She looked beyond my “shy” personality and saw someone who had a voice and a story to share.
Because this person chose to see me, to truly see me and not the label that was given to me, I was able to step out and allow myself to be seen. It changed my whole demeanour. Rather than run and hide, I would walk out on to stages. Rather than whisper, I would project my voice to the back of the room. I discovered a confidence I didn’t know was living inside of me.
All because I was seen.
It sounds cliché, but it couldn’t be more real. If it wasn’t for that person who saw me, I don’t know who I would be today. I probably wouldn’t be writing this to you right now. I wouldn’t have the courage share it.
As women, many of us struggle to allow ourselves to be seen.
There’s a wave of reasons why this is so but I believe that society has a major role to play. In many ways, society disempowers women and allowing it is easier than fighting against it. I don’t know about you, but I find “being seen” intimidating. Vulnerability is scary. If I show someone who I truly am, what if they reject me? What if they don’t like what they see?
“Vulnerability is about showing up and being seen. It’s tough to do that when we’re terrified about what people might see or think.”
– Brené Brown
Despite the fear of rejection, there is something beautiful about being seen. No longer protected by a façade, pretending to be someone else or conforming to another’s idea of who we should be. We get to show up as our authentic self.
We see a rejection of our authentic self presented in various ways. It’s more than the labels that people thrust upon us. We also see it in the limited range of goods made available to us in the market – “average”, “petite”, “plus size” – and if we don’t fit into the categories given to us, where do we fit?
Everyone deserves to be seen, to be represented in some meaningful way.
To be seen is more than just a boost to the ego. Being seen is different to being noticed. It’s so much more. It’s about empowerment, promoting a greater sense of self-worth.
As you read in my story, there is power in having someone see you not for who they want you to be, but for who you are.
Being seen – truly seen – can influence how people see themselves. It contributes to better self-confidence to rise up and speak up in their own right. And when we each rise up to be who we are called to be, we shape and shift the society we live in.
The impact of being seen isn’t just evident today but has a compounding effect over time that transcends the individual. It’s a ripple effect that passes from one empowered person to another.
To be seen is also to be vulnerable.
Well, there’s nothing more vulnerable than underwear – hence its other name, “intimates”. With intimates, you get up close and personal.
“Intimacy is being seen and known as the person you truly are.”
– Amy Bloom
With SHADIE BY EA nude intimates, you’ll finally be seen and recognised by the Australian lingerie market.
You’re not an after-thought, you’re our first thought. Our products, designed for all skin tones, are created just for you. Because you deserve to know that someone had you in mind.
We see you.
Now, it’s time to be bold and allow yourself to be seen. Are you ready?
Follow us on Instagram or sign up to our email list below for updates on our new product line, soon to drop!
]]>Ethical. Something that is morally right.
These two concepts are distinctly different and yet go hand-in-hand.
These two words carry meaning and yet the weight of that meaning can be subjective from person to person.
Let’s consider the two – sustainable and ethical – in the context of manufacturing. Specifically, the production of fashion. Though there isn’t a set definition for sustainable and ethical fashion production, we can start by looking at what they seek to achieve.
The goal of sustainable production is to produce goods using processes and systems that conserve energy and natural resources, are non-polluting and are safe for workers, communities and consumers[i]. Ethical production focuses more on the people working to produce the goods. The goal is to set conditions that are good for the health and safety of the workers and ensure they’re fairly compensated for their work.
That’s the 101 version and quite frankly, it’s the least we should know about sustainability. The responsibility for sustainable and ethical fashion doesn’t just fall on manufacturers, it also falls on us as consumers. Tough pill to swallow, right? It’s okay, I feel the guilt too. But that guilt is quickly replaced by conviction after exploring the “why”.
Image source: Jess Harper via Unsplash
Why should we care about sustainable and ethical fashion? Because “ethical” and “sustainable” are more than just words thrown into marketing material. They impact lives. They impact our earth.
Sure, fast fashion is convenient. But it comes at the cost of people. It’s fashion that costs the earth.
“The truth of the matter is that we’ve become so used to fast fashion pricing, that we have lost a real understanding of what clothes should cost. Someone somewhere suffers in order to provide you with your fast fashion item.” – Jennifer Darmo
Shopping sustainably isn’t just for the 1% who can “afford it”. It’s for all of us. Contrary to some misconceptions that sustainable living found its roots in a select demographic, evidence of this lifestyle can be seen as far back in history as we can go.
Back in the day, the use of natural and renewable resources was prevalent among indigenous people across the nations of the world. As the nations began to advance, our overuse of resources and reliance on non-renewables increased. It wasn’t until the 1980s that the term “sustainability” was properly recognised and used to refer to how we live on the planet[ii].
Today, sustainability – doing our part to preserve our earth – is seen as a responsibility for each of us. We're all in this together, the world has been entrusted in the hands of one race - the human race.
So, what are we doing about it?
It’s estimated that as a human population, we produce about 300 million tonnes of plastic every year, about half of which are single-use plastics[iii]. At SHADIE BY EA, we’re determined to do our part in eliminating plastic from all our packaging. That’s why all our products will be sent in 100% home compostable postage satchels. Unlike common plastic satchels, even if you throw our satchels in the trash, they will break down in landfill.
That’s not all. Our pieces also come with seeded paper tags. This eliminates the amount of waste in each of our parcels and allows you to grow an amazing plant. Our items don’t destroy life, they give life.
We’re also intentional about how we use our scrap material. It’s part of the many steps we’re taking to ensure that we don’t take our resources for granted; an effort towards increased sustainability. Instead of throwing these scraps away, we’re creating complementary products that are useful and reusable – like scrunchies.
The goal should be good quality, ethically made clothes that make you look and feel good and that can be worn repeatedly. To know more about our ethically made skin-toned intimates and for access to exclusive content, sign up to our email list at the bottom of this page.
Image source: Artem Beliaikin via Unsplash
At some point, the onus rests on you as a consumer to do the work in figuring out whether the brands you’re buying from are doing their bit to operate and produce in a sustainable and ethical manner. So, do the work.” – Esther Adeyinka
Making the choice to be more conscious in your clothing purchases is an amazing step and one you don’t have to have a lot of money for. So let’s make the shift from fast fashion to slow fashion. One garment at a time.
Some resources to help get you find slow fashion and shop more sustainably:
Still not convinced you can make the shift? Start thinking of every piece of clothing you buy as an investment and as your mindset changes, your actions will follow.
References
[i] https://www.uml.edu/research/lowell-center/about/sustainable-production-defined.aspx#:~:text=Sustainable%20Production%20is%20the%20creation,for%20workers%2C%20communities%2C%20and%20consumers
[ii] https://theworldenergyfoundation.org/a-brief-history-of-sustainability/
[iii] https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/marine-plastics
]]>In a rapidly growing self-love movement, we’re encouraged to embrace our natural beauty and to learn to love the skin we’re in. Women across the world have taken the courageous step to be vulnerable and share their struggles with body-image, hoping to encourage other women to also embrace themselves as they are.
In a culture which has narrowly defined beauty for decades, this movement of self-love is so desperately needed.
Our body shape, size, features, and skin colour seem to be under constant scrutiny, especially in this digital age. Unless we live under a rock, we can’t escape the images of what society deems as “beautiful” across our social media feeds, in Hollywood and even on the websites of brands we purchase from.
It’s easy to look at these images and feel like you don’t measure up to society’s standard of beauty. You look in the mirror and rather than seeing what makes you beautiful, you see where you’re “not good enough”. You’re not pretty enough, you’re not dark enough, you’re not light enough, you’re not thin enough, you’re not curvy enough…the list is endless and probably uncomfortably familiar to you.
In many cases, the journey to love the skin you’re in is an internal one. Beauty is beyond skin deep. To embrace your natural beauty requires a deep, inner work that no one can do but you. Yet, there are external factors that also play a key role in this self-love journey.
These beauty brands, with clever copywriters who craft taglines that elicit a deep, emotional response, are on to something. But do these taglines hold substance? It’s one thing to promote embracing the skin you’re in and another to support this mindset with an offering that allows your customers to do just that.
To embrace, means to accept something willingly and enthusiastically. How can we accept our skin colour if we can’t find any products in our shade? How can we accept our body shape if we can’t find clothing that fits?
As much as we can do the internal work needed to love the skin we’re in, the external limits from the beauty and fashion industries dictate the extent to which we can. Maybe you can relate to one or more of these scenarios:
I’ve lived each one of these scenarios and walked away feeling defeated. Though now I’m closer to fully embracing my skin, I was still on the journey back then. I felt crushed with an inferiority mindset.
Am I not good enough to access products for my skin colour? Am I not worth the investment to cater to my skin tone? These were the thoughts that circled through my mind. Though I knew they weren’t true; they did limit my ability to love my skin.
Photo credit: Anna Shvets via Pexels
It’s time we allow women to see and feel that our natural bodies are beautiful.
There is no one else like you. You are worthy. You are deserving of the best products on offer.
At SHADIE BY EA, we’re here to take the limits off “loving the skin you’re in” for women of all colours. That’s why our product range comes in all shades, shapes, and sizes. To recognise the diversity of beauty that exists in our community.
We’re here to help you (literally) feel comfortable in the skin you’re in.
For more about our products, sign up to the email list to receive updates directly to your inbox.
]]>Diversity is defined as:
There’s no cookie cutter approach to diversity. It comes in all shapes and sizes – diversity of thought, diversity of opinion, diversity of race, diversity of experience, diversity of preference.
‘Diversity and inclusion’ has become a buzz term, especially as businesses seek to stay on the “right” side of social issues. In some cases, we see a genuine push for diversity in many industries. In other cases, businesses treat the cause for diversity as a tick-a-box exercise to protect their bottom line.
It’s clear that everyone has an opinion on what diversity means and what it should look like. Diversity is subjective. From person to person, its meaning is influenced by our perspective of the world, shaped by experience.
So, what does diversity mean to you?
For me, diversity is about representation. Representation of various ethnicities, ages, genders, cultures, mindsets, beliefs, appearances, and preferences. As a consumer, I expect the businesses I receive products and services from to look like the communities they serve. This goes beyond advertising and marketing, to providing an offering that meets the varying needs of groups of people.
Within Australia, though we’re known as a multicultural nation – with one in four of us born overseas[i] – diverse representation is lacking in many industries, especially retail, health and beauty. In some ways, this poor diversity of race feeds systemic racism, as 18% of Australians surveyed by the Australian Human Rights Commission have experienced discrimination because of skin colour, ethnicity, or religious beliefs[ii].
The question is – is Australia addressing diversity in the right way?
Diversity, particularly in workplaces, doesn’t just happen without a conscious effort. Even with the right policies and practices in place, we as humans fall victim to our unconscious biases (underlying attitudes and stereotypes).
When we’re shown businesses that are “doing diversity right” in Australia, we see a focus on gender, sexual orientation and disability. Though the inclusion and equality offered to these groups is valid, there’s a missing dimension. Where’s the diversity of race?
As much as I get excited when I see someone who looks like me in promotional campaigns for Australian businesses, that’s not enough. I expect more.
We expect more.
We expect to see more people of colour on company boards, in the media and in political leadership positions. If we don’t see it, how can we aspire to it?
Australia, we can “do” diversity better. As racial discrimination is becoming part of the conversation, let’s take it a step further. Let’s widen our vision when it comes to diversity and recognise people of all skin colours.
At SHADIE BY EA, we acknowledge that we also have a role to play.
That’s why diversity is at the core of what we do. Our soon to be released product range seeks to cater to women of all shades and body types. We serve those who have been overlooked and failed by the limited concept of diversity in Australia.
For more about our products, sign up to the email list to receive updates directly to your inbox. We hope you’re as excited as we are!
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[i] Australian Human Rights Commission, ‘Face the facts: Cultural Diversity’, https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/education/face-facts-cultural-diversity (2014).
[ii] As above.
]]>We’re here to join the party that has started overseas and bring it to the local shores of Australia. To bring you nude underwear for all skin tones. You read that right, all skin tones.
It’s time to redefine the colour nude in Australia and that starts with us. Nude isn’t just one shade, it’s a spectrum of shades. We stand for inclusivity by providing you with a greater variety of shades to meet your underwear needs.
]]>Chances are, it was the latter. And it’s not your fault. To be honest, that’s the first thing to appear in my mind when I hear “nude underwear”.
It’s an image which has been conditioned in many of our psyche through exposure. For as long as I can remember, nude has been referred to as that single beige coloured skin tone.
I still recall sitting in the classroom at school and asking the kid next to me for the “nude” or “skin colour” crayon, without even thinking twice. What colour was I talking about? The beige.
Without realising it, in a simple request, I had disregarded the existence of my own skin colour as being “nude”. The skin I’d worn every day of my life up until that point and still continue to.
From nude crayons as children to nude lingerie, shoes and lipstick as adults – we’ve been taught to see nude as one colour. Call it systemic racism or systemic exclusion, either way, it’s a systemic issue.
Because of a social system that has historically esteemed the white person above all others, this view is so deeply ingrained in many areas of our society it’s almost impossible to escape it. Brands (apparel, skincare, beauty) have adopted a one-size-fits-all approach to nude, giving us no other alternative.
Where such brands may aim to make each customer feel beautiful in some way, their exclusion of many has the opposite effect. By promoting a single shade of nude, they exhibit partiality and further contribute to the exclusion and marginalisation that exists against many ethnic groups.
It’s a system that’s not so easily shaken. Yet many have begun the shift and we applaud them!
In other parts of the world, we’re seeing lingerie brands cater to diverse skin tones by creating a wider range of nudes. Think brands like Nubian Skin, Skims and Savage X Fenty.
These brands are pioneers in the re-definition of nude, making nude lingerie accessible for all. Beyond accessibility, they bring inclusivity and diversity. For you and I who’ve been overlooked for so long, it feels good to finally be seen.
One thing we’re yet to see, is an Australian-owned business among the throng of lingerie brands making a change.
That’s where we come in.
By “we”, I mean SHADIE BY EA.
We’re here to join the party that has started overseas and bring it to the local shores of Australia. To bring you nude underwear for all skin tones. You read that right, all skin tones.
It’s time to redefine the colour nude in Australia and that starts with us. Nude isn’t just one shade, it’s a spectrum of shades. We stand for inclusivity by providing you with a greater variety of shades to meet your underwear needs.
SHADIE BY EA is not just a brand, it’s a catalyst for change.
The good news is our launch is just around the corner. Sign up to the email list to be one of the first to know!
]]>Empowering, isn’t it? A statement to recall in those moments when self-doubt creeps in. A declaration to speak out when you start second guessing yourself or fall victim to imposter syndrome.
This one-liner, taken from the 1972 song “I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy (her legacy lives on) has been used by women all over the world as a personal pep talk. And we need it!
For centuries, women have been oppressed, denied the equivalent rights given to men and had our voices silenced. We’ve come far, but we still have a way to go. Much of our progress is thanks to women who have gone before us, who have spoken up, challenged norms and pioneered the change that needed to happen.
For the month of March, Women’s History Month, we celebrate them. We celebrate us.
Though our womanhood deserves more than a month to be celebrated (it’s a daily practice), embracing Women’s History Month is a step we take forward together as women.
But first, what is Women’s History Month?
It all began with large gatherings of women in the United States marching for their rights in the early 1900s. This movement had a ripple effect as women in other countries joined in the rallying for International Women’s Day on 8 March. The day wasn’t recognised globally until the United Nations deemed it official in 1975[1].
It didn’t stop there. The day evolved into Women’s History Week in 1978[2], a celebration created by a school teacher in Sonoma County California, after she noticed there weren’t many women in her students’ history textbooks. She saw the need for change and her efforts didn’t go unnoticed – in 1980, the week of 8 March was recognised as National Women’s History Week.
A few years later in 1987, March was declared Women’s History Month[3].
Every year in March is a chance to acknowledge how women have contributed to and shaped history, culture, and society. Women have had to fight, and are still fighting, for a seat at the table.
This month, we celebrate the progress we’ve made as a gender in making real change. The last few months have given us many reasons to celebrate, including the first woman vice president of the United States (and she’s a woman of colour!) and the first women-empowering dating app going public.
Women’s History Month isn’t just about recognising the pivotal women in history – those known across the world – it’s also about celebrating the everyday woman. Your best friend, your mother, the older lady next door, the woman who takes your coffee order every day. Each of these women deserve to be honoured for who they are and the impact they have on the lives of those around them.
You deserve to be celebrated.
So, take a moment to think about the women in your life who’ve helped shape the person you are today, or even those who just make your day that much sweeter. How can you honour each of these women in your own way? The smallest gestures can speak volumes!
There’s no time like right now to celebrate womanhood. Women’s History Month isn’t a month to sit back and let pass by. It’s a month to celebrate women across the world!
Here are a few ideas on how you can celebrate:
Don’t know where to start? International Women’s Day on March 8 is a good place to start. Give a shoutout to the women you love through a simple social media post and hashtag #IWD. Heads up, the International Women’s Day theme for 2021 is #ChooseToChallenge, highlighting the importance of challenging biases to create a more gender-equal world. How great is that!
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References
[1] KHOU 11 Staff, ‘The story behind Women’s History Month | Connect the Dots’, KHOU 11, 2021, https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/htownrush/womens-history-month-how-it-started/285-a35998a1-38b1-4b4a-8b8e-4a138861d64d#:~:text=The%20origins%20of%20women's%20history,district%20and%20the%20idea%20spread, (accessed 4 March 2021)
[2] National Women’s History Museum, ‘Women’s History Month’, Women’s History, 2021, https://www.womenshistory.org/womens-history/womens-history-month, (accessed 4 March 2021)
[3] As above
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