This post comes from Patti of Not Dead Yet Style. Patti’s blog is a wealth of positivity and wisdom, and she brings a smile to my face every single day. She says, “Though pressured by society to recede gracefully, I prefer to burst out with a love of fashion and style.” And she does so with grace and originality. Read on for Patti’s contribution to Body Image Warrior Week:

We Don’t Have “Problem Areas”

Oh boy, this is a pet peeve. I hear it mostly on the home shopping channels (gulp, if I ever, um, happen to have the TV tuned to one of them while I am, errr, polishing up an article for the New York Times). The cheery host or model points to the latest tunic top (two easy payments!) and delivers the good news: it covers all those problem areas! read more

This post comes from Autumn Whitefield-Madrano of The Beheld. I always set aside a chunk of time to read Autumn’s cerebral, incisive posts because they always force me to think with all of my brain. Her musings on beauty, sociology, and culture are consistently mindblowing, in the best possible way. Read on for Autumn’s contribution to Body Image Warrior Week:

I don’t write about body image.

I’ll write about beauty, any day of the week. I’ll write about what goes on from the neck up; I’ll cover the myth of men preferring long hair, or why I wear makeup, or Gen-X beauty trends. And of course every so often bodies worm their way in: One can hardly talk about the annoyances of “dress your figure” pages in magazines without talking about figures, after all. read more

This post comes from Kate Fridkis of Eat the Damn Cake. Kate is a total straight-shooter, and her blog is consistently hilarious and moving. Read on for Kate’s contribution to Body Image Warrior Week:

Why I Write About Body Image

I write about body image because I love eating cake, but women around me are always dieting.

I write about body image because I have been told it doesn’t matter, but every year, more girls have eating disorders.

I write about body image because everyone cares about beauty, no matter how much we tell ourselves we don’t. And because, really, we are beautiful, no matter how much we tell ourselves we aren’t. read more