There’s something deeply disturbing about how our bodies have been turned into fashion accessories: repackaged, reshaped, and rebranded every few years to fit the latest aesthetic ideal. The fashion and beauty industries don’t just sell clothes or skincare anymore. They sell trends in bodies, and if we’re not careful, we end up treating ourselves as products that need constant updating to remain “relevant”.
I’ve lived this. When I was younger, I remember when thin, barely-there eyebrows were all the rage. My natural eyebrows were full, some would say "hairy", and I felt the pressure to tweeze them into that ultra-thin style everyone wanted. But my mum, with her grounded wisdom, stopped me. She told me, “Your eyebrows are the frame of your face, don’t touch them.” Thank goodness I listened. Years later, thick eyebrows became the new standard, and I still had mine intact. That moment planted a seed: maybe trends aren’t truth.
But it didn’t stop there. Then came the age of Kate Moss, the “heroin chic” look, where an extremely thin figure was glorified. As a Latina with a naturally curvy body and a prominent buttock, I felt like I didn’t belong. In fact, I thought I had to shrink myself to fit the mould. I starved myself, even reached the point where I couldn’t tolerate water because my body was so depleted. All in the name of being accepted.
©Leticia Gaidon Bradford Photography
And now? The exact body shape I was trying to erase is trending. Women are getting surgery, doing endless squats, spending fortunes to achieve the curves I was once ashamed of. Then it was breasts: the bigger, the better. Every few years, the fashion shifts to a new body part, a new obsession, a new way to feel “not enough”.
At some point, I woke up. I realised this isn’t fashion, it’s manipulation. It’s a strategy to create dissatisfaction, to make us believe we need to change ourselves in order to be liked, admired, or simply to belong.
But here’s what changed everything for me: I stopped trying to be likeable for everyone. Because honestly, what’s the point of being accepted by people who only like a version of me I had to fake? People who only approve of me when I silence myself, shrink myself, or reshape myself?
“Not everyone likes me, but not everyone matters. ”
This is not about shaming personal choices. It’s about questioning why we feel pressured to make them. True freedom means we have the choice to change, or not, from a place of self-love, not social conditioning or fear of rejection.
I am not a product. I’m not a trend. And neither are you.
I’ve lived through decades where parts of my body were considered unacceptable. What’s seen as beautiful today may be rejected tomorrow. That’s why basing your self-worth on trends is a losing game. We deserve to feel worthy, regardless of the cultural moment.
The truth is, not even commercial products are made for everyone, they are made for a specific audience, a niche. The most successful brands in the world aren’t the ones that try to please everyone. They are the ones that stay true to their identity and attract the people who genuinely align with their values. So why should we be any different?
Don’t change your body to fit a trend. Don’t erase parts of yourself to be accepted by people who don’t see your worth. Instead, find your people, your community, your vibe, the ones who love you exactly as you are.
“In a society that profits from self doubt, liking yourself is a rebellious act. ”
Your body is not a trend. It’s your home. It’s your story. And it’s worthy of love and respect, in every season, in every shape.
This isn’t about rejecting beauty, style, or change. It’s about reclaiming our right to be whole, even when we’re not trending. Your worth is timeless. Your body is not a campaign. You are not here to be consumed, you are here to be lived in, loved in, and expressed freely.
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Thank you for reading.
Bye for now.