testo — Anuschka Rees

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About The Curated Closet Workbook Blog Latest Posts Define your Style Edit your Wardrobe Fair Fashion How to shop Style & Confidence Minimalism 10-Step Wardrobe Revamp FAQ Subscribe

@anuschkarees

Sharing a sneak peek of one of @marinaesmeraldo gorgeous illustrations for "Beyond Beautiful: A practical guide to being happy, confident and you in a looks-obsessed world" (out May 14th). The book is aaaaalmost done, and I'll soon be able to share more details, so watch this space ;) #beyondbeautiful

Yeah, fuck energy and strength, as a lady I would much rather have pretty skin and nice hair. 😩😩😩

On-point illustration by @florencegiven

Looking at this bit about dressing for your body type in The Curated Closet that I wrote over four years ago, there are some things I would change. Not in terms of the message, but in terms of the tone.
It's not just "pretty sad" that the idea that you should dress for your type is so widespread, it's very sad and infuriating, and not just because it keeps us from wearing what we want, but more importantly because it very clearly sends the message that as a woman the purpose of your clothes is to manipulate the way your body looks, to make it look more attractive, thinner in most cases.
Either way, I am super glad that I did include that bit at all, even when I was still in the early stages of learning about feminism and body image and considering that pretty much every single style/fashion book emphasizes the importance of "flattering clothes". I was on the right track, just not *quite* there yet. Thankfully I get to express my opinion on the whole topic again in Beyond Beautiful, this time non-apologetically on team #fuckflattering.

To me this quote captures the essence of what body image activism should be all about.
So much about our culture - from commercials to makeover shows to social media influencers' before and afters - suggests to women that "fixing" your appearance is the only path to feeling good about yourself.
All of that "fixing" takes up resources. Imagine if you could just wave a wand and magically stop worrying about the way you look and stop doing all the things you do to improve/maintain your looks. What would you do with all the extra energy, time, money and mental space?

#bodypositive #beyondbeautiful

😍😍😍In love with this illustration by @pink_bits

The Russian edition of The Curated Closet is called "Smart closet" 🤗⠀
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And no, despite my name, I'm not Russian, in fact I've heard that Anuschka actually sounds weird to native Russian speakers because it's the diminutive of Anna. So my name is essentially Little Anna... 🤣 ⠀
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#📷 @zhannasalatova

Yes, the title is problematic, but “Real Women Have Curves" from 2002 is still one of the best and truly body-positive movies with a "You are more than a body" message out there.
It's a coming-of-age story centered around Ana (played by @americaferrera), who is a confident high school graduate that works in her sister's dress factory over the summer. In one amazing scene, after taking off her t-shirt in the hot factory, her mother scolds her for her weight and asks: “Aren't you embarrassed? Look at you, you look awful.” Ana's response: “How dare anybody try to tell me what I should look like or what I should be? When there's so much more to me than just my weight.” Preach!

If you haven't watched "Real Women Have Curves" yet: it's on Amazon Prime. If you've seen it: What did you think?
#bodypositive

So I got my hair cut and it's super short (for me) and I love it, but that's not the point of this rare selfie. What I really want to talk about is a conversation I overheard while Joseph, my new go-to hair person, was busy working on my head.
A lady (who I could not see) told another hair stylist that she had decided to finally get the pixie cut she had always wanted. The hair stylist paused for a second and then said, "I'm going to be honest with you. Not everyone has the face for a pixie cut, and on you it's only going to emphasize your round face shape. How about a trim and some fresh highlights!" Both Joseph and I were shocked but didn't say anything, which I am of course kicking myself for now.... because the hair stylist's response is a perfect reflection of a particularly toxic belief that exists in our culture: that the sole purpose of any decision a woman makes pertaining to some aspect of her body - whether it's related to clothes, make up, hair, tattoos, piercings, body hair removal, cosmetic procedures - is to make her LOOK ATTRACTIVE TO OTHERS. Woman A wears yoga pants - clearly to show off her butt. Woman B shaves her pubic hair - obviously to please her boyfriend. Woman C works out every day - she wants to "tone up". The lady at the hair salon did not say, Hey, I'm thinking about getting a pixie cut, do you think it would look good on me?", she had already made up her mind and was excited about her decision. And maybe that decision had zero to do with how it would affect her "hot"-ranking. Maybe getting a pixie cut has some deeper meaning for her? Maybe she just wants to be able to cut down on blow-drying time. Maybe that woman wears yoga pants because they are comfortable. Maybe that athlete doesn't care that you think she "no longer looks feminine", she's too busy winning international championships.
The hair stylist probably thought he was doing a good deed. But all he did was turn her enthusiasm into self-doubt and potentially even give her an all new "flaw" to worry about for the rest of her life. Good job.

#morethanabody

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