I made the totally rad decision to stop hating myself almost 16 years ago now and guys, it was a good call. Hating yourself is exhausting and time-consuming and also, just really fucking boring, honestly.
While I did go from being ashamed of my goddess-like behind to embracing it, I still tended to wear loose and flowy attire, because that's my preference, and I ALWAYS wore something with a sleeve. Unless I was in a bathing suit, drunk in Mexico where I didn't know anyone, my upper arms and, ideally, most of my lower arms were covered. Even in the summer.
I was self-conscious about my arms for two reasons:
1. I had somehow internalized the fact that it was unacceptable to reveal my arms unless they looked like Linda Hamilton's arms in Terminator 2.
2. As I have mentioned in passing here before, I was SUPER into cutting in my twenties (most people do it in their teens, but I was a late bloomer) and sometimes the scars on my arms freak other people out.
As a result, I haven't owned a tank top since I was twelve and I usually pass over them entirely when I'm shopping, so I don't know what it was about this pink polka dot tank top I saw last summer but I felt like I had to have it.
"Why?" I thought, "Sure it's cute and the little ruffle is adorable. But you'll never wear it without something over top of it. Just get a t-shirt."
"Maybe," a little voice said, "You COULD just say FUCK IT and wear whatever the hell you want to."
I put the shirt in my cart. And then, when it got hot, I put it on. And then, I WENT OUT IN PUBLIC. And NOTHING HAPPENED.
Here are some great things about not wearing sleeves:
1. It's cooler.
I am now the proud owner of FOUR tank tops and every time I put one on, I feel like Linda Hamilton's cute, chubby cousin who carried the snacks and a grenade launcher and it's awesome. Free the arms!!
Hilariously, I don't have a photo of me wearing one of them. Maybe next year.
