A Body-Positive Underwear Campaign for Men Has Arrived
When it comes to body positivity, men aren’t often included in the dialogue. Granted, social norms about a woman’s physical appearance tend to be more oppressive because, you know, #patriarchy, but that doesn’t mean that physical ideals for men aren’t just as unrealistic—how many men do you know who have washboard abs like this guy?
However, underwear brand Aerie, which made waves with its anti-retouching policy and #AerieReal campaign (which encouraged girls to celebrate their real and unretouched beauty) is now extending its message to men, with the launch of #AerieMEN.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1qtgSW14kE
The campaign for the new men’s underwear line consists of four different (and diverse) men who talk about their journeys to loving and feeling good about their bodies in a video housed on the Aerie website, alongside the campaign slogan “The real you is sexy.”
It’s refreshing to see a variety of body types celebrated in this campaign, including a plus-size model, which hopefully means that other labels in the industry will follow suit. Another promising sign of moving toward body positivity for all genders was IMG’s announcement of a male plus-size model division last week.
“I don’t mind that I won’t be retouched,” Matt, one of the #AerieMen models states. “I feel that everyone should be comfortable in their own skin.” With this campaign, hopefully more men will feel the same way.
