Aerie: Redefining Beauty Standards
Body positivity is a social movement that can be implemented in various industries. However, the fashion industry has significant power in influencing beauty standards. Over the last few decades, the fashion industry has seen a lack of diversity and positive imaging by portraying unrealistic beauty standards. Implementing body-positive initiatives can help women feel more confident in their skin by increasing the representation of people of all sizes, body types, genders, races, and physical abilities.
A company that has done a genuine job of creating an inclusive and authentic environment is Aerie. In 2014, Aerie launched its Aerie REAL campaign, promising to no longer retouch or edit the photos of their models. The Aerie REAL initiative was founded to redefine beauty standards, help women build confidence, and create an inclusive shopping experience for all. Aerie wanted to feature real people in their campaigns and portray real bodies to foster an inclusive shopping experience, as opposed to models who fit into the sample size. The Aerie REAL campaign selected a group of "Role Models" who live their mission statement and highlight the beauty in being your most authentic self. Aerie has undergone a complete rebranding and is committed to inclusivity, diversity, and ensuring that all customers are represented and seen.
Aerie's efforts to rebrand challenge the fashion industry by promoting self-love, diversity, and body positivity. Aerie has partnered with Aerie Real Role Models, including Aly Raisman, former Olympian, and Ali Stroker, the first female paraplegic to win a Tony Award. Their digital marketing team has dedicated a whole segment of the Aerie website to their Aerie REAL campaign, providing testimonials from their Role Models, educational resources around body positivity and mental health, and behind-the-scenes lookbooks for their latest collections.
In the past, brands have shown a lack of representation of people with physical disabilities. The lack of representation can dishearten those who do not see their bodies represented in the media. Aerie recently partnered with the Rollettes, a group of paraplegic women who started a dance team on the Aerie REAL campaign website. Through their partnership, each dance team member gave testimonials on their website to talk about what keeps them motivated and how their passions, friends, and communities help them stay real. Aerie REAL is devoted to promoting inclusivity and strives to represent the disability community authentically. Moreover, this is not the first time Aerie has worked with people with disabilities, as they have previously worked with Brenna Huckably, a paralympic snowboarder, and Molly Burke, a blind motivational speaker and YouTuber.
In August 2022, Aerie announced they are teaming up with Liberare to create a line of intimates that are sexy and functional. Liberare is a company that makes adaptive and adaptive-friendly apparel/intimates. The companies are collaborating to challenge the fashion industry and support inclusion, representation, and self-love. The garments from their collaboration are accessible, functional, and beautiful, helping women feel confident and comfortable in their skin.
In our progressive society, Aerie is a leading example of how to create authentic change in the fashion industry. Aerie's commitment to inclusion and diversity does not start and end with their models and imaging; Aerie uses real people and role models to inspire and educate others. Aerie is a company making efforts toward creating a more inclusive industry, and other companies should learn from their positive implementations and adopt similar practices.