PowHERhouse recently had the opportunity to sit down with Vancouver designer, boutique owner, wife, mother and collaboratively-minded fashion entrepreneur, Shelley Klassen of Blushing Boutique.
We were keen to learn Shelley’s thoughts on positive body image and fashion – where the two intersect and perhaps at times fight each other – and how we can work together to change that.
1. Do you feel the fashion industry supports a healthy relationship between women and how they feel about their bodies?
I believe the fashion industry is certainly getting better at supporting healthy relationships between woman and how they feel about their bodies. There seems to be more and more companies out there really empowering women and encouraging a strong, healthy body and mind, as well as showcasing the power of women when they work together towards a common goal.
2. What are they doing well and what could they be doing better in your opinion?
Some of the companies that are doing well at supporting healthy relationships are doing so by having their campaigns showcase beautifully strong woman of all shapes and sizes looking confident, happy, balanced and healthy. I feel in the past there seemed to be a negative connotation towards anything overtly “girly” or feminine, separating it from intelligence, competence, leadership or strength, as if to imply you couldn’t be both.
I think that battle is still being fought, but we are getting closer and closer to a society that values femininity and recognizes all the positive attributes woman (regardless of size, sex, religion, race or style choices) bring to the table. I believe society is realizing that you can be intelligent, competent, strong, and a leader as well as being “girly” or feminine.
3. What are you doing personally in this regard?
Everyday at Blushing Boutique we try to empower woman and have them leave feeling better than when they came in. We design clothes that fit all body shapes and sizes as well as offering in-house alterations. We show woman how sometimes a simple modification to a garment to best suit their body type can have them looking and feeling so much better. Don’t change your body to fit the clothes, change the clothes to fit your body. We also try to encourage woman to allow themselves to show their femininity through their clothing choices and embrace the figure they have.
4. You have daughters, what do you hope you can distill in them in terms of how they feel about who they are and how they feel about their bodies? And how does fashion
or how they dress tie into that – or does it?
I would like all young girls to feel confident in who they are – not to base their worth on their waist size or leg length, but to respect and love all aspects of themselves. I want young woman to value health, kindness, intelligence, creativity, diversity, community and all the people around them. I think if we can teach our daughters to value these things and help them to understand that these things are what makes them truly beautiful, then we will be on track to have our daughters feel happier about who they are and for the right reasons.
I believe that fashion can be used as a positive or a negative tool in teaching our children about loving themselves. Fashion can be such a beautiful expression of individuality and creativity. It can show your personality and tell a little bit about who you are without having to say a word. It can make us feel sophisticated, bold, confident
or playful. Having well-made clothes that fit you properly helps you to be comfortable in what you’re wearing and allows your personality to show more confidently.
I believe as long as fashion is not used to define who we are but rather to accentuate your character, then it can be a truly wonderful part of life.
5. Anything else you’d like to add?
I would like women to empower themselves using fashion as a tool. When you feel good about how you look, it shows. Dressing appropriately for your body type and for the occasion, results in you being comfortable, confident and ready to take on the world.
Blushing Boutique on Facebook.
Join PowHERhouse at the Blushing Boutique Fashion Show January 29th from 6-9 pm. For details, click here.
