It's Hot Out, So Please Wear Whatever The Hell You Want

Think back to this past February. If you need to, take a minute, because I want you to really picture it. Remember exactly what the frigid air felt like. Let me know when you're ready.

OK. Do you remember ruining your favorite suede boots in the snow? Do you remember that there was a snowstorm with the same name as a Pixar character, and we all just accepted that? Do you remember puffy coats, and scarves, and fleece-lined leggings? Well, do you also remember how dumb any of us were to complain about winter? Well, Lucifer himself is now controlling the thermometer. There’s no way around it and no cute way to say it: This heatwave sucks.

It’d be bad enough if we just had to worry about the heatwave itself, but, no, of course not! Why would that ever happen? We also have to deal with magazines telling us to “dress for your body type,” which should really be the last of anyone’s concerns when it is 800 degrees outside.

In theory, there is nothing wrong with dressing for your body type. But just like most things that need to be presented with an “in theory” disclaimer, it doesn’t hold up in execution. “Dressing for your body type” should mean “flattering clothing,” but what it’s come to mean is, “clothing that hides what we’ve decided are your ‘problem areas.’” It's why you’ll see girls wandering around in sweatshirts, even though you can see the heat radiating off the sidewalk, and the sweat dripping down their faces. Are they hot? Of course they’re hot! But they’re also convinced that their arms aren’t toned enough to wear a tank top.

There is not a single woman I know who doesn’t have some sort of hang-up about her body, and I include myself in that lot. But even if your arms (or thighs, or calves, or shoulders, or toes) sometimes make you uncomfortable, it’s not OK to make yourself uncomfortable in an effort to hide them. It comes down to respecting yourself, really. You wouldn’t deny yourself water in the middle of this heat wave (You are drinking water, right? You need to be drinking water, guys. Like, more water than usual. You should be drinking all the water), so why are you denying your arms or legs the freedom they deserve? Every body is unique, but, in the middle of summer, we all share this: We’re sweaty and gross. So, please, put on a tank top and some cutoffs.