The Transport for London was severely criticised over one Quote of the Day: "During this heatwave dress for the body you have. Not the body you want!" sparking a wave of indignation across social media and press alike. At first glance, that's how it sounds like, but it's worth looking further into it.
We should definitely defend the freedom to wear what we want and this is really refreshing in London, where you can see people wearing all sorts of outfits, they tend to stand out from the crowd like butterflies in spring, grabbing our attention and often delight. There's nothing more excruciating for someone creative than to wear a uniform, fashion celebrates diversity but if you go into a shop, staff is obliged to wear the same clothes again and again each season, as only a small allowance is given for them to promote the brand.
In the case of luxury retail it's even worst, it tends to be a black suit with a white shirt every single day. This extends to other roles, from doctors and nurses to TFL staff, and it can become highly controversial when it comes to religious uniforms (we can all recall France forbidding the burka). But if we think of monks and nuns, they actually embrace the simplicity and equality of a uniform, and there's also the playful kind, who get turned on by uniforms.
Basically, how we dress is relative and dependent on so many different socio-cultural aspects and individual viewpoints. But here, we're actually talking about the body, maybe the person who wrote that didn't want to see fat legs with cellulite or big breasts jumping out low cleavages, or in case of men, bums displayed on low cut jeans. Let's be honest, some women would look so much more attractive in a pencil skirt rather than a mini-skirt.
Successful stylists are masters at disguising less beautiful aspects of the body and calling the attention to its most attractive parts. Elegance is definitely not about showing off, the Duchess of Cambridge is a perfect example of this and we all love her style. It's not a coincidence that whatever she wears gets sold out in no time.
The attitude of acting on a situation as it is instead of what we want it to be has a lot of wisdom. For instance, when looking for a job, the more honest we are with ourselves about where we're really at and who we are, instead of what we would like to be, can have a very positive impact, as you leave your fears and expectations behind and just fully engage with whatever you have to work with.
This quote from TFL actually raises a much bigger question, why are we so obsessed with our body? Why do we identify so much with our body? The ludicrous amount of money spent every year on cosmetic surgery and the beauty industry could be put to a much more meaningful use, maybe funding initiatives with a positive social impact or learning a new craft.
The main point is to keep our body healthy with a balanced diet and by exercising regularly (to expel toxins and produce endorphins, which trigger positive feelings). We all get old, beauty is transient and fading each moment, it's better to deal with that. Whether we're thin or fat, it doesn't really matter. In the end, after death, it's just a bunch of bones. Can we focus somewhere else please?