A corset (Source: ArtsyBee via Pixabay)

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving has been my least favorite holiday for a good long while. There are a variety of reasons for that, and you don’t care about 90% of them. One of the biggest reasons I dislike Thanksgiving, though, is the scrutiny that I come under from “helpful” family members.

I know I’m not alone in this. I know this because I’ve read more than a few articles from other larger women out there. Trust me, the “helpful” suggestion that we eat sweet potatoes to curb the sweet craving that we must all have doesn’t help anyone but you, when you want to feel superior.

And yes, I get that a lot. I don’t have sugar cravings. And sweet potatoes taste like sick. But obviously someone else knows my body better than I do, right?

Anyway. Because putting myself out there in the company of people who want to tear me down in the name of “helping” is stressful, there’s a certain amount of pressure to try to minimize how I look. A lot of that pressure is self-induced, but that doesn’t change the fact that the pressure exists.

I don’t own a single pair of nylons that aren’t “control top.” It’s hard to breathe in those things. I own waist cinchers. I have “shapewear.” Yesterday, as I considered what to wear for this annual ordeal, I pulled all of these things and more out of my bureau and considered them.

And then I put them back. I was going to spend roughly eight hours in a car. I was going to sit in uncomfortable chairs, argue with relatives (or try very hard not to.) I was going to chase children around.

Did I really want to do any of that with my ability to breathe, or move, restricted?

I wore a dress, but I didn’t try to minimize anything. I am who I am. Nothing’s changed it so far, but getting worked up about it has definitely made things worse. If they have a problem with my size, they will continue to be the ones with the problem.

I felt perfectly comfortable in soft, cool, breathable underwear that let me move and breathe. I was more confident when I was able to be myself than I would have been if I’d tried to squeeze myself into a mold that didn’t fit.

If your shapewear helps you to feel more comfortable in your clothes, or in your skin, then by all means wear it. If you just aren’t feeling it, leave it at home. It’s your body. Wear it the way you see fit. You aren’t answerable to anyone else.