Series: Unique body, unique point of view: Lau
“Someone once told me that it's a small revolution in itself just to be a person of color and be a woman and be yourself.” Amandla Stenberg.
Lau, a Her + Her ambassador, spoke to me about her small, but powerful personal revolutions.
Lau is a Latinx woman who spent her childhood in Colombia. She lives in Sonoma County where among other things is a photographer. One of the first statements Lau made was “some days I feel femme, some days I feel like a bad ass.” This simple yet honest reflection of who Lau is, immediately reminded me what it means to be a small revolution. To embrace who you are, is power. To share that with the world is vulnerable. That honest vulnerability is true power.
But vulnerability needs to look good! As a curvy woman, for Lau, finding clothes that meet both personal style and fit has been a lifelong challenge. “The fit of conventional clothes is always problematic at my chests” she said. When code-switching, Lau loves to wear a crisp button up shirt just as much as a flirty floral dress. But both options are not always easy to find shopping in a fast fashion department store.
Pre COVID, Her+Her invited Lau and other community members to try the Her + Her experience and participate in a photo shoot. There were two factors that impressed Lau about the Her + Her experience. One entering her personal measurements to create the pattern that would be used to make her clothes. And two finding community within the community.
With the easy to enter measurement process, It felt like the buying experience was truly about her, she felt heard and seen for the beautiful curvy body that she is. The fact that there are no sizes to conform to was of the highest importance. Lau saw her sister battle body issues as a direct relationship to industry standard sizes. Her sister is better now, but no one should have to go through the intense body shaming that is caused by unrealistic and outdated categories. By not putting her in a box or a category, Her + Her made Lau feel good from the very first point of contact. Instead of having to conform to an ill fitting “mens” button-up, Lau was delivered her customized Oxford Long Sleeve Shirt that fit to her curves and style. This buying experience turned into an impromptu celebration at the photoshoot where Lau got to connect with people in her community, each with a unique body type, a unique point of view, and life experiences. There was solidarity in sharing a common mission: to feel good in what they wear.
