BBW BODY TYPE: WHAT DOES BBW MEAN AND IS IT HEALTHY?
The world is laden with different body shapes, but the BBW body type always comes up in controversial conversations. That’s because when translated, the meaning often gets misinterpreted or may be used in a negative context.
In the light of society being more sensitive to curvier or overweight women, BBW became widely used as an alternative. There is always the stereotype of promoting one body shape as perfect or ideal. The truth is, no one should decide what shape is best; just the face is different so are bodies. Hence the use of the terminology BBW body type is a show of acceptance of the diverse shapes.
However, several misconceptions surround it, and specific promotions are not helping the case. Read on to find the information you need to use this term better and describe other body shapes.
What does it mean to have a BBW body Type?
There is a tall list of what you may think BBW stands for, as some think it means big black women. While they are not far from the truth, the term does not include only black women. It is, however, an abbreviation that stands for Big Beautiful Women, yes that easy.
BBW body type is used to categorize curvy or full-figured women and has become often used interchangeably. It denotes the positive acceptance of this term and gets commonly used in ad campaigns. You can find it in use almost everywhere, from boutiques to clubs, social gatherings, and dating services.
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Although the term was used to give confidence to full-figured women, the meaning of BBW is negatively linked sometimes to sexual classification and pornography. Drake belted out, “That’s right, I Like my girls BBW,” in the Nicky Minaj’s song “Only.” For sure, that was not the first nor the last you heard someone use that abbreviation. The rapper received both positive and negative comments based on that line.
While some thought he was just another guy with the fat fetish, others thought he supported being body positive. As a woman who now understands this meaning, you can stand by being plump and beautiful.
source: Pinterest
Where did the term BBW come from?
BBW got coined as an inoffensive substitute to describe an obese or overweight woman. In 1979, Carole Shaw launched her fashion and lifestyle magazine targeting plus-size women. She named it BBW Magazine and eventually trademarked the meaning Big Beautiful Women. Hence she became linked as the one who coined the term.
You might see BBW body type ads everywhere, put in place to target the specific women with the body shape. However, if not for Corel Shaw’s magazine, we probably might not have the term today. The widespread of this term preceded the magazine, and more women now regard themselves as such. It has also become a positive term by the fat acceptance movement.
The different body types
Before we proceed, remember all body types are beautiful, and no one labels your body. This, however, is a means to help classify shapes so that you can improve your fashion choices. There is no science nor deeper angle into deciding the different body shapes, and the variations are primarily physical. Based on shape features, below are some of the common body types.
1. Pear shaped
Also referred to as triangle body type, you may find your hips broader than your shoulders area. This means the upper part of your body is narrow, leading to wider bottoms. Your arms may be slimmer to fit into your little shoulders, and also, this shape gets defined with a good waist slope if you have been shopping for clothes that accentuate your waistline kudos. If not, you need to invest in clothing that flatters your waist to maintain a balance. For the top, v.neck and cowl necks are also great, for this body shape plagued with fat getting deposited at the wrong places.
2. Apple-shaped
Think of the triangle shape but inverted, meaning this body type is the opposite of being pear-shaped. So, if your hips are narrower than your bust or shoulders, you may be apple-shaped. This means your lower body parts become narrow, coming from a wider upper part. You will need to pull the focus to your legs for styling, so think tops and dresses with the cinched waistline.
3. Spoon shaped
Spoon shape is like a sister to pear body type because they have similar features. Both body types have a good waist slope, with hips more expansive than the upper part of the body. They, however, differ in the arm area, for spoon shape the hand-carry more flesh or appear thicker, in contrast to the thin arms that describe pear-shaped. When next you go shopping for a dress, try one with an empire waistline.
4. Banana shaped
Translate to rectangle shape, with a straight body structure. Your body should follow the same proportions in the same description as the shape. Meaning if your bust measures the same size as your waist, with the shoulders matching width as the hips, it forms a rectangle shape — this is why it becomes referred to as a rectangle body type. Sticking to clothes that show off your shoulders, remember you are working with minimal body curves, so think layers like ruffle and peplum details.
source: vectostock
5. Hourglass
A body with the bust and hip area measuring almost the same size, with a defined narrow waist, is described as hourglass-shaped. If you have such a shape, you will find your bottom proportional to the upper part of your body. And will most likely have rounded buttocks and shoulders to fit a curve. You can wear most clothes styles with this shape, with form-fitting outfits topping the list.
Thus the body shape is often portrayed as the perfect body, and most people do several things to achieve an hourglass figure. Also, this shape has two variants that further subdivides women into a top hourglass and bottom hourglass shapes.
Top hourglass: This shape has all the features of the hourglass shape but differs because the bust or upper area is slightly bigger than the hips.
Bottom hourglass: You guess right; the reverse is the case for this shape, which means the hip area measure more expansive than the upper body area.
Most curvy girls fall under this classification, meaning you can refer to this shape as a BBW body type. Read more. https://curvygirljournal.com/bbw-body-type-meaning-healthy/
