Friday, February 13, 2015

I truly am a real woman, with stretch marks, scars, lumps, bumps, and fat rolls


As a curvy woman, I have struggled with my weight and body image for the majority of my life. After losing over 200 pounds, I was put on fertility meds which caused me to regain 30 pounds. Due to my recent weight regain, I was beginning to really struggle with my body image, when I won the #Realwoman contest from Capitol Bombshell and Jordan K. Winn & Co.  

I truly am a real woman, with stretch marks, scars, lumps, bumps, and fat rolls. Those imperfections tell the story of my life, and I wouldn’t trade them in for the perfect body if given the opportunity. Society places a stigma on what a “Real woman” is supposed to look like, when us actual Real women know the truth. We have lived a Real life, and our bodies reflect that. We shouldn’t feel like because we have really lived, we should have to cover all of the flaws that make us beautiful. 

From the moment I won the #Realwoman contest, Capitol Bombshell has made me feel like I have a new support system. This photo shoot was a team effort. Luigi Crespo, the photographer at Capitol Bombshell, helped me pick out my outfits and inspired some looks that I wasn’t quite comfortable with at first. Luigi assured me that my shoot would be epic, he was totally right! He was interested in getting to know me as a person, so that my shoot was perfectly tailored to my personality. Luigi was adamant about incorporating my love of vintage Pyrex into this Pinup shoot. As soon as I arrived at Capitol Bombshell, Luigi and his wife Annessess, made me feel at home. The staff at Jordan K. Winn & Co also welcomed me with open arms.  Jordan K. Winn & Co pampered me with a vintage glam makeover, worthy of my spectacular Pinup shoot. The makeup artist was really interested in learning my day to day makeup look. She already knew I wore winged eyeliner every day and gave me tips on how to achieve this look a different way. 

Capitol Bombshell encouraged me to be myself, and helped me pose in a flattering way. During the shoot, I wasn’t shy to show off my Real body. I knew that Capitol Bombshell was going to make my Real woman body look its best. I’m very fortunate for the opportunity given to me by Jordan K. Winn & Co and Capitol Bombshell to share my Real woman body. 

I hope this inspires more Real women to show off their perfect bodies as well. Real women should be proud of the stories their bodies tell. Whether you are a size 2 or a size 32, your body is Real, and that makes it beautiful. -Annette Olley, (Carlslie, PA).