If the name Cassey Ho sounds familiar, it's probably because you already follow her on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram. The social media influencer amassed quite a following after launching the popular fitness blog Blogilates, followed by the innovative workout-wear brand POPFLEX. But now Ho is going viral for sharing a body-positive TikTok that calls out society for "treating women's bodies like fast fashion" — and it's definitely worth a watch.
So far, the video has received well over 13 million views
In the early 2000s, beauty expectations were even higher
… as in, you actually felt as though you should look like a model walking down the hallways of your high school.
"Who can forget the Victoria's Secret Angel?" recalls Ho. "What started as a male fantasy ended up becoming the beauty standard."
In order to be the "ideal" woman, you had to have big boobs, long legs, and a toned — but not too toned — physique.
Oh yeah, and your stomach had to be super flat, with just a hint of a six-pack.
Back in the '90s, thin was in
As Ho reminds us, the trend was un-ironically known at the time as "heroin chic," epitomized by runway models like Kate Moss.
Suddenly, pale skin, dark undereye circles, and an emaciated frame became the desirable look of the decade, even though it appeared unhealthy and, at times, even dangerous. (No wonder eating disorders were on the rise throughout the 1990s.)
There were some decades that embraced larger sizes
During the 1950s, "soft and voluptuous" bodies were idealized, thanks to curvier starlets like Marilyn Monroe, who popularized the hourglass (aka "Coke bottle") figure.
But at the same time, women also felt intense pressure to fit a certain mold. After all, the "perfect" measurements were said to be 36-21-36 (just like Elizabeth Taylor), which simply wasn't attainable for everyone.
During the Roaring '20s, those very same bodies would have been undesirable
At that time, Ho explains, women were somehow expected to look like little boys — no boobs and definitely no hips.
This was in stark contrast to other periods throughout history, like the Italian Renaissance, when having a fuller figure was actually a sign of wealth and prestige. Simply put, a thin body meant you were poor and underfed.
(OH, THE IRONY!)
All of this is meant to bring Ho to her central point ...
"So … what's in store this year?" she asks. "How about we stop treating our bodies like a fast-fashion trend?"
Her video certainly highlights just how ridiculous it is to keep chasing these trends, which are nearly impossible for most women to achieve and ever-changing. (Seriously — what gives?!)
In response, a lot of people thanked Ho for calling this out
"What a beautiful video," wrote one person. "We just need to be ourselves and stop judging by popular standards!"
"It’s crazy how body types — what we are born with and what we live in — have their own trends," added someone else.
Others, however, seemed to zoom right past the point …
"When is 1400-1700 going to come back in style??" asked one person.
"I would have flourished in the 1920’s," wrote someone else.
"So I was just born in the wrong age," another person reasoned.
