Embracing My Body as a Mom
Today, I’m incredibly proud to launch our Mother’s Day series. I’m kicking it off with my “second mom,” Jessica, my childhood au pair. She’s the original inspiration behind our Jessica Bra thanks to her background in Italian fashion. She moved from Milan to NYC a short time ago and has a 4-year-old daughter, Greta. I asked her about her new role as a mother, her transition from Italy to the United States, and her thoughts on Voluptas Rose.
Growing up in Italy, describe the societal differences regarding expectations for women’s bodies compared to here?
How we see our bodies compared to how Americans see their bodies seems very different to me. We grew up thinking that skinny is good - that if you are even a little bit overweight, it's bad. The sizing is also very different there - much smaller. So, even though you may think there is a lot of pressure to be thin here, it’s much worse there. People are much more okay with being different sizes and shapes here.
How did you feel about that when you first arrived here?
At first, I thought it was not beautiful and not healthy because that was just what I had been taught my whole life. But, then, I had to stop and think, “why not?” Being here really changed me. I now find the differences in people really beautiful. I can see the confidence in them and have learned that is actually what makes a person beautiful - not her size. I work in fashion, both online and IRL, so I get to see this every day. The confidence that women have in their skin is very different here than where I am from and it has given me a new perspective on how I view my own body.
How did being pregnant change how you felt about your own body?
Before I was pregnant, I was never really happy about myself, but I just kinda arrived at a point where I accepted that I wouldn’t look like the women around me. But, then while I was pregnant, I felt really empowered, happy, and proud. You know you’re doing something special, so you feel special. I was also very, very healthy, so I always just felt really, really good.
How did you feel after you had your baby?
At the beginning, I didn’t really care. I was absorbed in something else and so I didn’t think about it that much. But, after a while when the weight was not coming off very easily, I started looking at some of my other friends that were suddenly perfect so quickly and feeling very insecure about myself. It ultimately took me two years to feel back to myself. Once I stopped worrying about my weight and how I looked, that’s when things actually got better, and I began to regain my confidence.
What do you want your daughter to learn about body positivity?
I want her to accept everyone just as they are and to know that everyone is different. That we can love them for their differences.
What do you love about Voluptas Rose?
Truly, it’s very comfortable. And if you feel comfortable, you feel better with yourself. I also always think that if you’re wearing nice underwear and even if no one sees it, they actually do - because you feel better and are more confident and that shows!
