By Kate RicciardiSPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Beauty. The word is as abstract as the people who define it. Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. Or at least, that is what we are told.

So why is it that every time we watch TV or look in a magazine or online, we see beautiful women with contorted bodies and unrealistic figures?

I have a strong admiration for those women who are rejecting any photo alterations. Kate Winslet recently told Lancome that her ad campaign photos will not be altered because she told E! News’s Cat Sadler that “we’re all responsible for raising strong young women, so these are things that are important to me.” I could not agree more with her. We, as a society, need to raise confident young women who feel comfortable and beautiful in their own skin.

Actress and singer Zendaya Coleman recently had an issue with Modeliste magazine because they edited photos of her body. She was not happy to see the edits and took to her Instagram to call out the magazine. When young girls see edited photos, it is a whole new concept to them. It should not be odd to see a celebrity refuse Photoshop but yet, we find it almost heroic when one does. We think of it as brave when a woman is confident in her own body. Yes, it is brave to admit that you love your body in a world full of hate, but it should not be. Everyone should be able to love themselves and their differences, whatever they may be.

I am not white. I grew up my whole life not being white and looking totally different from the girls that are on TV or in magazines. I am Chinese. I grew up my whole life being different. My physical appearance is far different than that of the basic societal expectations of beautiful. We are expected to have a thin figure, big breasts, a large bottom, a pretty face and perfect hair.

Guess what? No one has all that. And you know what? That’s OK!

Young girls may not realize it, but it is your differences that make you beautiful. It is OK to not look like every other cookie-cutter girl seen on TV or in beauty magazines. I am not going to lie, it is hard to accept everything about yourself. But once you accept most of your features, your confidence levels will skyrocket and you will be so much happier.

In the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, Maria Borges made history by choosing to wear her natural curly hair in the show rather than a wig. This takes a lot of bravery, especially in an industry where your body is expected to meet certain stereotypes. This choice shows so many young girls to embrace their natural beauty. So many little girls, especially young African-American girls, are going to look up to this model and realize that their natural hair is something they should be proud of rather than try to hide or change it. Young girls need positive role models to encourage them to be proud of what they have and not be afraid of their unique qualities.

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