Fashion

#InMySkinIWin Is One Inspiring Hashtag

by Kali Borovic

In a world where we put a filter on almost every photo and the images we see are Photoshopped to the extreme, more and more people are trying to challenge our limited beauty norms. Shaun Ross's In My Skin I Win campaign sends the message that every body is beautiful just the way it is. The campaign, which aims to get people to love their bodies, is finally starting to pick up some steam after three years. Instagram and Twitter have exploded with the hashtag recently, and Ross's message is more relevant than ever.

With movements like Aerie Real and Lane Bryant's #PlusIsEqual taking over the fashion industry, body acceptance has never been so mainstream. As a male model with albinism, Ross started the campaign in 2012 "to shape the way we as individuals think about ourselves personally," according to his website. Since then, he has given TedTalks, created shirts, and made numerous public appearances to give people advice on, well, feeling comfortable in their own skin.

With shirts reading "nothing is impossible" and a large social media backing, his campaign is gaining popularity, perhaps because of how well it resonates with so many people, especially those who have been bullied because of their looks.

"[The] mission is not to stop bullying entirely, but rather to shape the way we as individuals think about ourselves personally," Ross says on his site. "If one feels confident when looking in the mirror, then the negative words of others don't sting as much."

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According to Buzzfeed, the idea for the campaign came to Ross after the mother of a young girl with albinism contacted him for support. Since then, the #InMySkinIWin hashtag has become popular across all social media platforms.

Ross has been on a bunch of magazine covers, including Nylon and Vogue, has appeared in Beyoncé's Pretty Hurts video, and walked the runway during New York Fashion Week more than once. According to Buzzfeed, he wants to use the confidence that he has gained to not only challenge beauty standards, but also to raise awareness of persecution of people with albinism in parts of Africa.

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"In My Skin I Win is a movement for anyone who has ever felt defeated by a negative social construct of what beauty actually should be," he says on his site. "Beauty is you and what you make from your confidence in your own perfectly imperfect body. Together, if we encourage others to love what they see when they look at themselves, we can win in our skin."

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Being confident in your skin can be hard, but with so many people sharing their stories on social media, it's hard not to be inspired!