Agent Provocateur has broadened the concept of this day of love; instead of solely being about the love shared between lovers, Valentine’s Day this year will be dedicated to loving yourself – and we are so here for it.
The campaign will centre on the strength of the female and her form, loving oneself and one’s body, and being entirely unapologetic for it; yaaaas.
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and if the concept of sexy underwear campaigns aimed at impressing the man in your life fill you with dread, one lingerie brand is shaking things up.
And if we do say so ourselves, there is no better person to epitomise this concept than model and body positivity ambassador, and GLAMOUR’s very own columnist, Charli Howard.
As the face of the lingerie giant’s Valentine’s Day campaign, and as an ode to Valentine’s Day and a profession of true love, Charli has penned a love letter to her herself and her body and it’s so damn inspiring. Read on…
To my Body,
This is a letter to say thank you: a thank you for all the times you loved me, when I showed you no love at all.
Our relationship in the past has been complicated. I spent years comparing you to numerous women I will never be, and against bodies I will never have. I based my value on what other people thought of me or saw in me, seeking their approval before I sought my own.
My curves were shameful; my stretch marks hideous. My hair should have been different; my clothes a size smaller. I was never satisfied with what you gave me, even when you tried telling me I was enough.
I wanted to change you in the hope someone else would love me in the ways I could not love you.
But, in reality, you’ve loved me better than anyone else ever could; more than anyone ever will.
I put so much focus on looking perfect on the outside that I forgot about the love you offered me from within. And the truth is, Body, you were perfect already – I was just blind to it.
When I abused you, you never left. When I criticised you, you never fought back.
You have repaired and renewed me; kept my heart beating and my blood pumping. You never gave up on me throughout all the times I was ready to give up on you. And, years later, when I finally realised how
much I needed you, you continued to love me like you had from the beginning.
That is true love.
So this is a promise – a promise to love you, flaws and all, and to make up for the years I didn’t realise your worth. And while my skin might not be the smoothest, or my hips the smallest, you’ve taught me what I needed to know:
I am enough
So we’re in this together for the long run. Because you may not be perfect, Body, but you’re the only one I’ve got.
