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'Underneath We Are Women' is an amazing photo book which fights the stereotypes of women's beauty.
Created by Australian photographer Amy D Herrman, the book's main goal is 'to educate thousands' by featuring ‘100 women, 100 bodies, 100 stories’ and showing their endless diversity. In the book, there are no judgments and no opinions of others - just honest photography. If you like this idea, help Amy raise money through Kickstarter so she could print 400 copies of the book!
More info: Kickstarter | Instagram (h/t: demilked)
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Yvonne Bernal 9 years ago
Physical defects are nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all. And this woman looks wonderful in spite of it all.
RELATED:
#2
Jules Miklos-Woodley 9 years ago
I didn't even notice she had a missing forearm until my second or third look. I was like, why is she remarkable? She's gorgeous. Which of course is the entire point of this entire link. Well done. I shall now slap myself in the face.
#3
Yvonne Bernal 9 years ago
You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have. I have volunteered in a cancer hospital for 4 years now.... I see strength and courage all around. God bless those who fight the battle. <3
#5
Vikki Moyer 9 years ago
I can relate to this one... my scars are on my thighs too. But I've gone almost 6 months without putting any more on! (: she's beautiful!
#7
Yvonne Bernal 9 years ago
When it comes to staying young, a mind lift beats a face lift EVERY time. She is the ultimate of age with grace.
#12
Thina Hederstedt 9 years ago
Guess what? Women get hair in new places during puberty, just like men. It's not nasty, it's natural
andera 8 years ago
i personally don't like body hair on either gender but if you choose not to shave it doesn't affect me so i don't care
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Over Opinionated 9 years ago
Look what Society has done to half you people. thinking that it's only men that can have hair and girls are hairless guess what we grow hair and society deems it gross she's beautiful and anyone who thinks she's gross has been brainwashed by too many stereotypes on beauty
lunanoir69 9 years ago
I will never understand the "no body hair because it's icky" movement...it protects our bodies!!
Quant 9 years ago
No it doesn't, it an afterthought of our evolutionary past, an artefact that has little to no use except of harbouring bacteria, it cannot provide protection from the elements because it doesn't insulate. A biological remnant, but nothing like our appendix which is often used as an example, the latter has it's use in protecting our gut microflora.
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Laura Toivotta 9 years ago
To everyone who criticises her armpit hair because it's "disgusting" (???) or "ugly"... No person exists to please someone else's aesthetic opinion. The person in the photo likely did not ask for yours - and it would do well to remember the old adage: if you have nothing nice to say, just shut the f**k up.
Dawn Moskalyk 9 years ago
Im honestly suprised no one commented on the pubic hair which is usually a bigger issue than pit hair... shes so beautiful and free!
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LaDarryl Hollingsworth 9 years ago
I personally shave my arm pits. I can't stand the funk it brings.
Rhon 9 years ago
Who was it that decided, only about 100 yrs ago, that women shouldn't have hair in their arm pits?
Hannah McNicol 9 years ago
Oh, I can answer that! 1915 was the year Harper's bazaar ran their first add for the "removal of objectionable hair". Seems with women's liberation came a drastic change in fashion. With that change in fashion came the exposure of skin and hair that had previously been private. The photographer of this project has actually studied this and even made a recreation of the add www.amydfoto.com/blog/archives/01-2015
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xena isley 9 years ago
it's completely natural for both men and women to have body hair, but society has forced stereotypes that females can't [have body hair].
KT Pinto 9 years ago
I know a lot of guys these days that also shave their body hair because they think it's "disgusting". If they want to, that should be fine, but not because of a body-shaming reason.
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Christine Lyon 9 years ago
This pic makes me uncomfortable, but only because it makes my armpits itch. I shave because I don't like how hair feels and looking at this makes me feel the little stubble under my arm and makes me want to shave. More power to her, but now I'm itchy.....
Hannah McNicol 9 years ago
Te he, I don't shave primarily because it MAKES me itch. But I understand, each to their own and I'll defend your right to hairless pots as much as I'll defend my right to hairy ones
Load More Replies... xena isley 9 years ago
and all the commenters exclaiming that body hair is disgusting, or that people should shave, have believed the lie/stereotype that it's bad.
Jennifer Morgan 9 years ago
Always think I'm dead against hairy pits but I mean when you look at her, why the hell not? She looks great!!
Stacey Wellington 9 years ago
This is another favourite! I don't shave either, only my armpits for job interviews and my legs for special occasions.
Guy Twyman 9 years ago
How long til boredpanda does an artical about guys fighting gender stereotypes?
#13
#15
Kimberly Calloway 9 years ago
All bodies are beautiful, YOU are the sterotype for shaming her for enjoying the gym, buying fit, muscular, whatever.
#17
#18
Melissa Geddes 9 years ago
I kinda wish i could go au natural ...but im part grrek so if i left those pit bushes go i would look like i had two hobbits in a headlock.
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Randy Allos 9 years ago
So tired of these politically correct posts. As an average looking guy I have no problem with the fact that most people would prefer to look at underwear pictures of a male model with a nice symmetric, square face and a well proportioned body, and not at mine. So what. The fact that someone won the genetic lottery does not make them a more valuable human being. In this day and age, wobbling fat is not beautiful for most people. Get over it.
Marlene Jones 9 years ago
Im 67 yr old female. When younger i had a slim attractive body. I liked how i look. But now i dont even like seeing my body after shower so why kn earth would anyone else want to see my flab and wrinkles? I agree with you.
Load More Replies...
Silvia Fabi 9 years ago
I don't think that in order to feel good about ourselves we have to pose in front of the cameras and show the whole world our underwear or lack of it. I think we will all move to higher grounds when we stop manipulating sex and sexuality in order to define who we really are. The human being is a beautiful array of incredible gifts and our body is just one of them.
Saumya 9 years ago
Beautifully phrased. Couldn't be summed up in a better way
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.gas. 9 years ago
People who body-shame or otherwise judge anyone need to get a life. They're usually so upset with their own image, or something in their life, that they feel the need to project hate on someone else.
Megan Drayton 9 years ago
And then this article lists the photos in order of how many "likes" they have. Hypocritical much???
NoliBelle 9 years ago
Yes, how dare you only be attracted to attractive women. Monsters. That's like the narrative that if I only find caucasian men attractive I'm somehow "racist". Which I've heard several times in my life. How about we stop shaming people for their taste in their preferred gender?
Katarzyna Cz 9 years ago
I agree. well, I strongly prefer black man and I don't find myself racist towards white/Asian men cause of that.
Load More Replies...
Brianna Bastian 9 years ago
i think the whole idea of this was to show people that some find somethings attractive and others not. like some didn't mind the hair while others found it gross.
Estefani Licea Madrigal 9 years ago
I love these photographs, women have been objectified for a long time and it's truly sad. Love yourself! Love doesn't see imperfections it sees unique features that are truly unique to you. love always conquers
Jose Brenes 9 years ago
It's annoying and r******d how PC is trying to make being obese something acceptable. Health issues concerning obesity are serious.
Stine Schmidt 8 years ago
Very true, it's a health issue and I agree it shouldn't be celebrated. But I don't think it's always about celebrating obesity but to love yourself for who you are, and by loving yourself, making changes in your life will also be a tad more easy, because you'll feel less compelled to binge eat when sad. Maybe you'll even feel more empowered and ready to take on new challenges..
Load More Replies...
Miklós Nagy 9 years ago
Okay, so I get it when it's about scars or amputee, but when someone is just simply undemanding about his/her own look and try to make other people accept them is nothing more than egotism.
Jody Johnson 8 years ago
For the males that are commenting...... You are not held to the same standards women are. You are not bombarded with images and articles telling you what you should look like, how you should act, how sexual you should be, what to do with your body hair. This article is about showing real women as they are. Not photo-shopped, not fitting a certain ideal. Males have not been judged on their physical being anywhere near the amount as women have. It hasn't been shoved down your throats to conform from a young age. I will even go far as to say this isn't mainly for adults but our children. To help change how they view themselves and how they fit into the world at large as themselves. Yeah you can be unhappy with how you look, your weight, your strength, but you do not experienced the same pressure as women, girls, do to look a certain way, to be a certain way.
Josie Faulkes 9 years ago
I, unlike some of the people in the comments, loved seeing these pictures. I am so tired of feeling awful when ever I see pictures of women's bodies. The women's bodies I see most are the ones in the media of very slim, perfectly shaped women. Every time I see them I feel awful about myself. It is not easy to get an appearance that 'perfect'. So to see these images of truth- the diverse range of bodies that women have that are not touched by perfecting programmes, have not been nit-picked for us to see- is great. I think the natural, more common bodies of humans are beautiful. I appreciate them and love them. If I didn't like these images of all different shapes, sizes, textures then I would probably be someone that finds it hard to find a partner I would be happy with- if I am not made happy by a natural, more average form of a human being.
Nic Wright 1 year ago
Don't know if anyone will see this but it about how you feel about yourself. I would like to see thus shoot done with men as well, because sure as hell we are judged about ourselves as well. I am a human being as well no super model or millionaire gave up everything to be a single dad then take care of my dad who has parkinsons do I have worth?
Ashley Johnson 8 years ago
I think the point is that maybe you can scroll past the pictures of these imperfect women, and if you can see some of them as beautiful, in spite of whatever physical "flaw" they have, then maybe you can believe the same might be true about you too, that you might be beautiful or loveable in spite of your perceived "flaws". We should all want to perpetuate this ideology for ourselves, our daughters, sons, and fellow humans rather than allowing ourselves to be constantly sold products and goods because we perceive it will increase our beauty and hence our value or standing when in fact it will not and will make us constantly want. True value is the result of a contribution; ideological or material, to the group. This is not political correctness, this is objective truth. We really are more than the body vehicle we drive around, the comments in this thread are not reassuring.
Jay Hurley 8 years ago
t isn't a 'stereotype' of beauty. Beauty is beauty. It's almost like lining up a row of bikes and saying you're doing it to fight stereotypes of cars. None of these fat, gross, hairy bitches are beautiful. And sorry, but yes, men do decide what constitutes beautiful for the opposite sex.
Stine Schmidt 8 years ago
I think it's very individual what people like. Some blame others and say: well women would rather want to look at male models too!! I wouldn't... to be blatantly honest. I don't find the super symmetrical male body attractive at ALL. It's just important to know that not all men and women like those model-type bodies to gawk at. It's all individual what kind of charisma you like. So would be nice if people would stop assuming that. Also, I think posts like these are important, male and female like. Men and women (and especially women in some cases) are all effected by this media trend. I mean, I think I look quite alright myself, but I have some days when I just loathe my own body, hate looking at me and feel like I'm super obese... when in reality I might be better off than some people. It's self empowering to remind us that we're just f*****g humans. And so diverse looking for a species, so if you just wanna hate on "politically correct" posts, maybe just keep it to yourself.
Sloan Kettering 8 years ago
Ya nope the fatties are still hideous, being in less clothing doesn't change that only some self control will.
Karina Andersen 9 years ago
I am fat & it's not good for me, I am a diabetic, my weight fluctuates too much, & it frustrates me to no end, I haven't been in a relationship for many years now, I don't feel good about myself & refuse to have another person involved with that
Jason Childs 9 years ago
It's too bad that the same people applauding these women would make fun of men if they posed for photos like this.
Arty 9 years ago
Basically they almost all have pretty faces and a smile...so yeah, beauty is important or the photographer wouldn't have shown these woman. Human brain is conceive to work on stereotype, the point is just to be aware of them and of yourself. Could we now come back to something funny?
Shaheris Suhel 9 years ago
I think you added emoji but it turned to question mark. Upvote for you
Load More Replies...
SaRa Shiku 9 years ago
Well, still lame as they are trying to show a woman is beautiful...again by showing her body imagine! C'mon I'd rather call someone beautiful if I hear a story from their life or see a talent they have or smth, not their body in whatever form they are, this is just lame and childish
Randy Allos 9 years ago
So tired of these politically correct posts. As an average looking guy I have no problem with the fact that most people would prefer to look at underwear pictures of a male model with a nice symmetric, square face and a well proportioned body, and not at mine. So what. The fact that someone won the genetic lottery does not make them a more valuable human being. In this day and age, wobbling fat is not beautiful for most people. Get over it.
Marlene Jones 9 years ago
Im 67 yr old female. When younger i had a slim attractive body. I liked how i look. But now i dont even like seeing my body after shower so why kn earth would anyone else want to see my flab and wrinkles? I agree with you.
Load More Replies... Silvia Fabi 9 years ago
I don't think that in order to feel good about ourselves we have to pose in front of the cameras and show the whole world our underwear or lack of it. I think we will all move to higher grounds when we stop manipulating sex and sexuality in order to define who we really are. The human being is a beautiful array of incredible gifts and our body is just one of them.
Saumya 9 years ago
Beautifully phrased. Couldn't be summed up in a better way
Load More Replies... .gas. 9 years ago
People who body-shame or otherwise judge anyone need to get a life. They're usually so upset with their own image, or something in their life, that they feel the need to project hate on someone else.
Megan Drayton 9 years ago
And then this article lists the photos in order of how many "likes" they have. Hypocritical much???
NoliBelle 9 years ago
Yes, how dare you only be attracted to attractive women. Monsters. That's like the narrative that if I only find caucasian men attractive I'm somehow "racist". Which I've heard several times in my life. How about we stop shaming people for their taste in their preferred gender?
Katarzyna Cz 9 years ago
I agree. well, I strongly prefer black man and I don't find myself racist towards white/Asian men cause of that.
Load More Replies... Brianna Bastian 9 years ago
i think the whole idea of this was to show people that some find somethings attractive and others not. like some didn't mind the hair while others found it gross.
Estefani Licea Madrigal 9 years ago
I love these photographs, women have been objectified for a long time and it's truly sad. Love yourself! Love doesn't see imperfections it sees unique features that are truly unique to you. love always conquers
Jose Brenes 9 years ago
It's annoying and r******d how PC is trying to make being obese something acceptable. Health issues concerning obesity are serious.
Stine Schmidt 8 years ago
Very true, it's a health issue and I agree it shouldn't be celebrated. But I don't think it's always about celebrating obesity but to love yourself for who you are, and by loving yourself, making changes in your life will also be a tad more easy, because you'll feel less compelled to binge eat when sad. Maybe you'll even feel more empowered and ready to take on new challenges..
Load More Replies... Miklós Nagy 9 years ago
Okay, so I get it when it's about scars or amputee, but when someone is just simply undemanding about his/her own look and try to make other people accept them is nothing more than egotism.
Jody Johnson 8 years ago
For the males that are commenting...... You are not held to the same standards women are. You are not bombarded with images and articles telling you what you should look like, how you should act, how sexual you should be, what to do with your body hair. This article is about showing real women as they are. Not photo-shopped, not fitting a certain ideal. Males have not been judged on their physical being anywhere near the amount as women have. It hasn't been shoved down your throats to conform from a young age. I will even go far as to say this isn't mainly for adults but our children. To help change how they view themselves and how they fit into the world at large as themselves. Yeah you can be unhappy with how you look, your weight, your strength, but you do not experienced the same pressure as women, girls, do to look a certain way, to be a certain way.
Josie Faulkes 9 years ago
I, unlike some of the people in the comments, loved seeing these pictures. I am so tired of feeling awful when ever I see pictures of women's bodies. The women's bodies I see most are the ones in the media of very slim, perfectly shaped women. Every time I see them I feel awful about myself. It is not easy to get an appearance that 'perfect'. So to see these images of truth- the diverse range of bodies that women have that are not touched by perfecting programmes, have not been nit-picked for us to see- is great. I think the natural, more common bodies of humans are beautiful. I appreciate them and love them. If I didn't like these images of all different shapes, sizes, textures then I would probably be someone that finds it hard to find a partner I would be happy with- if I am not made happy by a natural, more average form of a human being.
Nic Wright 1 year ago
Don't know if anyone will see this but it about how you feel about yourself. I would like to see thus shoot done with men as well, because sure as hell we are judged about ourselves as well. I am a human being as well no super model or millionaire gave up everything to be a single dad then take care of my dad who has parkinsons do I have worth?
Ashley Johnson 8 years ago
I think the point is that maybe you can scroll past the pictures of these imperfect women, and if you can see some of them as beautiful, in spite of whatever physical "flaw" they have, then maybe you can believe the same might be true about you too, that you might be beautiful or loveable in spite of your perceived "flaws". We should all want to perpetuate this ideology for ourselves, our daughters, sons, and fellow humans rather than allowing ourselves to be constantly sold products and goods because we perceive it will increase our beauty and hence our value or standing when in fact it will not and will make us constantly want. True value is the result of a contribution; ideological or material, to the group. This is not political correctness, this is objective truth. We really are more than the body vehicle we drive around, the comments in this thread are not reassuring.
Jay Hurley 8 years ago
t isn't a 'stereotype' of beauty. Beauty is beauty. It's almost like lining up a row of bikes and saying you're doing it to fight stereotypes of cars. None of these fat, gross, hairy bitches are beautiful. And sorry, but yes, men do decide what constitutes beautiful for the opposite sex.
Stine Schmidt 8 years ago
I think it's very individual what people like. Some blame others and say: well women would rather want to look at male models too!! I wouldn't... to be blatantly honest. I don't find the super symmetrical male body attractive at ALL. It's just important to know that not all men and women like those model-type bodies to gawk at. It's all individual what kind of charisma you like. So would be nice if people would stop assuming that. Also, I think posts like these are important, male and female like. Men and women (and especially women in some cases) are all effected by this media trend. I mean, I think I look quite alright myself, but I have some days when I just loathe my own body, hate looking at me and feel like I'm super obese... when in reality I might be better off than some people. It's self empowering to remind us that we're just f*****g humans. And so diverse looking for a species, so if you just wanna hate on "politically correct" posts, maybe just keep it to yourself.
Sloan Kettering 8 years ago
Ya nope the fatties are still hideous, being in less clothing doesn't change that only some self control will.
Karina Andersen 9 years ago
I am fat & it's not good for me, I am a diabetic, my weight fluctuates too much, & it frustrates me to no end, I haven't been in a relationship for many years now, I don't feel good about myself & refuse to have another person involved with that
Jason Childs 9 years ago
It's too bad that the same people applauding these women would make fun of men if they posed for photos like this.
Arty 9 years ago
Basically they almost all have pretty faces and a smile...so yeah, beauty is important or the photographer wouldn't have shown these woman. Human brain is conceive to work on stereotype, the point is just to be aware of them and of yourself. Could we now come back to something funny?
Shaheris Suhel 9 years ago
I think you added emoji but it turned to question mark. Upvote for you
Load More Replies... SaRa Shiku 9 years ago
Well, still lame as they are trying to show a woman is beautiful...again by showing her body imagine! C'mon I'd rather call someone beautiful if I hear a story from their life or see a talent they have or smth, not their body in whatever form they are, this is just lame and childish
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