+
upworthy
Identity

American Eagle underwear had an increase in sales. These 10 unretouched pics are maybe a clue why.

WARNING: Scrolling through these images may give you positive feelings about yourself.

aerie, body positivity, body image

Aerie's untouched models.

This article originally appeared on 07.17.15


About a year ago, clothing brand American Eagle's underwear line, Aerie, stopped retouching photos of their models.

As their CEO Jennifer Foyle said in a statement in 2014, "There is no need to retouch beauty."


The results were beautiful.

And profitable.

After putting the nix on retouching, quarterly comparable sales for Aerie were up 9%.

9% for that quarter. The next quarter, Q3 of 2014, up only 3% in comparable sales. But then in the next two quarters? Up 13% and 12%. Coincidence? Maybe. But I like to think it has to do with things like this pic:

The brand uses the hashtag #AerieReal to let its fans know that the photos remain unretouched.

Model Iskra Lawrence, featured below kicking around on the beach, told Elle:

"I love my body and really don't see myself as a size but more of a shape."

Aerie clearly agrees!

She's featured in ads aplenty. Unretouched, of course!

Aerie also agrees that backs are beautiful.

Stomachs being stomachs are cool by them, too!

Don't freak out, but Aerie also agrees that real butts look like real butts.

Yes, some of these models have what the mainstream already traditionally thinks of as "great" bodies. But for some reason, the usual practice is to airbrush and retouch even THAT.

These photos show that there's no such thing as a "perfect" body; ALL bodies have moments of #realness. And there's nothing wrong with showing that. That's what I love about them and what I love about this campaign.

And to their credit, in case the model bodies don't do it for you, the brand has also posted photos of non-model, everyday women using the hashtag #AerieReal to spotlight the glory that is the unretouched photo on all types of shapes and sizes.

Frankly, no one needs Aerie to tell them that it's OK for them to have a body and to love it without a filter. But if you ask me, more brands could get OUT of the game of body shaming and INTO the game of body positivity like Aerie.

And if Aerie is any example, body positivity is profit positivity.

I can agree with that!

A couple is spending their retirement stress-free on cruise ships.

The cost of living in the United States has gone up so much in recent years that living on a cruise ship has become a reasonable idea for some retirees. When Nancy and Robert Houchens of Charlottesville, Virginia, retired, they decided to sell almost everything they had and live out their golden years hopping from cruise ship to cruise ship.

"We had a 3,000-square-foot home full of furniture...and everything we own now would fit in the back of a pickup truck," Robert told USA Today.

“We sold all of our estates except for a little condominium we have in Florida, so when we get too old to cruise, we have somewhere to live,” Nancy added. “And we did keep two vehicles, and what we kept is in half of (Robert's mother's storage unit), which is, I don't know, 10x10 or something. We just walked away from everything.”

Keep ReadingShow less

Why the child sex trafficking film 'Sound of Freedom' is getting such conflicting reactions

People who laud the film are accused of being QAnon quacks, and those who criticize it are accused of being evil pedophiles. Here's how we got to this ridiculous point.

"Sound of Freedom" has made more than $90 million at the box office.

The Angel Studios film "Sound of Freedom," released over the 4th of July weekend, has been a somewhat surprise box office hit, earning more than $90 million so far and earning a top spot at the box office.

If you follow conservative media, you may have gotten the impression that this film is an incredibly important, eye-opening look into the skeevy world of child sex trafficking and a hero who takes on the bad guys who snatch and enslave children into the sex trade.

If you follow more liberal media, you may have gotten the impression that this film is QAnon propaganda, with a starring actor who spews conspiracy theories about elites trafficking children in order to harvest their blood for youth-maintaining rituals and all manner of unspeakable debauchery.

So how did we get to a place where people who criticize this film are accused of being evil leftist pedophiles, and people who laud it are accused of being QAnon quacks?

Keep ReadingShow less

Man hears stepdaughter call him "Dad" for the first time.

Being a parent is often a thankless job, and being a stepparent is usually even more thankless. But most parents show up and do their best to make sure their kids have what they need and feel loved. So when our kids do or say something to show appreciation, it melts our hearts—but nothing melts it faster than a stepchild calling their bonus parent "Mom" or "Dad" for the first time.

A creator named Shane posted a clip from a longer video showing his reaction to hearing his stepdaughter call him "Dad" for the first time. The full video is about three years old, but when it was reposted as a clip recently, it pulled on everyone's heartstrings.

Shane and his wife, Liana, run the social media pages Shane and Liana where they post silly videos pranking each other. But this video wasn't a prank. His stepdaughter, London, wanted to surprise him after wanting to call him "Dad" for a long time.

Keep ReadingShow less

Was she in the right?

Country singer Miranda Lambert recently paused mid-song during a show in Las Vegas to confront fans who were taking a selfie during the performance, and no one can seem to agree whether or not she was right to do so.

In a video taken at the Sunday night concert, Lambert is seen beginning her ballad “Tin Man” when she suddenly says, "I'm gonna stop right here for a second, I'm sorry. These girls are worried about their selfie and not listening to the song,” referencing a group of friends somewhere in the front section.

“I don’t like it, at all,” she continues, “We’re here to hear some country music tonight…I’m singing some country damn music,” before motioning for them to put their phones away.

Keep ReadingShow less

Dog refuses to walk with Mom, but her legs work with Grandma.

What gives dogs the right to have such big and hilarious personalities? It seems like these dogs have found a way to make their humans laugh while also annoying them until they're ready to come apart. It's truly a skill that only dogs and toddlers seem to possess in great quantities.

Zoe is a pit bull with a bombastic side-eye that makes it clear that she only tolerates her mother, Raven, but adores her grandmother, Yonika. There is no confusion about who her favorite person is, and Zoe's grandmother only seems to encourage the behavior. The two of them are the best of friends, and Mom...well, she's the third wheel.

Sure, Zoe likes her mom a little—she does feed her, after all—but the verdict is still being determined if love can be claimed. Raven can't even convince the sassy pittie to go on a walk with her.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

Guy shows off unreal drumming skills during mesmerizing 'AGT' audition

The rhythm, the energy, the smile. No wonder one judge called it "the perfect audition."

America's Got Talent/Youtube

Gotta love a good drum solo.

Few instruments in this world are as universally loved as the drums. For thousands of years, humans in virtually every culture have used drums to raise energy, be it for ceremonial purposes or good old-fashioned celebration. I mean, have you ever listened to a really bangin’ drum solo and not been immediately revved up? It’s pretty much impossible.

So when a masterful drum player aces an instrument that already gives such a visceral experience, you know you’re in for one hell of an auditory ride. Twenty-six-year-old Timothy Fletcher gave “America’s Got Talent” audiences just that.

Keep ReadingShow less