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Target's new swimwear line features a diverse group of models, proving all bodies are beautiful

Target's new swimwear line features a diverse group of models, proving all bodies are beautiful

It's sounds weird, but having models who look like the women who buy swimsuits can actually help sell swimsuits? Target has been the number one market share holder in women's swimwear since 2015, and it's hard not to feel that their commitment to inclusive models gets part of the credit.

Target just launched their Swim 2020 campaign, and the models for the retailer's line come in all sizes and races, just like the women who are actually buying them. This year, Target even cast a model with Ichthyosis, a hereditary skin condition that causes the body to shed its skin every two weeks. The condition creates rough, dryer skin on the surface of the body, giving it an appearance like scales.


RELATED:Tommy Hilfiger and Zendaya just put on a historic runway show featuring only black models and it was perfect.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, one in four Americans have been impacted with a skin disease since 2013. By casting Jeyza Gary, the model with Ichthyosis, Target is sending a message that bodies with skin conditions are also bikini bodies.

Gary went into modeling because after a friend encouraged her. Gary had never seen a model with her skin condition, and her decision to embrace who she is inspired others. "I posted one of the pictures to my Instagram, and one woman reached out in my DMs. She said, 'Your pictures give me goosebumps. I have lamellar ichthyosis, but I don't have the courage to wear shorts. You give me the courage to do something I've never done,'" Gary told Refinery 29. "It's not about me. It's about allowing other people to see me and be encouraged." Target's swimwear line is her first campaign.


Target's swimwear collection of 1,800+ new pieces doesn't leave curvier women out of cute fashion. Top sizes go up to 26 and 38DDD. 68% of women in America wear a size 14 or higher, yet they're often left out by clothing manufacturers. Women shouldn't feel left out just because their body isn't what we're traditionally used to seeing in advertisements.

RELATED:A plus-sized fashion blogger was shamed for dressing like Meghan Markle. Her response was perfect.

This isn't the first time Target has launched a marketing campaign with a message of body positivity and inclusivity. Target used model Kiara Washington, who has a prosthetic leg, in a previous marketing campaign for their size-inclusive swimwear line Kona Sol. Earlier this year, Target launched a size-inclusive athletic wear line with sizes ranging from XS to 4X.

It's great that more major brands are realizing that representation isn't "one size fits all," and are changing their advertisements to reflect that. On top of it all, the new swimsuits look pretty darn cute.

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A better world begins with a pair of socks–how small acts of kindness create big change

A little comfort goes a long way.

All images provided by Bombas

We can all be part of the giving movement

True

We all know that small acts of kindness can turn into something big, but does that apply to something as small as a pair of socks?

Yes, it turns out. More than you might think.

A fresh pair of socks is a simple comfort easily taken for granted for most, but for individuals experiencing homelessness—they are a rare commodity. Currently, more than 500,000 people in the U.S. are experiencing homelessness on any given night. Being unstably housed—whether that’s couch surfing, living on the streets, or somewhere in between—often means rarely taking your shoes off, walking for most if not all of the day, and having little access to laundry facilities. And since shelters are not able to provide pre-worn socks due to hygienic reasons, that very basic need is still not met, even if some help is provided. That’s why socks are the #1 most requested clothing item in shelters.

homelessness, bombasSocks are a simple comfort not everyone has access to

When the founders of Bombas, Dave Heath and Randy Goldberg, discovered this problem, they decided to be part of the solution. Using a One Purchased = One Donated business model, Bombas helps provide not only durable, high-quality socks, but also t-shirts and underwear (the top three most requested clothing items in shelters) to those in need nationwide. These meticulously designed donation products include added features intended to offer comfort, quality, and dignity to those experiencing homelessness.

Over the years, Bombas' mission has grown into an enormous movement, with more than 75 million items donated to date and a focus on providing support and visibility to the organizations and people that empower these donations. These are the incredible individuals who are doing the hard work to support those experiencing —or at risk of—homelessness in their communities every day.

Folks like Shirley Raines, creator of Beauty 2 The Streetz. Every Saturday, Raines and her team help those experiencing homelessness on Skid Row in Los Angeles “feel human” with free makeovers, haircuts, food, gift bags and (thanks to Bombas) fresh socks. 500 pairs, every week.

beauty 2 the streetz, skid row laRaines is out there helping people feel their beautiful best

Or Director of Step Forward David Pinson in Cincinnati, Ohio, who offers Bombas donations to those trying to recover from addiction. Launched in 2009, the Step Forward program encourages participation in community walking/running events in order to build confidence and discipline—two major keys to successful rehabilitation. For each marathon, runners are outfitted with special shirts, shoes—and yes, socks—to help make their goals more achievable.

step forward, helping homelessness, homeless non profitsRunning helps instill a sense of confidence and discipline—two key components of successful recovery

Help even reaches the Front Street Clinic of Juneau, Alaska, where Casey Ploof, APRN, and David Norris, RN give out free healthcare to those experiencing homelessness. Because it rains nearly 200 days a year there, it can be very common for people to get trench foot—a very serious condition that, when left untreated, can require amputation. Casey and Dave can help treat trench foot, but without fresh, clean socks, the condition returns. Luckily, their supply is abundant thanks to Bombas. As Casey shared, “people will walk across town and then walk from the valley just to come here to get more socks.”

step forward clinic, step forward alaska, homelessness alaskaWelcome to wild, beautiful and wet Alaska!

The Bombas Impact Report provides details on Bombas’s mission and is full of similar inspiring stories that show how the biggest acts of kindness can come from even the smallest packages. Since its inception in 2013, the company has built a network of over 3,500 Giving Partners in all 50 states, including shelters, nonprofits and community organizations dedicated to supporting our neighbors who are experiencing- or at risk- of homelessness.

Their success has proven that, yes, a simple pair of socks can be a helping hand, an important conversation starter and a link to humanity.

You can also be a part of the solution. Learn more and find the complete Bombas Impact Report by clicking here.

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Woman left at the altar by her fiance decided to 'turn the day around’ and have a wedding anyway

'I didn’t want to remember the day as complete sadness.'

via Pixabay

The show must go on… and more power to her.

There are few things that feel more awful than being stranded at the altar by your spouse-to-be. That’s why people are cheering on Kayley Stead, 27, from the U.K. for turning a day of extreme disappointment into a party for her friends, family and most importantly, herself.

According to a report in The Metro, on Thursday, September 15, Stead woke up in an Airbnb with her bridemaids, having no idea that her fiance, Kallum Norton, 24, had run off early that morning. The word got to Stead’s bridesmaids at around 7 a.m. the day of the wedding.

“[A groomsman] called one of the maids of honor to explain that the groom had ‘gone.’ We were told he had left the caravan they were staying at in Oxwich Bay (the venue) at 12:30 a.m. to visit his family, who were staying in another caravan nearby and hadn’t returned. When they woke in the morning, he was not there and his car had gone,” Jordie Cullen wrote on a GoFundMe page.

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All-female flight crews known as 'Night Witches' bombed the crap out of Nazi targets in WWII

The Germans were terrified of these pilots whose silent planes swooped in like ghosts.

Avgeekjoe/Flickr

The Night Witches were feared by the Germans for their stealth bombing runs.

If you like stories of amazing women, buckle up, because this one is a wild ride.

During WWII, the Soviet Air Force's 588th Night Bomber Regiment flew incredibly harrowing missions, bombing Germans with rudimentary biplanes in the dead of night. The Germans called them Nachthexen—"Night Witches"—because the only warning they had before the bombs hit was an ominous whooshing sound akin to a witch's broom.

The "whoosh" sound was due to the fact that the women would cut the planes' engines as they approached, gliding in stealthily before dropping their bombs. And the Night Witches moniker was fitting, considering the fact that the 588th was an all-female regiment.

Their missions were incredibly dangerous, especially considering how the women were equipped. Most of the recruits were in their late teens to mid-20s, and crew members had to learn how to pilot, navigate and maintain the aircraft so they could serve the regiment in any capacity. They underwent an intensive year of training to learn what usually took several years to master.

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Dad's sincere texts while buying pads for his daughter are a hilarious attempt to get it right

via Tia Savva/Facebook

This article originally appeared on July 2, 2019


Sadly, a lot of men go out of their way to avoid learning anything about a woman's period.

(That could be why throughout most of the United States — where the majority of lawmakers are men — feminine hygiene products are subject to sales tax.)

So we should give some love to the guys who make an effort to learn a bit about the menstrual cycle so they can help their family members when they're in desperate need of feminine hygiene products.

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