A Body of Work: A Man’s View of his Body, Body Stereotypes and the Gym
The recent All Walks interview with Elisha Smith leverock on the subject of female body builders got me thinking, and reflecting on my own attitudes to working out and body building.There was a time when I used to have a very naive view of the gym and of women on the treadmill running aimlessly to lose weight, seemingly never being happy with themselves, or men standing in front of the mirror pumping iron, like something from the Victorian age, and looking upon the slender male as a joke.
At that time I didn't realise that my insecurities came from a darker place of non-acceptance of my body, having never fit into the media's stereotype of an aspirational male figure with the slender frame I was given at birth. However, over time and years of contributing towards the creation of images for fashion media, through styling and my education gained through working with All Walks Beyond the Catwalk, I really started to embrace my body.
As time went on, I started to go to the gym for other reasons, to de-stress my mind and to be healthy, given all the work I was doing sitting at a desk, working on productions and blogging. The gym had given me something to do that was unrelated to fashion and now I can safely say that I am in a very happy place with my body and I enjoy watching my body develop and having the ability to do new things through the changes I make to my training - plus, all the extra energy it gives me is fantastic!
Through lots of emails, tweets and even 'meets,' All Walks has been asked a number of times what our views on the male aspect of fashion are, in relation to body image and many other questions. Through this new feature on the blog, I aim to deliver a male perspective, as someone who works in the industry and also aims to look after their body. I will look at campaigns I have worked on in the past, as well current men's fashion campaigns, creating a regular space for All walks readers to engage in the topic of body confidence across all ages, races, sizes and genders.
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Post by Michael Williamson, on Twitter @mwfrost
Editor Charlotte Gush, on Twitter @CavaCharlotte
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Michael Williamson is a designer, stylist, blogger and an integral member of the All Walks team, having been with us from the very beginning. Check out his blog, Safety-Pin Charm, to keep your finger on the pulse of all things fashion - especially london based. Follow Michael on You Tube and on Twitter @mwfrost |