Man Explains Why Mom Bods Are 'In' For The Summer — And So Many Women Finally Feel Seen
All bodies deserve to be celebrated, no matter what.
Xavier Mouton / Unsplash Summer is on its way, bringing longer days and hotter temperatures, which can only mean one thing: It’s time to shed our sweaters for sundresses and celebrate ourselves in every sense of the word.
Men across TikTok are expressing their appreciation for summer fashion and women who rock whatever they want, praising a body type that’s often ignored: the mom bod.
A man explained why mom bods are 'in' this summer, and so many women finally feel seen.
While dad bod discourse has become well-worn territory, mom bods aren’t always seen in the same body-positive light.
One side of TikTok is changing that narrative by uplifting the mom bod, which can be defined as a body that’s not super skinny, a body carrying some softness, proof of the immense and spectacular labor of growing a baby, giving birth, and providing care.
Coby Perry recorded himself looking out his car window, playing out an imagined scene as he watched “Ladies with mom bods rock summer dresses.”
Just as it seemed like his post was taking a turn toward body shaming, Belinda Carlisle's voice rang out, declaring, “Oh, baby, do you know what that’s worth? Oh, heaven is a place on Earth.”
At first glance, Perry’s video could have been problematic, yet as one woman commented, “It was a red flag that turned green.”
“I thought I was on the wrong side of TikTok for a second,” someone else noted. “Welcome to the happy side where everyone is loved,” Perry replied.
The outpouring of positive comments from women of all shapes and sizes showed just how impactful a message life Perry’s can be.
“Mom bods gave life,” another woman said. “Literal life. It’s time we recognize that instead of shaming them.”
“It’s me and my C-section belly against the world,” one mom proudly exclaimed.
"Is it a mom bod even if we’ve never had a kiddo?” a woman asked. “Of course,” Perry answered, which raises an interesting point.
Jonathon Borba / Unsplash
Mom bods can be defined in many ways. Some moms have stretch marks and scars, some have bigger bodies, and some are thinner.
According to Perry, being a mom isn’t even a requirement for having a mom bod.
The concept of a mom bod is rooted in having a body that doesn’t adhere to unreachable beauty ideals that women are unfairly held to, day in and day out.
A different woman acknowledged the larger point Perry was making, noting, “So, being insecure is out this year,” to which Perry answered, “It was so 2023.”
It’s possible to interpret this commentary on mom bods through a lens of objectification.
We could look at what they’re saying as continuing to center the male gaze and upholding the idea that women dress solely to impress men.
Yet the reality of mom-bod appreciation is more complex than that.
Whether you’re a mom in a sundress, a mom in a coffee-stained T-shirt, or a woman who’s not a mom with a body type that lies outside of our society’s rigid, oppressive beauty standards, we are beautiful as is.
All bodies are deserving love and praise, no matter what that body weighs, looks like or what clothes cover it.
Feeling seen is a gift. Being appreciated for exactly how we present ourselves without hiding our messier parts is a message that’s worth shouting from the rooftops.
Praise for mom bods offers a level of support and affirmation that many women don’t receive, particularly after entering their parent era.
Consider how common it is to make fun of moms, relying on lazy tropes in an attempt to define a vast, varied section of the world.
Sai de Silva / Unsplash
A lot of moms do drive minivans, because they’re the ones in charge of shuttling their kids to school, ballet rehearsal, soccer practice, and getting dinner on the table, even when they're exhausted.
There are moms who throw on whatever semi-clean outfit they can find at the crack of dawn because they’re the ones waking up with their kids, making breakfast, nursing babies, and cleaning the kitchen afterward.
While there might be minor truths to the tired stereotypes moms face, it's impossible to capture the depth of an experience that’s so markedly different for every person.
Women’s bodies are judged on so many factors. Every day, our rights to bodily autonomy are meticulously stripped away by the powers that be.
Witnessing someone celebrate women in an admittedly scary and unsteady time holds immense value.
We deserve to be celebrated, just as we deserve peace and stability, acceptance and power, and the right to wear whatever we like, no matter what body we’re in.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.