With beer garden weather upon us, Aperol spritz becomes a right of passage, and the impulsive ASOS order of summer essentials are in the post. Hot girl summer is looming but do we deep dive in or sit on the side lines.
I will admit in 2021 my friends and I fully embraced hot girl summer. A collaborative notes page, categories ranking various activities, a fool proof points system and the competition began. With 10 points awarded for rejecting a boy and deductions for if you caught feelings, the lover girl era was put on hold as 18 year old me was testing the waters of being unhinged.
The long summer before uni stretched out ahead of us and something as small as a table on our notes app was seen as prime entertainment. With our past year being controlled by COVID, romantic interactions were few and far between. But with university ahead we were waving goodbye to our sheltered home towns and hot girl summer was the perfect send off.
For us, hot girl summer was and stayed light-hearted. We simply just wanted to make the most out of every situation. Be that getting a tattoo that was later filled with regrets or confronting the anxiety of a first date. However, with the immense pressure to be summer ready and the best version of yourself does it have the potential to go too far?
‘‘Hot girl summer encourages behaviours that may lead to women eating less and moving more to look a certain way instead of focusing on their health and what makes them feel good,’’ says Laura Phelan, a self-image specialist. ‘‘Alongside this, it promotes comparison and having to be the most aesthetically pleasing version of yourself which for many women breeds further insecurities and image obsessive behaviours. This has the potential to lead to disordered eating, body dysmorphia and general self dissatisfaction.’’
With a lot of trends that make their way onto our screens, something that was meant to be fun, enjoyable and most of all carefree can swiftly become damaging. And Phelan makes good points, you don’t see us prepping for hot girl winter. There is something about the sun coming out that fuels an obsession of looking certain ways and carrying out this picture perfect life full of chaos to fill our Instagram feeds.
‘‘As summer approaches there are more social events, more time spent with skin on show and wanting life to feel as social media worthy as we are led to expect everyone’s lives to be. In the winter there is an element of “hibernation” of doing less, and seeing less people. Whereas, as the summer social events increase as does our visibility, so often women feel this is the time they need to ” glow up” or look their best,’’ says Phelan.
As women, our appearance is constantly critiqued, unrealistic standards have been set that we are meant to abide by with no questions asked. From comparing yourself during PE lessons to now having to debate whether Instagram models have in fact edited themselves, social media is making it harder than ever before to feel confident. This can be seen by 62 per cent of UK women feeling negatively about their body image.
But what does the idea of living out a ‘hot girl summer’ actually mean?
‘‘The idea that being a ‘hot girl’ is a particular look in itself negates the very thing we should be celebrating-which is our individuality, our health, our mental health and actually being present with loved ones and enjoying the sunshine,’’ says Phelan. ‘‘We do not need more standards or trends, we need individuality and diversity at the forefront of what we celebrate and encourage others to be embracing-trends such as a ‘healed girl summer’. These are more helpful in focusing on the inner work, how we feel and putting our mental health at the forefront of our priorities.’’
With trends rolling in and out of fashion daily it is no surprise we get so caught up on striving for an unobtainable look. I hear Phelan’s insight and I agree, creating a culture where the sole focus is changing your appearance so that you can qualify as a ‘hot girl’ is damaging. However, I think progress is being made. I believe we are redefining the term. It is no longer purely regarding toning your body so that you can strut confidently in your matching set and carelessly flit between summer fling. Now we are beginning to see hot girl summer as a time to prioritise you. To have a summer that fits your own definition of fun, whether that be soaking up the sun or not I think hot girl summer is all about putting you first.
Expert insight: Laura Phelan
Laura Phelan is a Body Image Expert, Speaker, Writer and founder of The Self-Image Solution. Her own recovery journey was the start of creating a business and life that helps shape and change the lives of other women on their own recovery & self image journeys.
Laura is Mindfulness and Rewind Trauma informed trained alongside her body image specialisation.
