First there was the “thigh gap” (the term for the space between the thighs), which was followed by the “ab crack” (the crease that runs down the centre of flat stomachs), and now there’s a new term: “mermaid thighs.”
“#MermaidThighs” is the latest body-positive Instagram hashtag for women whose thighs touch.
Use of the hashtag has exploded over the past week, with women sharing pictures of themselves enjoying summer, their thighs in shorts and bikini bottoms.
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Instead of those body-shaming trends that create unrealistic expectations of what beauty is “supposed” to look like, mermaid thighs give hope that the world’s unhealthy obsession with the thigh gap may soon become a thing of the past.
This body-positive campaign encourages people to love their legs and embrace their thick thighs by comparing their legs to a mermaid tail. Many people on Twitter have described the trend as the best body trend in 2016.
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Recently, companies are using more “real” bodies in ad campaigns, like Aerie’s non-retouched ads featuring plus-size model Barbie Ferreira modelling their swimwear. She confidently struts her size-12 curves in a bright pink bikini and talks about why it’s so important to her to take part in an un-retouched campaign.
“What makes me Aerie Real is that I am unapologetically myself, no matter what anyone’s opinion of me is,” Ferreira says. “Not being retouched in the images is something that’s very important to me — people knowing that that’s what I look like, without anyone’s perception of what my body needs to look like.”
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Mermaid tails are also a new piece of workout equipment, which make swimming laps more difficult.
Hotel del Coronado in San Diego started offering a high-intensity full-body workout called Mermaid Fitness, where participants ditch their sneakers for a glittery mermaid flipper. The 45-minute, adult-only class takes place in the shallow end of the pool, so it’s safe for those who haven’t figured out how to master their tail.
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With mermaids becoming the latest trend and women around the world channeling their inner Ariel, the meme is said to have started it all.
#MermaidThighs is not about criticizing those who have a natural thigh gap; it’s also not about putting pressure on women to become skinny. Instead, this trend is encouraging women to love their bodies without giving into the pressure of trying to have an unobtainable body goal.
Besides, everyone knows that having thighs that touch makes you one step closer to being a mermaid.
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