Spring/Summer Range is here, shown on models in all 9 sizes!
Changing the Fashion Industry with 9 models in one range
How to wash organic cotton!
Hand washing your organic cotton garments in cool (30deg) water is the best way to look after your pieces however we all know that machine washing is much more convenient!
Apart from a couple of our pieces (check care labels) you may machine-wash your organic cotton garments on a gentle wash cycle setting and at a low temperature (max 30C), or cold. Choosing lower temperatures reduces the risk of shrinkage and colour fading.
Use a gentle eco-friendly laundry detergent and avoid conventional softeners and bleach, as they can damage the fabric (and are not good for the environment!). To further protect your organic cotton garments, always wash them with similar colours and inside out.
Have any further questions about washing Avila garments, please email us at info@avila.com.au
*Please remember that all washing machines are different and can have different affects on your garments. If you are unsure use a gentle, low spin cycle with a low temp.
Styling our Winter range with Melbourne based personal stylist
Diversity, Diversity, Everywhere: How seeing a broader range of women in your feed can help you and others
As adults, we are all worried about the impact of social media on adolescent’s body image- but have we ever stopped to think about the effects of social media on the way we think and feel about our own bodies??
We are a generation of women who grew up through the 80’s and 90’s. A time when big corporations decided what would be in our magazines, and the images that we would see. It was a time of supermodels, and a very very narrow concept of what was beautiful. A time of diets on the front page of magazines, and diets as crazy as the cabbage soup diet- also, people ate grapefruits with sugar on them for breakfast, and that’s just wrong!
We now have so much more control over what we are exposed to, and there is no where that we have more control, than on social media- where we can follow and unfollow with the click of a button. But so many women expose themselves still to these very narrow beauty ideals, and follow fitspiration, before and after photos, and accounts that show nothing but thin models all the time.
UK research has found that instagram is the social media platform with the most negative impact, and specifically decreases body image. It is damaging- but it’s also an awesome platform, so if you want to use insta, and not feel bad about yourself, read on…
The reason why we feel bad when we look at images of these models, celebrities, and even peers, is because our brain makes automatic comparisons with these people. We look at them, determine that we are not as thin/muscular/attractive/worthy as them, and it makes us feel bad. Decades of research has proven this. There is nothing about seeing these images that motivates us, inspires us, or helps us to change our behaviour.
This is particularly the case with #fitspiration- Recent research has also confirmed that viewing fitspiration leads to increases in body dissatisfaction, and is worse for body image than viewing idealised thin images. In some studies, participants reported that fitspiration inspired them to exercise, but this did not translate into increases in exercise behaviour. Fitspiration literally doesn’t even do what it sets out to do in encouraging you to engage in physical activity. #unfollow
In contrast, multiple studies have now shown that viewing images of average-sized models has been found to enhance body appreciation, or positive body image. To test this, researcher’s bring people into a lab, or send them images to look at. Some women are shown images of more diverse-sized women, and other women are shown more traditional advertising using thin women. Researchers have consistently found that in these studies, the women who see more diverse-sized women walk out of that room with a better body image and in a better mood than the women who have seen images of thin models. Evaluations of media campaigns that use real women of all sizes, such as This Girl Can, and #jointhemovementointhemovement found that these campaigns increased appearance satisfaction, and intentions to exercise.
So, if you really want to motivate yourself, and make yourself feel better? Follow some body positive accounts. Viewing, and engaging with body positive accounts, following brands that use diverse sized models, and unfollowing the ones that make you feel bad can have a huge impact on your insta experience, and your psychological health.
Here are some starting points:
- @bodyimagemovement- Taryn Brumfitt is an absolute force to be reckoned with- and if you haven’t seen the documentary Embrace, you really should!
- @bodypositiveyoga- The lovely Sarah Harry shares incredible images of herself and others in movement.
- @bodyimagepositive- All the pretty memes and infographics you need to keep your feed pretty and informative
- @bodyposipanda – One for the millennials, but Megan will inspire you with her confidence
- @bodyconfidentmums: Led by yours truly, you can expect to see latest research findings, inspitration, and resources that help to boost body confidence in mothers in particular.
Following clothing brands that cater to a large range of sizes, but also celebrate women in these sizes on their social media feeds is also really helpful for normalising the glorious, vast range of different shapes, sizes, colours, and flavours that our bodies come in. Try being really intentional about the images that you let yourself see, and reward the brands that do this well by engaging with them around their diverse content. The more we as consumers support these brands, the more they will feature this awesome diversity, and the more we and other women can benefit from it.
- Written by Dr Zali Yager
Dr Zali Yager is the CEO and co-founder of The Body Confident Collective [BCC], a not-for-profit organisation that aims to improve health and wellbeing by promoting evidence-based positive body image content and professional learning programs at the individual, organizational, and cultural level.
Zali has over 15 years’ experience in body image research, with specific expertise in development and evaluation of programs that improve the way that people feel about the way that they look in the school setting for children, and adolescents, and in the community setting, for mothers. In her own business for Mums, Zali is launching a membership that is all about engaging with self compassion, gratitude and other evidence-based practices to improve mental health.
You can follow Zali’s work through her LinkedIn, Instagram, and website.
You can also follow The Body Confident Collective (Facebook and Instagram) and
#WEWEARAUSTRALIAN
Styling Avila pieces with Justina from Beyond Styling
We are so excited to collaborate with Justina from Beyond Styling to bring to you many options of how to wear 5 of our pieces in multiple ways. Justina put together a number of outfits using the Emboss Logo Hoodie, Zip Terry Jumper, Sweateralls, Oversized Quilted Hoodie and Cowl Rib Top.
Watch the short version here where you get a snapshot of each outfit.
Watch the full version here to see Justina talk you through each outfit!
We loved working with Justina and seeing all the amazing outfits she put together! If you would like to learn more about what Justina does please head over to her website here.
Body Confidence and Health – 5 ways to change the way you think about your body- and your health, today.
Every time I talk about body image, I get someone asking- “but if we all loved and accepted our bodies, whatever they look like, wouldn’t that promote obesity*?”
Every time I talk about appreciating our bodies, I get a look from women, and I can tell that she’s thinking “but if I just let myself do whatever I wanted, I would lose control, and end up huge”
It’s just not the way that it works.
For a long time, there has been a misconception that we need to try to make people feel bad about their body in order to motivate them to engage in the sorts of behaviours that would help them to maintain a healthy body weight- like physical activity, and eating a healthy diet. We think that we need to keep ourselves ‘a little bit dissatisfied because we think it keeps us closer to our goal weight’. However, the science is now telling us something different.
There is now strong research evidence that shows that having a more positive body image is related to engaging in more healthy physical activity, healthy eating, and maintaining a body weight in the expected weight range for their age and height. In fact, the research is also showing that making young people aware of the weight category that they are in (if they are in one of the larger weight category) makes them more likely to gain more weight over time than those who are unaware of their weight category. It turns out that feeling good about our bodies makes us more likely to look after them in more sustainable, and long-term ways.
Appreciating our bodies means that we consider what our bodies can do – from a functional perspective- just as much, or more so, than how it looks. Appreciating our bodies means that we are driven by intrinsic motivation to move our bodies because it feels good to do it. And, appreciating our bodies means that we trust our bodies to guide us towards what we should eat, how much, and when.
We were actually born with the ability to regulate our hunger and satiety cues. Throughout our teens and early adulthood- particularly for those who went through these times in the 70’s and 80’s, there was such a strong focus on diet culture that we, individually and collectively, decided we needed to override our natural, intuitive processes, and control every aspect of our eating and exercise. People tend to think that, if they stopped taking this cognitive control overeating, they would eat all of the chocolate in the world, and gain huge amounts of weight. But our bodies are actually very good at regulating this for us- we’ve all had that moment when, after Christmas, or on holiday, we suddenly realise that we want some vegetables or a salad. The only reason why we would binge on all of those ‘forbidden’ foods is because we’ve made them so appealing by telling ourselves that we can’t have them!
The majority of women – up to 90%- would like to change something about the way that they look, and in most cases, their weight is the thing they want to change, ie., “I just want to lose 5 kg”. This dissatisfaction actually makes us less likely to be able to sustainably engage in physical activity, and eat well. This dissatisfaction is also linked to depression, anxiety, poor sleep, less engagement with cancer screening – the research just keeps finding more and more negative physical and mental health outcomes of poor body image. Across the lifespan, we know that, although body dissatisfaction is at its peak in adolescence, it declines slightly in our 20’s, but then stays pretty much the same across most of our adult life. In fact, in most women, body appreciation only increases around the age of 65… to be, 65 is way too late to start enjoying our bodies and celebrating what they can do.
Building Body Appreciation
We now have a really good understanding of the sorts of things that women can do to build their body image. Most of these options are free, available, and relatively easy to do- fitting anything else into our busy lives at the moment can be a challenge- but here’s the thing, even starting to do some of these things is helpful in moving you on the path towards body appreciation. It’s a bit of a journey as opposed to a destination thing- here are some ideas to get you on your way.
- Practice Self- compassion- We all have a critical voice, but listening to her does not serve us. Research has found that people with higher levels of self-compassion have lower levels of depression, anxiety, body dissatisfaction, and improved wellbeing. The great thing is that you can work on turning up your compassionate voice, and the more you work on this, the more she will show up naturally to support you. Try starting with some of the meditations from Kristin Neff’s work.
- Journaling about body functionality – The Instagram version of loving your body seems so straightforward, but it’s not always that easy, and it’s not always about the way your body looks. Research has shown that having a higher level of appreciation for the functionality of our body can help to lift our overall body image. Start by thinking about all of the things that our body does for us, from our 5 senses, and what they let us do, to our physical capabilities, as diverse as they are. Think about the internal functions our body facilitates for us (like digestion and temperature regulation), the way our body lets us do creating things, and interact with others. Now set a 10-minute timer and write on one of these 5 topics until the timer goes off. You will be amazed at how proud of your body you will feel afterwards!
- Movement – Physical activity improves people’s body image- even a 20-minute session on an exercise bike improves body image. Why? Most people assume it’s because of physical changes to the body due to exercise- but it’s not. Moving your body in a way that feels good brings you a sense of achievement, connection, and mastery that improves your overall wellbeing. So ditch the ‘shoulds’ and just move in a way that feels good to you. Put on some music and move the way your mood desires. Go for a walk in nature. This movement is invaluable for your body image and wellbeing.
- Intuitive eating – Studies have shown that women who eat more intuitively have a more stable body weight, and better psychological health outcomes. This is the ultimate anti-diet and involves trusting your body. Read more about this in Evelyn Tribole’s classic book.
- Rewrite your story- So many women carry really high levels of shame around their bodies. Narrative therapy is an approach that helps women to re-write the stories that they have been telling themselves about their bodies, and what that means about themselves and their worth. We are just trialling some of this work and it’s pretty new in the literature, so stay tuned for more resources. The best place to follow for this would be @bodyconfidentmums on Instagram.
So there you have it- 5 things you can try. I’d love to know if you do give any of these a go, and what it does for you. This definitely isn’t easy, but it is simple- just start on the journey, and learn more every day. You have nothing to gain by sticking with your negative thoughts and feelings about your body, and everything to gain by changing them.
Dr Zali Yager
*I choose not to use this word, but the people who ask the question generally do.
_
Dr Zali Yager is the CEO and co-founder of The Body Confident Collective [BCC], a not-for-profit organisation that aims to improve health and wellbeing by promoting evidence-based positive body image content and professional learning programs at the individual, organizational, and cultural level.
Zali has over 15 years’ experience in body image research, with specific expertise in development and evaluation of programs that improve the way that people feel about the way that they look in the school setting for children, and adolescents, and in the community setting, for mothers. In her own business for Mums, Zali is launching a membership that is all about engaging with self compassion, gratitude and other evidence-based practices to improve mental health.
You can follow Zali’s work through her
- LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/zali-yager-ab81b14/
- Instagram, http://www.instagram.com/drzaliyager
- and websitezaliyager.com
You can also follow
The Body Confident Collective www.bodyconfidentcollective.org
-Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bodyconfidentcollective
and Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/bodyconfidentcollective/
Body Confident Mums www.bodyconfidentmums.org
(Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mummamentalhealth
and Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/bodyconfidentmums/
AVILA + BODY CONFIDENT COLLECTIVE
Dr Zali Yager is the CEO and co-founder of The Body Confident Collective [BCC], a not-for-profit organisation that aims to improve health and wellbeing by promoting evidence-based positive body image content and professional learning programs at the individual, organizational, and cultural level.
Zali has over 15 years’ experience in body image research, with specific expertise in development and evaluation of programs that improve the way that people feel about the way that they look in the school setting for children, and adolescents, and in the community setting, for mothers. In her own business, Zali is launching a membership for mums that is all about staying sane by engaging with self compassion and other evidence-based practices to improve mental health (@drzaliyager).
At Avila we are so thankful for Zali’s time and expertise in something so crucial as body positivity. Watch this space for two exclusive blogs talking about ways to reframe this topic and start the journey to being kinder to ourselves.
What is ethical activewear?
At Avila, we are really passionate about ethical activewear. Ethical activewear is a category of fashion that is designed to be worn during lifestyle activities that is made ethically along the entire supply chain. This includes processes within the design phase, product development and fashion production. For example, ethically made clothes are produced in a place where all of the workers in the supply chain are fairly paid and are provided fair working conditions.
We often get asked questions about what ethical activewear actually is and how can customers be sure that their clothing is being made ethically. This can be especially difficult but a great way to know if clothing is made ethically is to look for certain certifications that ensure a transparent supply chain.
Here are some examples of ethical certifications you can trust!
Fairtrade – The fairtrade certification is based on a set of standards that are designed to support the sustainable development of agricultural and manufacturing works in the poorest countries in the world. Fairtrade clothing is made by meeting this set of standards which ensure that producers receive prices that cover their average cost of sustainable production. Simply put, Fairtrade is a way to make a difference to the lives of people who grow and create the beautiful things we love to wear. It’s all about making trade fair.
You can read more about Fairtrade certifications here.(https://www.fairtrade.net/)
BSCI – BSCI accreditation is about Improving social performance in global supply chains.
This accreditation has a strong code of conduct with 11 principles that support their members. These range from fair remuneration to no child labour, along with a step-by-step approach that enables companies to monitor, engage, get empowered and receive support to put sustainable trade at the heart of their business.
To read more about BSCI click here (http://www.saasaccreditation.org/)
WRAP - Wrap is another certification that ensures the basic standards of labour practises are met including factory conditions and environmental compliance. They help to maintain supply chains to ensure integrity in all areas of the manufacturing process.
To read more on WRAP certifications click here (https://wrapcompliance.org/)
Image taken in our Fairtrade factory in India.
At Avila, our ethical activewear is certified with WRAP, BSCI or FAIRTRADE which ensure our supply chains are ethical and fair. It is important to us that our supply chain is transparent and we can trust that the growers of our organic cotton right through to the people making our garments by hand are being paid fairly and are working in fair conditions. This is something that we are very proud of and value in our business. We want to ensure that your purchases not only feel and look amazing but also give you peace of mind knowing that these items were made in fair and ethical conditions by people who love making them.
If you have any questions about Avila, ethical activewear or ethical fashion in general please get in touch at info@avila.com.au.
Sustainable sourcing - What does cotton have to do with it?
