Summer is not yet a time for all bodies Not all people experience summer the same way, and it's a fact

Behind the imaginary patina of freedom between light clothes and holidays, there is a profound discomfort for many people, especially of the female gender, linked to the body. When the warmer months arrive, the body suddenly becomes more visible and, together with the greater exposure, the eyes of others also arrive. A judgment that establishes which bodies are considered 'suitable' for summer and which, on the other hand, must be modified.

The myth of the beach body

For years we were told that, in order to fully enjoy summer, it was necessary to achieve a certain aesthetic ideal, namely that of a young, thin, toned body, without imperfections. The expression dress up is a legacy that, at times, comes back to life. Transform a moment of pleasure and sociality into an exam to pass, as if the sea or a day in the sun were spaces granted only to those who respect certain standards. But the beach body does not exist, at most there are bodies that go to the beach. Fatty bodies, elderly bodies, bodies with disabilities, bodies marked by diseases, scars, hormonal changes, pregnancies, or simply by time. Real bodies, which too often are represented as exceptions instead of as part of normality.

The freedom to discover yourself is not the same

This freedom is not distributed in the same way. Many women say they have changed their behavior for fear of judgment, avoiding certain clothes, not going to the beach, covering up despite the heat, giving up photographs or moments of socializing. The problem also concerns those who are excluded from the dominant narrative of summer, such as people with disabilities, who often encounter concrete obstacles: inaccessible beaches, insufficient services, difficulty in moving. The possibility of experiencing the sea and public spaces does not depend only on the desire to do it, but also on how much those places are designed to include different bodies. Even older people can experience summer in a more complex way: intense heat increases health risks and often there is no representation that includes them as protagonists of the season, not just as fragile people to protect.

A change of vision for a summer that is truly inclusive

For too long we thought that it was the bodies that had to change to adapt to summer: drastic diets before the holidays, extreme workouts and beauty treatments presented as necessary. But a body must not conquer the right to exist. You don't need to be young, thin, perfect or compliant to deserve a day at the beach, a short dress, a photograph or, simply, the pleasure of feeling good in your skin. An inclusive summer doesn't mean eliminating self-care or the desire to feel good; it means stopping associating a person's worth with their physical appearance. It means seeing more bodies represented in media, advertisements and public places; it means designing accessible spaces; it means stopping calling bodies that simply have different shapes “out of shape”.