Our focus on fashion for our series Anna & Kristina's Beauty Call has us coming across people of all shapes and sizes. A common theme we're finding among most women is that they're not happy with how they look. According to experts, there is definitely a body image crisis happening. We interviewed some self-loving ladies for tips on how we can all love the shape we're in!

The Problem

We want women to be comfortable with their bodies and acknowledge their true, natural beauty. We invited some ladies to stand in front of a mirror and tell us what they see. We heard things like:

• I’ve recently lost weight so I don’t like all this extra skin, and I still look in the mirror and see the person I was before.

• I don’t like my thighs and butt because I think they’re too big.

• I don’t like right my saddle bags. They’re jiggly.

What our Self-Loving Ladies say

Bodacious Barb & Lorna

Cousins and business partners Lorna Ketler and Barb Wilkins own a clothing store called Bodacious Lifestyles Inc., which caters to sizes 10-24.

We realized we needed to celebrate our curves. We didn’t want to wait until we were thin to live our lives. We wanted to have the clothes that we saw other people wearing, so it was a matter of creating it for ourselves.

There’s a tendency to, if you’re not liking what you see in the mirror — parts of your body — you want to cover them up with drapey clothing. It makes you look bigger; it’s not necessary. Wear clothes that fit properly and you’ll look good the size you are.

Retail Manager Emily (6’4″ in heels!)

In school, people thought I was older than I was because I was tall. If I could tell a tall girl one piece of advice, I would tell her to be strong, to be tall and be proud of it.

Counselor Dawn Schooler

We interviewed Dawn Schooler, Registered Clinical Counselor, about women and their body image problem.

Everyday,  everywhere you look — magazines, billboards — we’re bombarded with visual imagery of “The Perfect Woman”. I think all women can change the way they think about their bodies and their own self-image. Develop a better filter for the messages you let in and the things you actually pay attention to.

My one piece of advice to women: you can absolutely choose how you feel about yourself.

Love the Shape You’re In!

Tips we learned from interviewing our self-loving ladies:

• Go easy on yourself. Be gentle and silence that inner critic.

• Walk with confidence. Next time you pass a mirror, check your posture. (Head up, shoulders back, back straight. No slouching!)

• Grin and bear it! Take a deep breath and smile more often. Smiling makes you appear more open and friendly, and puts everyone in a positive mood, especially yourself.

• Be open to compliments. If someone tells you that you look nice, accept their words it rather than playing it down.

• Be your own role model. Watch what you read. It’s unrealistic to compare yourself to airbrushed models in magazines.