25 women describe their thighs in one word

When you think of your thighs, what words come to mind? That they are “thick”? “Honest”? “Magic”?

A word that many women associate with is “complicated”. It can be hard to be 100 percent in love with your thighs when the only ones you see around are those of makeup models in magazines and advertisements. Often, those “perfect” thighs don’t even exist without the help of skilled retouchers. (Spoiler alert: 90 percent of women have cellulite.)

But knowing this doesn’t always assuage the deep shame women feel when they feel they don’t measure up to what is considered ideal.

As an antidote, HuffPost Women photographed 25 pairs of thighs belonging to a diverse group of inspiring women between the ages of 20 and 70 and asked each of them to choose a word to describe this part of their bodies. They also spoke about their relationship with their thighs, which makes them feel “strong”, “feminine”, “resilient” and sometimes “imperfect.” The result is stunning photographs – and entirely unretouched.

These are real thighs – thick, thin and in-between. They may not be “perfect”, but they are so beautiful.

Damon Dahlen Pictures
Art Direction by Rebecca Adams

1. “Misformed”

“Unfortunately, most of the time, I don’t like my thighs very much because of their imperfections, those marks known as cellulite or simply fat. As you get older, you begin to undress less and less and cover yourself up more and more. Well, I like to go light, especially of course in the summer. Not feeling comfortable wearing a skirt or shorts that are too short – or even thinking about a bathing suit – is not fun. Then I think about how healthy and strong I am and to hell with the marks on my thighs. I’m happy to have them.”

2. “Resilient”

“I chose the word ‘resilient’ because my thighs and I stick together through thick and thin. Literally. They never let me down. Their size and shape may go from slender to wiry, but they serve the purpose of keeping me rooted to the earth – moving, walking, running and dancing, forward.”

3. “Splendid”

“I used to have a certain complexion about my thighs – I thought they were too big. I no longer feel that way and I’m not sure why. I think I’m getting older and I’ve started to get more comfortable with my body, which is a very rewarding feeling.”

4. “Sturdy”

“I went through periods where I felt really bad because I have a lot of stretch marks. But when I mentioned this to my boyfriend a few weeks ago, he said, ‘What are you talking about?’ It reminded me that no one is as critical of my body as I am.”

5. “Pies”

“The profession I chose requires standing in a kitchen all day where thoughts of thighs gravitate to skimmed milk, flour and shortening. I rarely think about my thighs and when I do I just wish they had more time in the sun.”

6. “Complicated”

“Overall, I like my thighs. They are muscular and strong. There are times I wish they were smaller or that they didn’t ring as much when I wear dresses – bike shorts are my best friends in the summer – but for the most part, I don’t have a problem with them.”

7. “Advantages”

“My thighs have always been kind of on the outside (and in), indicating my passion for the sport. I shied away from all this attention in my youth because teenagers really don’t know how to deal with muscular girls other than destroying their self-confidence or making a fetish of them. But then I went to college and joined the rugby team and suddenly my thighs were the smallest on the team. The pride I feel in my thighs and legs disappears every now and then whenever I’m shopping for a party dress or light colored jeans. But I’m dating a woman with very long legs, whose shapes couldn’t be more opposite to mine and living with her has taught me that women on the other side have her misgivings too”.

8. “Thick”

“I accept them. They are probably the one body part I never despise, but my affinity for them fluctuates daily. Personally, I don’t like cellulite when I’m wearing a revealing outfit, but I’ve adopted the “that’s life” mentality. I think my thighs are an accurate representation of what my life is all about: I like to run and I like to spin. I also love chocolate and cheese and bread dipped in olive oil. I know giving up on those things means those flaws would go away, but hey, some brands never hurt anyone and I’m happy with my life the way it is.”

9. “Powerful”

“I really love my thighs. I love their strength and how I can run miles with them. There have been times (notably when ‘thigh spacing’ was all the rage) that I didn’t like mine, but thanks to Nicki Minaj, the Bey and Rihanna, I love my thick thighs. I would never want anyone else’s.”

10. “Strong”

“My thighs have been the cause of most of my body image related issues. I still remember how they went from skinny and boyish to 100 percent high school football muscle. Though I’ve since learned to accept them for their strength and hue, I still have my days when I feel embarrassed about the way my summer shorts bounce or my thighs rub against each other when I walk on the beach. in bathing suit. I’ll never have thighs this perfect, but I can win any squat challenge. But some days I struggle to keep perspective on which of those accomplishments is most important to me.”

11. “Happy”

“When I was younger I found myself having to live with the assumption that I needed to get better and I passed that feeling right down to my thick thighs at the top. I spent 20 consecutive years keeping my thighs lean and toned, but there was a price to pay in the form of exhaustion, tired legs and strained hamstrings. Two years ago, while running, I noticed how tired my legs were, so I stopped short, turned around and headed home. I didn’t miss any more races after that day. Now I strengthen, stretch, revitalize and enhance my healthy thighs through yoga, hiking and climbing. I can honestly say that I feel better about my thighs at 58 than I did at 28, 38 or 48!”

12. “Honest”

“My thighs handle a lot. They equally show signs of long runs and my penchant for chocolate as ‘breakfast’. And they have literally and metaphorically been the foundation of my growth. I’ve been through all the #anguish in terms of body acceptance issues my entire life, and I’ve seen my thighs change reflecting internal and external conflicts. Every bruise and cut has a story, and I’ve learned how to use them honestly, despite my occasional bouts of self-doubt. I’m proud of my thighs, just like I’m proud of the rest of this body that I strive to keep healthy, real and happy.”

13. “Magic”

“These are thighs that allowed me to dance professional ballet at the tender age of 10. They are the thighs that helped me secure a college scholarship in the track division where I run. More recently, they are the thighs I clung to tightly at the birth of my beautiful son. Over the years they have changed shape, but I cannot allow my appreciation to falter – a task that is more said than done. However, in the end, they are amazing. My ample chiseled thighs may not meet society’s standard of beauty, but they are stunning and they are everything to me. And in the end, that’s all that matters.”

14. “Solid”

“With a good tan, few days on the treadmill and my favorite shorts, I feel like they are one of my biggest assets. But for the most part, I’m distracted by its imperfections — a bruise here, some cellulite there, a funny vein here. It’s only after a weekend of dancing that I really appreciate them for their strength, because if the music is good I don’t stop, no matter the time of day (and neither do they)”.

15. “Thick”

“In my culture, those with a curvilinear shape are in the standard of beauty. Having thick thighs goes with it and I definitely agree. How I feel about my thighs depends on how fit I am. When I stop exercising for a while, cellulite and sagging can definitely make me dislike my thighs. But when I start working out and my legs are tight, I really love them. Right now I’m in between those two things.”

16. “Feminine”

“I vacillate between resentment and appreciation of the feminine curves they give my body. I feel great when I don’t focus on how they look but on what they can do – they can ride my bike up a steep hill; they can keep my body steady in a difficult yoga posture; and they can give me energy on a long walk. I’m fickle about how attractive they are, but it’s hard to hate them when they’re such a strong source of energy.”

17. “Smooth”

“There are days when the last thing I want to do is put on a pair of shorts because I know I’m going to spend the whole day poking at my plump thighs or trying to strategically sit up as much as possible so they don’t flatten into the bottom of my chair and seem bigger than they are. I’ve wasted an inexplicable amount of time and energy in my life worrying that my legs don’t necessarily fit what society says they “should” be. As much as I believe I have assimilated that the older I am the more confidence I have in myself, this is still something that worries me. Thankfully, those days seem to be getting further and further away. In the end, these thighs are mine alone. They took me around the world and they took me to bed each night. I love the way my thighs ache after a good run, how smooth they feel even in the dead of winter when the razor is more a distant memory than an everyday reality. When I look at them today I don’t worry about how they’ll look when I wear my shorts, but I see all the places they’ve gone or will go and I’m proud.”

18. “Delicate”

“As a child I thought my thighs were too thin. After watching ‘Sailor Moon’ I noticed that Sailor’s guardians didn’t have that space between their thighs. I had very skinny legs with a gap between my thighs and that made me hate them. I even try to stand differently to hide the space of my…