When Boston University students gathered on New Balance Field in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Sunday afternoon, it wasn’t just for the kickball fundraiser.
Past the admissions table and boxes of “Kick for a Cure” shirts, another stand was set up: Aerie’s “Shape of You,” where students drew outlines of their breasts on free shirts to promote body positivity and breast cancer awareness.
“There’s no set template for how boobs should be,” said Brenna DeSalvo, a senior in the College of Communication and Aerie brand ambassador.
DeSalvo is a member of Gamma Phi Beta, which partnered with Kappa Sigma to host the kickball philanthropy event. However, she wore her own DIY “boob shirt” rather than Greek Life spirit wear to support Aerie.
“I’ve been shopping at Aerie since middle school,” DeSalvo said. “I love the brand, and I love what they stand for. The whole ‘no retouching’ campaign really spoke to me because there’s too much Photoshop in this world.”
As a brand ambassador, DeSalvo promotes the women’s attire company on social media and facilitates localized events designed by Aerie’s marketing team.
For “Shape of You,” DeSalvo was sent water bottles, hair ties, coupons and tote bags from the company with body positive messages to distribute. She also received Aerie-brand shirts in various sizes, styles and colors for girls to draw their breasts on with permanent markers.
“It’s really awesome because I think it’s empowering for women to be able to accept their bodies no matter how different they might be,” said Kaylie Coleman, a senior in Sargent College who attended the event. “There’s really no right way to be a woman.”
Although Coleman is not a brand ambassador, she said she loves Aerie’s message. She plans to wear her boob shirt in the future not only in support of breast cancer awareness but also to promote the desexualization of breasts and positivity towards breastfeeding.
“Boobs are cool,” Coleman said. “Why hide it?”
Aerie is currently partnering with Bright Pink, a nonprofit organization dedicated to breast and ovarian cancer prevention in young women through outreach groups, online assessments for risk factors and connections to healthcare providers.
Profits from limited-offer Aerie shirts and buttons advertising the slogan “Take care of your girls” will be dedicated to Bright Pink to fund research on the disease that affects one in eight U.S. women, according to Breastcancer.org.
“It’s important for people to have education on breast cancer and be able to support organizations that are looking to find a cure,” DeSalvo said.
Increased breast cancer awareness is not the only campaign Aerie organizes. The brand arranges other events throughout the year, many of which are implemented by brand ambassadors at universities across the nation.
BU’s ambassadors typically host three events per month, Savanah Macdonald, a junior in COM and Aerie ambassador, said.
Macdonald worked with DeSalvo to organize “Shape of You.” Although she is not in a sorority herself, Macdonald said she thought the “Kick for a Cure” venue matched with Aerie’s philanthropic goal.
It also presented an opportunity to spread a message of body positivity, Macdonald said.
“I believe that all girls should love their bodies and feel confident in their own skin,” Macdonald said. “I love Aerie’s brand and the mission that they have to empower girls and young women.”
Macdonald works to implement other Aerie campaigns at BU beyond “Shape of You.” Along with DeSalvo and fellow brand ambassador Carson Abernethy, she organizes a monthly workshop, which BU students can attend for free.
“Everyone’s different. That’s the whole Aerie message,” Abernethy, a COM junior, said. “It’s supposed to encourage women to really like themselves.”
Macdonald, along with Abernethy and DeSalvo, emphasized the importance of body positivity and self-love.
“You can have any type of boobs, it doesn’t matter,” Macdonald said. “All boobs are good boobs.”
