The fabulous calendar girls of Whimple

Amanda Holden's NIPPLES distract This Morning viewers: 'Turn the heating up!' The blonde bombshell, 46, wore a tight-fitting red jumpsuit as she filled in for Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. Women from the village of Whimple, southwest England, posed nude for a calendar to raise funds for body image education, and felt empowered in the process. The AnaOno x #Cancerland show at NYFW featured 16 real women who had battled breast cancer or were currently battling breast cancer. 16 Women Affected by Breast Cancer Walked Topless in NYFW Show. Mature Woman Escort - this time with a rich woman in Saginaw, MI! I sooooo want some girly action! 518 by Felicity Nicole Ashley-Lloyd 163 43 Ready for another evening out with my husband!

The fabulous calendar girls of Whimple

When it came time for Cathy Bartlett-Horwood to drop her dressing gown to the floor and stand naked in her village hall in front of her friends, she was nervous. The 60-year-old has had a complicated relationship with her weight for many years. She was so nervous, in fact, that she was physically sick beforehand.

Nevertheless, she persisted. Bartlett-Horwood became part of a group of brave women who’ve come to be known as the 'Wonders of Whimple.' The 'wonders' are thus-named because they posed naked in the village’s most scenic spots for a calendar celebrating the beauty of the village's female population.

This calendar is more than a photographic paean to the female form. It’s a fundraiser for this village's year-long mission to change the way its residents feel about their bodies.

Sue Draycott

The village’s name is one you might not have come across before, for the village itself is deep in the heart of rural Devon—a county in the south west corner of England. Readers imagining a scene not unlike the idyllic filming location of the 2003 film Calendar Girls wouldn't be entirely off the mark.

Whimple is comprised of winding lanes dotted with thatch-roofed whitewashed cottages with the occasional farm thrown in for good measure.

But, beyond the chocolate box prettiness of the village, its 1,173 inhabitants have been working hard to acknowledge and embrace the beauty of their own bodies. It's by no means been an overnight flick-of-a-switch process for many of the people involved.

Sue Draycott

Gill Wilson— an eating disorders therapist—is the woman behind the movement. It all started in January 2016, when Gill organised screenings of a documentary in the village called Embrace.

The film—created by Australian activist Taryn Brumfitt after a successful Kickstarter campaign—explores the issue of 'body loathing' and aims to inspire people to change the way they think and feel about their bodies.

'After having my three children, I ended up hating my body,' says Brumfitt in the documentary. 'So I trained hard, and I'm standing there in my perfect body and I’m not happy.' Brumfitt says she didn't want her daughter to grow up feeling the same way so she traveled the world to find out why so many people hate their bodies.

Wilson’s decision to screen the documentary in the area is one backed up by research. According to Dove’s Global Beauty and Confidence Report, which surveyed 10,500 women from around the world, British women have one of the lowest self-esteem scores, and just 20 percent said they liked the way they looked.

Alarmingly, a 2016 report by the Children’s Society found that girls are “less happy than they used to be” about their physical appearance. The research found that more than one-third of UK girls are unhappy with the way they look, a 30 percent rise over five years.

Wilson says that after she put on two screenings in the village, people came forward with ideas to further the notion of embracing one’s body image. One of which was a calendar.

“I was getting loads of emails, and the biggest messages was that the film needs to be shown in schools, but you need a licence for it to be shown in schools,” says Wilson. But, the idea of the calendar presented a solution to the licence issue—the proceeds raised by the Wonders of Whimple could pay for licences.

Sue Draycott

Word of the calendar spread through the village, and slowly but surely people came forward and signed up to take part in it. “Once people knew their friends were doing it, they’d say 'oh, if you're doing it, I'll do it,'” says Wilson.

This was exactly how Bartlett-Horwood came to be involved in the calendar. “I knew some of my friends were taking part, and I thought, hey why should I just tell them how proud I am of them when I can actually do it too!” Her photo now sits pride of place on the calendar’s February page, and she’s also on the front cover.

“I have spent years battling with my weight and worrying how I look in front of my family and friends,” she says. “But, why when I am healthy and happy I have wonderful people around me who love me for who I am and it is inside that really matters.”

Bartlett-Horwood wants other people to feel the way she feels and “not to be worried about what other people think.”

“Allow your real self to shine and feel comfortable with who you are,” says Bartlett-Horwood. “We are all fabulous.”

Sue Draycott

Her bravery—and that of the women who took part in the calendar—has not gone unnoticed in the village. “People I don’t know have recognised me from the calendar and hugged me,” says Bartlett-Horwood.

Suzanne Rothwell, 72, decided to take part in the calendar for reasons close to her heart. A grandmother of six, Rothwell says she’s seen her grandkids starting to worry about body image from a very young age.

“My 5-year-old granddaughter one day said she couldn't do something because people would see her tummy. How sad is that?” Rothwell says. She feels that children are “constantly bombarded” with images of “perfect people.”

So Rothwell posed nude in an orchard along with other women from the village.

“It was great fun taking part, everyone was being quite modest taking their clothes off and putting on their dressing gowns,” says Rothwell. “Amazingly, when we finished the shoot and went to get changed, most ladies just undressed without worrying about their nakedness.”

Sue Draycott

The women of Whimple posed in nothing but their birthday suits betwixt apple trees in an orchard, beside scones and jam at the local cricket club and, of course, on high stools at the Thirsty Farmer.

“We were keen for the calendar to get a real cross-section, and to get a diversity of body shapes,” Wilson added. “We ended up having a young girl of 18 and a lady of 84 years of age.”

Wilson says that most of the women felt “empowered” after the photo shoot.

“Everybody's journey was different, and people were fairly tentative to start with,” says Wilson. “I can’t speak for other people, but I was in the calendar and I felt really empowered, really liberated.”

She said that some of the experience couldn’t be “put into words” as it was “such an unusual experience.'

'The shoot that I was in was in an orchard and it's not every day you take your clothes off and stand in an orchard,' says Wilson.

Sue Draycott

Sue Draycott, the photographer behind the Wonders of Whimple, says the experience of shooting the calendar was “amazing.”

“The women were all incredibly supportive of each other and I found it was a real bonding experience for all of us,” says Draycott.

The first screening of the film was what made Draycott decide to get involved in the calendar. “I have always had my own body image issues and struggled with my weight so when I heard that Gill was showing the film Embrace I knew this was something I had to see,” says Draycott.

“It was such an incredibly moving film and really struck a chord with me,” Draycott explains. She says that, during the screening, she realised that social media plays “such a big part in the way we see ourselves.”

'Having a teenage daughter also played a big part in the way I was struck by this film,” says Draycott.

Sue Draycott

Draycott didn’t just stand behind the camera during the shoot, thought. “I joined one of the groups for a shoot and then took a self portrait of myself (naked of course!) for the back page of the calendar,” she says.

“I am so glad that I got involved and honestly feel I am on my way towards a better self acceptance of my body,” she says.

The calendar has raised around £4,000 ($5,414), which will be go towards five licenses and the remainder will be donated to two breast cancer charities. For Rothwell, the calendar also served as a way to remember her father, who died from breast cancer.

Cathy Bartlett-Horwood, second from right, who was so nervous before now proudly sits on the throne.

Sue Draycott

'The calendar has raised enough money to get the film into five of our local secondary schools. So, they'll all be screening it next term,' says Wilson.

Wilson hopes that women will look at the calendar and think 'she looks like me, I can relate to her.'

“I want someone to feel it's relatable and to appreciate that we're all beautiful with our stretch marks and cellulite. We've got amazing, amazing bodies, and it makes me really sad that so many people go through life hating their bodies and feeling they should look a certain way.”

Wilson says that she feels the calendar is already starting to have an impact in the community.

'It's one of those things, it's not going to be a flick of a switch and 'oh my god I love my body,' she says. 'The way change happens is little by little.”

• UK Lifestyle Correspondent

  Rachel Thompson

• UK Deputy Editor

  Liza Hearon

• Photos

  Sue Draycott

This article explains some common nipple concerns and displays images of normal nipples. It has these sections:

Nipple shape worries

Many women worry if their nipple looks funny or odd or is inverted. Some worry about hair, or those 'bumps', or the shape or the size. It's been amazing to observe how MUCH women indeed angst over these things - mostly in vain...

...because there is enormous variation in nipple and areola size and shape among normal women! For example, areola size and color varies with women. Also, areola color can appear darker when it's hot because of increased circulation, just like your skin appears redder when the blood vessels dilate near the skin in hot weather.

Bumps on areola

If you worry about those 'funny bumps' on the areola, those are supposed to be there; they are called Montgomery glands or areolar skin glands. Their function is partially unknown, but scientists suppose they secrete a liquid that lubricates the nipple/areola area.

These Montgomery glands can be about unnoticeable, OR stand out as bumps on the areola. They often become more prominent during pregnancy. Also, it appears they are white in some women.

Some women have squeezed them and can get a white substance out, but please do NOT squeeze them because that causes them to become infected.

In one study, it was noted that women with more areolar glands had better or more optimal breastfeeding start after delivery. They also noted that the glands were seen in virtually all women in the study but with great interindividual variations; their areolar distribution was nonrandom, and about 1/5 of the women had glands giving off a secretion (this is about women who have just given birth).

Hairs on areola/nipple

Also, many women have some hairs around the nipple (on the areola). This is perfectly normal because there are hair follicles in the areola. There is no need to 'treat' the hair, but if you absolutely don't like them, trim them carefully with scissors. Don't pluck them with force, because that can make them grow back thicker and darker, or cause them go become ingrown under the skin which leads to scarring. It is also possible that the hair follicle gets obstructed, which can cause a sebaceous cyst to form under the skin, or that the follicle gets infected. Apart from using scissors to remove the hair on areola, laser hair removal treatment is also possible.

However, if the hairs are so many that they mimic the male hair pattern on chest or if they keep growing in larger and larger quantities, that may mean that the body has higher levels of androgens (male hormones) than normal. If a woman has excessive hair growing in typical male hair pattern, the symptom is called hirsutism. There are many causes for hirsutism, so please follow the link above to learn more.

One common cause for such hirsutism is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, don't use the mere existence of hair as a 'diagnosis' for that but consider all the other factors and possible symptoms as well.

Puffy or flat nipples

If your nipples are 'puffy' and not constantly erect they are called flat nipples. That is perfectly normal too, and fairly common among teens. Typically the nipple 'sticks out' (becomes erect) when stimulated by cold, clothing, or rubbing.

This puffy or flat appearance may stay as it is until a woman becomes pregnant. For most women with flat nipples, the nipples evert (poke out) during pregnancy as the elasticity of the skin changes. Even if not, a full-term baby can usually suck out a flat nipple.

Also it's a total misconception that all females get erect nipples in sexual activity like men get an erect penis... not every woman does. Nipples are not to be compared to penises. The organ in females that corresponds to the male penis is clitoris, and clitoris can and does become erect (it is just harder to notice).

Hi Jessika,
Remember the nipple is there, and your nipples are just 'flat' for now. That is fairly common in teens. Mine were flat too until age 28 when I got pregnant.

When it comes to babies, babies don't suck on nipples—they take in a big mouthful. It's not the nipple that receives the sucking action—it's the areola that they 'suck' and the nipple just releases the milk.

An illustration tells this better than words. The nipple is completely inside the mouth, not visible from outside. Babies don't 'nibble' on nipples. The nipple looks long because it does get stretched when nursing... but that does not hurt (I know, I have nursed 3 babies). Also, women's nipples do get larger during pregnancy.

Now, I know some guys do like to suck on women's nipples. But some won't. Keep in mind also that in a relationship it's NOT only us women trying to do everything what men might fancy or like -- YOU also have the right to tell what you like sexually, and if you happen not to like your nipples sucked, then your partner definitely should take that into account.

A sexual relationship works when both understand what the other partner likes. Most men definitely are concerned about 'satisfying' their woman -- in other words taking into account what she likes and doesn't like.

Erect nipples poking through clothing

In some women, the nipples stay erect (stick out) all the time, and can easily be seen through clothing. If this bothers you, there exist 'nipple covers' - little skin-colored round things made of silicone that attach to the skin and can hide the nipples from being seen. Search for 'silicone nipple covers' online, or ask for them in a bra store.

'Hard nipples' - areola or nipple skin

Someone once wrote to us: '...when I get really cold, or get goosebumbs all over my body, the whole thing really scrunches up, like, my entire areola scrunches itself up into a wrinkled little mound. It looks really weird and ugly, and I haven't ever seen other people's breasts do it. What is wrong with my areola/nipples??'

Well, nothing is wrong. This is what my areola does, too. It is a normal reaction to the coldness, to irritation, or to stimulation. The little muscles in the areola do a goosebump thing similar to what your other skin does. People often call this phenomenon 'hard nipples'.

Also note that the skin on areola has less feeling or sensation than other areas of your body. If the areola was very sensitive, then breastfeeding would probably be quite uncomfortable because the baby pulls and tugs it! The nipples are sensitive, but the sensitivity changes with hormonal changes, such as with the mestrual cycle or pregnancy. Also, this varies among individuals.

The skin on the nipple and areola can also be flaky or scaly, with little scales of skin coming off. This is likely just dry skin or eczema (far more likely). It could also be a symptom of Paget's disease (rare).

Areola color

Areola skin tones are caused by two pigments: red and brown. Therefore, the resulting areola color can be various shades of pink and brown till very dark brown. Dark skinned individuals usually have a darker areola than light-skinned individuals. However, areola color also varies quite a bit between individuals. Some pale-skinned individuals can have totally pale areolas where it does not appear darker than the other skin.

During pregnancy, the areola usually darkens substantially. This will create a large contrast between the areola and the rest of the breast. Newborns have limited vision, but can see such a contrast easily, and thereby the darkened areola helps the newborn locate the nipple. In a few months after giving birth, the areola will start fading. However, it usually does not fade back to the pre-pregnancy color but remains slightly darker.

Areola color is also known to change because of hormonal changes, birth control pills, aging, or because of certain medications.

Pin On Older Women Pokies

An inverted nipple

An inverted nipple is 'turned inside' instead of pointing outside. It appears like a indentation in the middle of the areola.

It is possible to 'coach' the inverted nipple out so it becomes an 'outie' and everts.

If a nipple that was an 'outie' suddenly inverts, this along other symptoms such as itching and pain may be a sign of inflammatory breast cancer.

We've made a separate page about inverted nipples where you can read more.

Nipple piercing

Nipple piercing has become more and more popular in recent years. Nipple piercing procedure has the risk of infection, mastitis (serious breast infection), scarring, jewelry rejection, boils, risk of HIV or hepatitis transmission (from unsterilized equipment), and more (it has even led to a partial mastectomy).

The jewelry may also cause problems while wearing it because clothing you wear can catch it.

As far as breastfeeding and nipple piercing is concerned, you can breastfeed as long as you don't have a buildup of internal or external scar tissue. If you do, or if the piercing became infected during the healing process, you may have a problem with milk flow. Most moms with pierced nipples can breastfeed fine. They should just remove the jewelry while breastfeeding.

The Gallery!

Older Women Pixie Cuts

These pictures are here to let you see some of the normal variations in nipple shape and areola size/shape. There are lots of variations as you can see! The photos below are by volunteers.

Women who have not been pregnant

THE INTERNET is an incredible source of LIES and SCAMS. No, toothpaste on nipples won't help. Total silliness!

I think what they mean by that expression is not the nipple... but the AREOLA being as large as a slice of pepperoni. Areola is the darkenedarea around the nipple but not the nipple itself.

I don't think that is even very big... many many women have their areola the size of pepperoni slice, and often even larger! Keep in mind, areola size increases inpregnancy so tons of women have large areolas! Look again at our gallery on this page... Yours are most definitely normal too, no matter what their size.