PeachyLean
Three years ago, Sharon Keegan walked out of her local gym in tears; having spoken to yet another woman who was unhappy with the way she looked. 
The lack of body positivity and self esteem amongst her peers compelled Sharon to change the preconception of what a fit, healthy body really looks like.
Sharon launched PeachyLean in 2018 after she had a baby and found it difficult to find supportive yet flattering active wear. She found that many brands didn’t exceed a size L or XL.
“If we can make women feel good by supporting their shape, their confidence will grow and their body image and self-esteem will follow,” she explains.
What is a fit, healthy body?
Sharon says people are beginning to realise that healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes and explains that mental and physical wellbeing go hand in hand when it comes to fitness.
“One of my mottos is: ‘Move for your mind’,” she says. “If you are feeling down, get your sports gear on and go for a walk. It doesn’t have to be running marathons.
“You never feel worse after some exercise and fresh air,” she says. “We need to be kind to our bodies and minds – and keeping fit and healthy is such an important part of this.”
The ‘perfect’ body
In a virtual world of influencers showcasing what the “perfect” body looks like, Sharon chooses to use her social media platforms to spread a message of body positivity.
“The images shown in the media of six-pack abs and lean body types make up 2% of our population – but where are the real bodies represented?” she asks.
Building confidence
Sharon wants to represent real people with real bodies and hopes that her active wear brand will empower and build confidence among women.
“You may have put on a couple of pounds over lockdown, but so has most of the world – don’t be too hard on yourself.
“Think confident, think happy and be kind to your mind,” she continues, “This allows you to be more present, less stressed and it is the first step in falling in love with your own body – once that happens, the rest is easy.”
Méid Denim
Megan Geraghty Byrne, Méid Denim
Shopping for a good pair of jeans can be a daunting experience for many, but Meghan Geraghty Byrne hopes her brand will make the dreaded task a bit easier.
The Dublin fashion designer is passionate about helping women feel comfortable in their own skin and hopes her new all-inclusive jeans brand will fill a gap in the market.
The importance of size inclusivity
Megan started the line wanting to create clothing that everyone could wear.
“When I established Méid Denim, other brands were providing bigger and smaller sizes but classifying them as ‘plus-size’ or ‘petite’,” she says. “I just wanted my brand to be size inclusive – where women didn’t have to go to a separate shop for their clothes.
“I wanted to bring a brand to the market that not only promoted body positivity but also provided a size-inclusive range,” she continues. “I started from a UK size 8 to 22 and hope to gradually grow my size range.”
Embracing body changes
Megan feels that every woman should embrace the body changes they experience throughout their lifetime.
“Women should be able to trust a brand and know that if their weight fluctuates, they can still buy a bigger or smaller size in the same brand,” she says.
She explains that fashion plays an integral role in feeling confident in our bodies.
“Our clothes will always play a big part in how we feel and we shouldn’t be told we can’t fit into something because of our size or our body type,” she says. “If they’ve put on or lost a few pounds, I want people to feel confident and comfortable in their jeans regardless.”
Megan’s ultimate aim is to fulfil the fashion needs for women of all sizes. “I started with jeans as they are the staple of any woman’s wardrobe,” she says. “But I would love to have a full fashion range and start incorporating new styles, colours and products.
“A lot of people are deterred from going shopping because of the size range available,” she explains. “I don’t want women thinking that they are too big or too small to buy jeans.”
She acknowledges that the body positivity movement is definitely underway.
“Brands are listening and customer voices are being heard,” she says. “They are no longer sticking with a size small, medium and large; assuming everyone will fit in.”
Read more
Empowering women during pregnancy
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PeachyLean
Three years ago, Sharon Keegan walked out of her local gym in tears; having spoken to yet another woman who was unhappy with the way she looked.
The lack of body positivity and self esteem amongst her peers compelled Sharon to change the preconception of what a fit, healthy body really looks like.
Sharon launched PeachyLean in 2018 after she had a baby and found it difficult to find supportive yet flattering active wear. She found that many brands didn’t exceed a size L or XL.
“If we can make women feel good by supporting their shape, their confidence will grow and their body image and self-esteem will follow,” she explains.
What is a fit, healthy body?
Sharon says people are beginning to realise that healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes and explains that mental and physical wellbeing go hand in hand when it comes to fitness.
“One of my mottos is: ‘Move for your mind’,” she says. “If you are feeling down, get your sports gear on and go for a walk. It doesn’t have to be running marathons.
“You never feel worse after some exercise and fresh air,” she says. “We need to be kind to our bodies and minds – and keeping fit and healthy is such an important part of this.”
The ‘perfect’ body
In a virtual world of influencers showcasing what the “perfect” body looks like, Sharon chooses to use her social media platforms to spread a message of body positivity.
“The images shown in the media of six-pack abs and lean body types make up 2% of our population – but where are the real bodies represented?” she asks.
Building confidence
Sharon wants to represent real people with real bodies and hopes that her active wear brand will empower and build confidence among women.
“You may have put on a couple of pounds over lockdown, but so has most of the world – don’t be too hard on yourself.
“Think confident, think happy and be kind to your mind,” she continues, “This allows you to be more present, less stressed and it is the first step in falling in love with your own body – once that happens, the rest is easy.”
Méid Denim
Megan Geraghty Byrne, Méid Denim
Shopping for a good pair of jeans can be a daunting experience for many, but Meghan Geraghty Byrne hopes her brand will make the dreaded task a bit easier.
The Dublin fashion designer is passionate about helping women feel comfortable in their own skin and hopes her new all-inclusive jeans brand will fill a gap in the market.
The importance of size inclusivity
Megan started the line wanting to create clothing that everyone could wear.
“When I established Méid Denim, other brands were providing bigger and smaller sizes but classifying them as ‘plus-size’ or ‘petite’,” she says. “I just wanted my brand to be size inclusive – where women didn’t have to go to a separate shop for their clothes.
“I wanted to bring a brand to the market that not only promoted body positivity but also provided a size-inclusive range,” she continues. “I started from a UK size 8 to 22 and hope to gradually grow my size range.”
Embracing body changes
Megan feels that every woman should embrace the body changes they experience throughout their lifetime.
“Women should be able to trust a brand and know that if their weight fluctuates, they can still buy a bigger or smaller size in the same brand,” she says.
She explains that fashion plays an integral role in feeling confident in our bodies.
“Our clothes will always play a big part in how we feel and we shouldn’t be told we can’t fit into something because of our size or our body type,” she says. “If they’ve put on or lost a few pounds, I want people to feel confident and comfortable in their jeans regardless.”
Megan’s ultimate aim is to fulfil the fashion needs for women of all sizes. “I started with jeans as they are the staple of any woman’s wardrobe,” she says. “But I would love to have a full fashion range and start incorporating new styles, colours and products.
“A lot of people are deterred from going shopping because of the size range available,” she explains. “I don’t want women thinking that they are too big or too small to buy jeans.”
She acknowledges that the body positivity movement is definitely underway.
“Brands are listening and customer voices are being heard,” she says. “They are no longer sticking with a size small, medium and large; assuming everyone will fit in.”
Read more
Empowering women during pregnancy
Health: Can robotics help people with dementia?
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