un*dressed bodies remain art.
While movements like body positivity challenge unrealistic beauty standards, they still focus on appearance.
With our “remain art” shorts we're shifting the narrative toward body neutrality, emphasizing what our bodies can do rather than how they look—because dressed or undressed, every body remains art.
Why body positivity is not enough
As with every product or collection we create, our "remain art" shorts address a social issue. This time, we focused on the body itself. Many of us can relate to the negative comments we often make about our bodies, like the classic, "I look fat in this." This can lead to a permanent negative self-image we have from ourselves. In extreme cases, a negative self-image can lead to severe mental health issues, self-harm, and even suicide.
Unrealistic beauty standards, often promoted by media channels such as Instagram, are a significant cause of negative self-image. Also bullying in the real and in the digital world plays a crucial role. In response, movements like "body positivity" have emerged to challenge these narrow definitions of beauty. While this movement has positively impacted society by advocating that everyone deserves to feel beautiful regardless of appearance, it risks becoming problematic by still emphasizing how a body looks rather than what it can do.
It’s time to move beyond the focus on appearance and add a new dimension: emphasizing who we are and what we can achieve. This is where the body neutrality movement comes in. Intuitive Eating Counsellor and Eating Disorder Specialist Anne Poirier defines body neutrality as "prioritizing the body’s function and what it can do rather than its appearance." According to Poirier, we don’t need to love or hate our bodies; we can simply feel neutral about them.
However, one movement is not necessarily better than the other. Depending on your needs, one approach may resonate more with you. Often, a combination of both movements is most effective. Ultimately, the choice is yours—whether dressed or undressed, because “un*dressed bodies remain art.”
Why we decided to make shorts
The reason we chose to design shorts to raise awareness for body positivity and neutrality originated in the idea that they are one of the most intimate pieces of clothing we wear. They symbolize the tension between how we choose to present ourselves and the underlying self-perception we carry, directly connecting to the themes of body image and self-acceptance.
Unlike outerwear, which is often scrutinized by others, shorts can represent a more private, personal choice—whether to hide or show them is entirely up to you. By choosing such a personal garment, we wanted to emphasize that self-worth is not about appearance but about comfort, confidence, and choice, whether you choose to reveal or keep private your most intimate self.
[remain art shorts]
Made 100% from deadstock fabrics. Manufactured in Germany by professional seamstresses to ensure high product quality.
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Main Material: Made 100% from cotton.
Logo Patch: Made 100% from polyester
Colorways available: Dark navy/ white and Green/ white.
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Deadstock fabrics: Bought at Garda Texil in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Garment manufacturing: Made in Germany at Made auf Veddel in Hamburg.
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Like the shorts but want another fabric? Drop us a message on insta or send us an email!
E-Mail: aleks@apn-gallery.com
Our Partners
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Made auf Veddel
Production Facility
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Gårda Textil
Fabric Supplier
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Dutch Label Shop
Trims Supplier
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Marika Hellmund
Logo Patch Designer
Sources
Below you can find all the sources that we used to write our article. Happy reading!
1. Cleveland Clinic. (2023, June 23). *Body positivity vs. body neutrality: What’s the difference?* Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/body-positivity-vs-body-neutrality
2. Field, A. E. (2019). *The scarlet “F”*. Harvard Public Health Magazine. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/the-scarlet-f/
3. Major, A. (2021, November 29). *Why body-positive social media may be good for you*. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/mind-your-body/202111/why-body-positive-social-media-may-be-good-you
4. Blaise, E. (2019, December 9). *Is the body positivity social movement toxic?* Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-fundamentals/201912/is-the-body-positivity-social-movement-toxic
5. Kite, L. (2022, April). *Body positivity or body obsession? Learning to see more and be more* [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/lindsay_kite_body_positivity_or_body_obsession_learning_to_see_more_and_be_more
6. Whitehead, R. D., Thomas, K., Brown, K., & Earl, D. (2022). *Body positivity and psychological well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis*. *International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19*(21), 14182. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114182
7. Tylka, T. L., & Calogero, R. M. (2019). *Using body neutrality to inform eating disorder management in a gender-diverse world*. *Journal of Eating Disorders, 7*(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-019-0243-5
8. Chaspari, T., & Alvarez, M. (2023). *The intersection of body neutrality and AI-based body image interventions*. *Body Image, 47,* 103-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.06.004
9. Lemire, S., & Calogero, R. M. (2023). *Exploring body neutrality: Toward an inclusive framework for positive body image*. *Body Image, 47,* 121-131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.07.002
10. Freitag, L. (2018, August 29). *Body neutrality: Muss ich mich und meinen Körper wirklich abfeiern?* Zeit Online. https://www.zeit.de/zett/politik/2018-08/body-neutrality-muss-ich-mich-und-meinen-koerper-wirklich-abfeiern
11. Kite, L. (2018). *Body positivity or body obsession? Learning to see more and be more* [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qiAnyEe0pY