They have been associated with cellulite, motherhood, life after 40 and general negligence. In fact, stretch marks do not appear on women’s and mature skin, but they also occur among teenagers or men. So why are we still ashamed of them?

Where do these stretch marks come from?
What have we done wrong? This question is probably a source of annoyance to many of us. Seeing the spindle strands on our thighs, breasts or buttocks, we wonder whether we did not care enough about our skin, nourishment and our body? Are these unaesthetic lines, which destroy the ideal statue of our womanhood, our fault? The answer to all these dilemmas is no. If such marks are on your body, then apparently they had to appear there. They are no longer just „on” your skin, but they are your skin – an integral part of it, whether you want it or not.

Since we have already explained that we definitely had no influence on this, it is worth asking ourselves another question: why the hell have they appeared at all?

We do not need to experience pregnancy in order for such scars to appear on our body. Stretch marks are the result of the inability of our body to keep up with the changes that affect it and reshape it in every possible way. In the event of a sudden change of weight in a short time or due to hormonal disorders, the skin doesn’t keep up. We are not to blame for anything, and stretch marks are something completely natural. Sometimes they are called the „symbol of womanliness”, although it’s no determinant – let’s not go from one extreme to the other; you don’t need them to feel like a woman. Stretch marks should not be perceived as something bad, but as a possible, natural element of our existence, like freckles or birthmarks.

Time for coming out
More and more women, including celebrities, decide to show their bodies, which don’t necessarily look like from the cover of a glamorous magazine. Such coming out’s are sometimes sensational – as if stretch marks were something totally unusual and admitting to their presence required an impossible amount of courage. It is not only public figures such as John Legend’s wife, Chrissy Teigen, for example, who decide on such a (publicised) step, but the world’s brands are also trying to overcome the taboo. ASOS, a well- known British clothing company, has recently launched a campaign related to the collection of swimwear. The bodies of the models have not been retouched; scars from acne or stretch marks are clearly visible. As it seems, it pays off to be real because instead of a wave of negative opinions, the campaign met with a very positive feedback.

Independent artists also try to make their contribution. The twenty-one- year-old artist from Spain, Zineta, is now using her entire career to break the silence. She battles sexism by taking subtle photos of women’s breasts from behind delicate flowers. She tries to show that menstrual leakage is simply something that happens. Zineta has also developed a project concerning female stretch marks. Using paints, she coloured the female stretch marks, not covering or masking them, but paying special attention to them. She says that scars are unique and make each of us exceptional.

Between shame and rivalry
Some time ago, I posted a photo of a fragment of my thigh on Instagram, where these small, bright bolts of lightning are visible. I received a lot of feedback; from questions from the guys whether I can send them this photo without panties, through praise and rebuke concerning my „courage”, to questions from young girls who do not know exactly what it is, and have seen identical scars on their bodies. They don’t ask their mothers because usually mature women clearly associate the problem and occurrence of stretch marks with pregnancy, not the possibility of them appearing during adolescence or in result of eating disorders, which often affect teenagers. And that is partly why it is so important to speak loudly about stretch marks.

Natalia, who runs the Pink Candy channel on YouTube, where she speaks about sex and sexuality, has recently posted a picture of her stretch marks on the fanpage of the channel. In the description she briefly described a situation in which a viewer confessed that she is afraid to undress herself in front of her boyfriend because of the stretch marks. Under the post, among many positive comments, there were also some valuating ones – those in which women, as if they were competing to be the one with the biggest scars, discussing which ones are already shaming. This rivalry, („she hasn’t seen the true stretch marks yet”; as if bigger ones were supposed to be real, and the smaller ones fictitious and meaningless) shocked and frustrated me – when did it happen that we, the women, started to fight with each other instead of supporting and motivating one another?

Stretch marks cannot be ugly when they are yours
Whether or not we have stretch marks, and if so, how big, should not matter. What is important is what we have in our minds and whether we have an internal problem with them. Nobody – a guy in front of whom we plan to undress, beach-goers on towels next to us or friends at the changing room – is likely to have a problem with whether and how many scars we have. Everything – fears, worries and anxieties are in our minds. It is up to us whether we want to get rid of them.

On the right wrist I have a scar after three stitches. Once, when I was a child, as a part of the fun with my friends, I pushed the door to my room, which had little glass windows. When I look at this small, healed ladder, I smile every time and remember this foolishness. I love this scar just as I love scars on my thighs, underneath my briefs. They haven’t been created out of stupidity, but by nature and are an integral part of me. They are beautiful, because they’re mine.

A hundred years old school building in the centre of Amsterdam was converted in 2014 into 10 modern apartments by Standard Studio. Each apartment has a different layout and was designed using different materials, according to the wishes of the residents. What they have in common is the use of modern solutions such as solar technology, above-grounds heat pumps or a green roof. Thanks to them the building demonstrates minimal emissions. Sounds interesting, but only one of the apartments made a big impression on us.

The apartment we want to show you has been designed for a 4-person family. The teachers room and one of the classrooms have been converted into spacious living room and bedrooms. A great advantage of this space are high ceilings that made the construction of the mezzanine possible. Mezzanines allowed for the separation of the daytime, family area of the apartment from the private section and provide connection of 5 elements: living room, kitchen, dining room, children’s playroom and a small studio into one common family space of 100 m2.

If you are wondering where a family of four keeps all the unnecessary things every day, because the interiors in the photos look so immaculate, the answer is simple. Storage under the stairs, including specially designed furniture which provides space for family stuff as well as children’s toys. This storage space can also serve as seats and a play area. Smart move.

How was the school building turned into a family apartment? Concrete floors and steel stairs are a nod to the history of this building. The plywood from which most of the furniture is made reflects trendiness, warmth and snugness. Together they form a unique family apartment, ideal for a modern and conscious family of 4 in Amsterdam.

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Dagmara Rapinczuk

Graduate of Architecture at Gdansk University of Technology and Interior Architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk. She gained experience in many Tri-City design offices. Currently she runs her own company called Pani Architekt. She loves beautiful interiors and interesting people. In her spare time, she is passionate about travelling and cooking.

 Photo by: Hanna Polczynska

Renovating old buildings and converting them into premium apartments is a trend that has been present on the market for years. It’s increasingly popular throughout Europe.

The apartment located in the old school in Amsterdam presents the purity of modern shapes combined with historical elements of the building. It’s a meeting place for icons of world design, such as the fabulous EPC DSR chair by Charles & Ray Eames, along with furniture from the last century: 1980s chests of drawers or an old piano. The well-thought-out plan allows for clear separation of daytime and night time sections. The omnipresent whiteness of walls gives the feeling of unlimited space. Despite its sterility, the apartment feels cosy, thanks to its wooden elements and potted plants. Magnificent use of space under the stairs to create a storage room is particularly noteworthy, and as evidenced by my conversations with customers, there is never enough of such space. The element that absolutely captivated my attention is a small freestanding fireplace. It matches the living room perfectly. Its task in this case is not to heat the entire apartment, but to ease the cold evenings spent in the family.

In my opinion, the only thing that could be improved are cabinets in the kitchen, which hang quite high. Even if they perform purely aesthetic function, as can be seen in the attached photos, they will need to be cleaned from time to time, especially since the dust will be visible from the mezzanine. Fortunately, we have inventions like the ladder – it will come in handy 🙂

Leading architects: Wouter Slot & Jurjen van Hulzen @ Standard Studio
Location: Elisabeth Wolffstraat, Amsterdam, Holandia
Year of completion: 2014
Area: 100 m2