Why Does “Hot Girl Summer” Come with So Many Rules?‬‭

By: Dèlia Rubio

I couldn’t help but wonder… when did summer become less about sun-soaked escapes

and more about self-loathing?

It used to be that June meant clinking glasses on terraces, the warm kiss of sunlight on

bare shoulders, and perhaps a spontaneous fling. But lately, summer has been

hijacked, not by romance, not even by the travel bug, but by something far more

insidious: the relentless whisper of diet culture.

You know the one. The one that starts right around April, disguised as motivation. “Hot

girl summer,” they call it. “Glow up season.” Suddenly, we're bombarded with juice

cleanses, 21-day shreds, and influencers promising transformation with the right mix of

calorie deficits and self-discipline. We’re told to shrink, smooth, tone, tighten, all before

the first beach day arrives. But here’s what they don’t tell you: the real transformation is internal. And no amount of carb-cutting or detoxing will get you there.

Diet culture is sneaky. It doesn’t just live in glossy magazines anymore, it’s taken up

residence in our social feeds, wrapped in pastel graphics and faux-empowering

captions. It tells us that worth is earned through willpower, that softness is something to

be erased, and that our bodies are projects forever in need of fixing.

And this year, right on cue, came the rise of the micro short, the unofficial uniform of

Coachella and every sun-soaked festival after it. Tiny, low-rise, unapologetically Y2K. I

saw a photo the other day of someone strutting through the desert in them, glowing

skin, effortless confidence, abs tighter than my schedule. She looked amazing.

But even as I admired her, I felt a flicker of something else, not envy, not shame, just…

tiredness. Tired of how these trends, while fun and freeing for some, still carry a subtle

message: you can wear this, but only if you look like that.

I actually love micro shorts. But I also know that not everyone feels confident in them,

and that’s okay. The problem isn’t the shorts. It’s the pressure. The quiet idea that our

bodies need to earn space in certain clothes, on certain beaches, in certain moments.

That we have to fit into the trend, instead of letting the trend fit into our lives. And maybe

it's time we unlearn that.

The antidote? Self-love. And not the performative kind that ends in a swipe-up link to a

protein shake. I’m talking about the quiet kind. The radical act of wearing what you

want, eating what you crave, and choosing joy over shame. Of standing in the mirror

and choosing grace instead of critique.

Perhaps the question isn’t, “Are we summer-ready?”

Perhaps the real question is, “Why do we keep asking ourselves that in the first place?”

Because the truth is, summer doesn’t require abs. It requires presence. The kind that

allows you to laugh through sticky ice cream drips, dive into the sea without hesitation,

and dance barefoot at midnight without adjusting your top every five seconds. So wear the micro shorts. Or don’t. Your body, your rules. Just don’t let diet culture decide the guest list to your own life.This Vogue article is a gentle reminder that eating well isn’t about dieting, it’s about giving your body what it actually loves.

After all, summer is short. Life is shorter. And if we’re going to strip down, let it be of all

the unrealistic expectations, not just the layers.

Want to take back your narrative? Here’s a journal prompt: “What would I wear, do, or

say if I wasn’t worried about how I looked?” Write freely. Then go do exactly that. And

for the ones who love a little structure with their self-love, the Productivity Method x Odd

Muse Planner is the chicest way to organize your hot (and emotionally balanced)

summer.

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