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Hip Dips Are Instagram's Latest & Greatest Body Positive Trend

Amelia Edelman
July 4, 2017, 7:30 PM
While it's true that the internet is still a mean and terrible place (even for the most powerful and Grammy-winning among us), there's no denying we've come a long way since the dawn of the thigh-gap obsession and that godawful "belly button challenge." More and more, the denizens of the interwebs are — ever so slowly — beginning to acknowledge that bodies are all different, and that that's pretty cool. (We'll happily take a little credit for that sea change, but we're not alone.) Case in point: the latest trend of body-part pics on Instagram, which celebrates the "hip dip."
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No, it's not a dance move — a "hip dip" is just a cutesy term for an indentation that may or may not exist between your hips and your thighs. Pretty ordinary, except for the fact that apparently women have been embarrassed about and trying to eliminate this natural shape. Personal trainer Kelly Bakewell wrote on Instagram, "I've had clients asking how to get rid of them, [but] hey are very normal!"
“So yesterday I learned that #hipdips or #violenhips[sp] are a thing,” wrote @paulagoestobrizzle, according to People. “Like it’s a body type. I’ve spent my life lusting after perfectly rounded hips, when actually it’s to do with my skeleton. Nothing to do with weight or fitness. CRAZY.” Since rounded-hip hourglass bodies have often been portrayed as ideal in recent media, women have gone to great and often dangerous (ahem, waist trainers) lengths in an attempt to achieve that shape — for no reason other than that it's somehow perceived as "on-trend."
But the hip dip is not only totally normal; it's also not something you can "get rid of." It's nothing more than the place where your femurs connect to your pelvis — and the "dip" shows up on a wide variety of body shapes and sizes. “Gluteus medius isn’t a meaty muscle," Bakewell adds, explaining that "it wouldn’t really be able to be built up to help with a dip...Be proud ladies.”
"I don't know why or at what point I was taught to hate them, but I was, and I'm working on unlearning it," wrote athlete Sophia Van Leeuwen on her Instagram. "It's really helped me seeing other girls on here post about theirs and NORMALIZING it. So here are mine!"
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Below are some of the beautiful hip dips gracing our Instagram feeds today. We'll just be over here listening to Freak Nasty and celebrating ours.

No idea what I'm doing with my hands in this but ??‍♀️ embrace ur #hipdips

A post shared by lil evil (@tinysatan) on

Lately on my dash I’ve seen lots of posts about hip dips. I just want to let you know that they're normal! It’s part of our anatomy, and on some is more noticeable than others. It all depends on your body type, muscle, and fat distribution. 
In case you didn't know, the femurs connect to the pelvis. Wow! Reference the 2nd picture if this is confusing!
That is exactly what a “hip dip” is. The space on the sides between the top of your pelvis and your femurs. You get a hip dip from being born with a skeleton. Incredible. Everyone has one, but sometimes it’s not as noticeable. Men and women have it, but it’s more noticable on women because our hips are usually more pronounced. Like I said earlier, it’s about fat and muscle distribution, as well as your own unique skeletal structure and shape. It's often more visible on those with wide, high-set hips. Some women have it more noticeable, some don’t, but it doesn’t mean it's not there. Everyone ? has ? them ? Seriously, you'll have one as long as you keep your skeleton. Can they be decreased in appearance by losing excess fat? Sure, to an extent. But guess what? I had quite pronounced ones even at my leanest, when I carried so little fat that I stopped getting my period (this was unhealthy, I know). Hip dips are NOT the same as a muffin top. Sometimes they can create a similar appearance in clothing, but it's not!!! The same!! Thing!!! I've also seen people saying that hip dips can be filled out by working on your gluteus medius. That could be true for some people to a certain extent, but unless your hip dips are already barely visible, it's absolutely fucking ridiculous to think they'll be significantly filled out by growing a part of your glute. I know mine sure won't. They're too big, and that's okay! But go throw your money at whatever booty builder program you want and see if I care. Honestly, the visibility of mine is my biggest insecurity. I don't know why or at what point I was taught to hate them, but I was, and I'm working on unlearning it. It's really helped me seeing other girls on here post about theirs and NORMALIZING it. So here are mine!

A post shared by Sophia Van Leeuwen (@oatsnsquats) on

pretty personal/nerve wracking post because I've never ever posted anything about this before (let alone an old image from 2012 in the second picture) but I think it's important. the #bodypostive movement is v. close to my ❤️ as both a (very much) recovered anorexia sufferer and someone growing up in a society where social media (and it's unrealistic expectations) is so powerful. the body positive movement has been really helpful over the years, full of inspiring + healthy women normalising all shapes and sizes. thankfully, after years of work + perseverance I am a confident and very very happy human being but body hang ups of course still exist (e.g. my dislike of having little scoops on my hips instead of a perfect hourglass shape). But instead of hiding my insecurities, I've learnt it's important to embrace and accept, so here is my contribution to body positivity and a mini celebration of #hipdips and #recovery because nothing beats being healthy ?

A post shared by Francesca Burt (@francescaburt) on

tag an inspirational and powerful woman who's helped you along the way ?✨? . beauty comes in every shape and size ?? . having positive people who uplift and support you are so incredibly vital when going through your self love journey ? . these two girls @micalycar and @roblinevans have inspired me to love myself and accept my body as it is. . we went away on a girls trip a couple of months ago. it was tough because we would constantly put ourselves down or get upset because one of us would have a feature that we wish we had . the incredible boost we gave each other throughout this trip was so magical. . . we learned to love and accept what G-d gifted us and praised each other with what we weren't gifted. . at the beginning of the trip we were insecure, putting ourselves down, comparing ourselves and by the end of the trip we felt nothing but love for ourselves and our friendship oozed support and acceptance ? . . we realised how completely different we are from one another and comparing ourselves made no sense because we suit what we were born with ? . a petite athletic girl, a tall naturally slim girl and a short thicker girl . we all suit the skin we were born in!? . . #thick#thighbrows#curvyfashion#curves#confident#cellulite#curvygirl#bopo#bodyposi#bodypositive#plussize#plussizemodel#positivity#pyjamaday#hipdips#everybodyisbeautiful#johannesburg#loveyourself#loveyourbody#acceptyourself#sablogger#fashion#johannesburg#selflove#selfacceptance#visiblebellyoutline#curvywomen#inspiration#womenempowerment#womenpower

A post shared by MIRA✨ (@mira_hirsch) on

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