The Bikini Revolution

The end of May and the first official 90-degree day signals only one thing...the inevitable approach of summer and the horrifying return of swimsuit season. I think every woman no matter how tiny their body may be has some sort of anxiety at the thought of donning a swimsuit in public. In fact, there has been many a time in my life when I have dreaded putting on a swimsuit in private. However, the truth is we can't show up at the pool or the beach dressed from head to toe in a moo-moo. It's just not practical. So, every year women either embark on the daunting task of finding a new, flattering swimsuit that hides what they consider their body's flaws, or they dust off their go-to swimsuit. You know, the one in the bottom of your drawer that you've worn so many years in a row that you are at least immune to its inability to hide everything from the world.

A few years ago, I went swimsuit shopping with a friend. It was supposed to be fun, but honestly, as the day progressed, it quickly became mission impossible. Our goal was to find cute swimsuits that didn't make us look like complete whales. We tried high-end department stores, low-end retail stores and every type of store in between. We even tried specialty swimsuit stores that promised a perfect fit for every body despite displaying nothing but string bikinis on size 0, breast-implanted mannequins in the front windows. And, in the end, we were no happier than when we started despite having found what could only be called a suitable suit, a basic black tankini with a matching...ahem...mommy skirt. Sigh.

Now, let me just take a moment to say one thing about the mommy skirt. It doesn't hide anything! Seriously, I wore it once, and I was more embarrassed in that skirt than in any other swimsuit I have ever worn in my life. Not only did it fail to distract the world from my ass or my thighs, but I felt like it screamed "insecure woman approaching" from a mile away. So, needless to say, it's been gathering dust on the top shelf of my closet since then. Double sigh.

And, forget about the one-piece suits. Who wears those anymore? It's all about the tankini or the bikini, and frankly, it is quite clear most women opt for the tankini. It's part bikini, right, and therefore a happy compromise?

As far as I'm concerned there is no good solution to the swimsuit problem. Unfortunately, the problem is not the swimsuit, it's me. And, I can't shop around for another me, so I need to appreciate what I've got going here. I need to erase years upon years of brainwashing. Women are told their whole lives what they should look like, and if they don't meet those standards they are not perfect; they are not beautiful; and they should definitely not be caught dead in a bikini. I admit it. I've bought into that mindset. I'm a perfect example of a woman who is not the "ideal" and who has followed the rules. I don't wear bikinis; I buy the type of swimwear designed to "flatter my figure"; and, well, I'm ashamed to say I find myself cringing when I see a larger woman walking around in a bikini. It's like a reflex, and I can hear myself wondering why that woman left the house dressed like that. That's the correct and responsible reaction, right?

Wrong.

There is nothing right about the way women are told to feel about their bodies. There is nothing right about women criticizing other women for having the confidence to break the cycle and wear a bikini when they are clearly not a size 2 model. There is nothing right about settling for something less than what you want simply because it's the safe choice. The truth is no two bodies are alike, and therefore, how can there exist a standard perfect body type?

A week or so ago, I was talking to my very pregnant and very beautiful friend who is due June 7. She has a gorgeous body, long and lean and toned in all the right places. And, I jokingly asked her if she had gone Hollywood at the beach and sported a bikini to show off her beautiful pregnant belly. I was shocked to hear she never wears a bikini because she doesn't think she can.

In that moment, I realized we were in desperate need of an intervention. It is time for women to stand up, band together and fight against decades of brainwashing. It's time to appreciate who we are and what we look like. It's time for a bikini revolution.

And, so I shall be the first to take arms.

The next time I see a confident, strong woman rockin' a bikini, I am going to praise her good judgment. And, when I hit the beach in June, I will be joining her.

THE bikini. Obviously, I won't look like this in it, but
I will still rock it in my own awesome way.

That's right! I am going to sport a bikini this summer, all size 8 of me. Take THAT, society! I am going to show my daughter it's okay to be comfortable in your own skin. I am going to prove to her, by bikini, that it is mission possible to love yourself just the way you are.

And, maybe, just maybe if another woman in a tankini sees me walking around the beach in a bikini, then she might feel confident enough to try it out too. I mean, seriously, if I can do it, anyone can. That is how a revolution starts, right? One bikini at a time.

So, I have to ask, are you ready to join the revolution? Well, if you're not quite there yet, then at least give me a bit of a smile, instead of the textbook cringe, when you see me rockin' my bikini this summer. It may just help me get through one of the hardest challenges I've ever faced but perhaps one of the most important lessons I will ever learn...how to appreciate what I've got instead of trying to hide it.