Summer is certainly upon us, which means rising temps, pool parties, beach days and of course, every women's favorite pastime (note the sarcasm) swimsuit shopping. The options are endless. There's the one piece, the tankini, the bikini and within those three categories, so many more subcategories. Yet, it's pretty difficult to find a teenage girl who shops for anything else besides a bikini.
For that reason, I draw a lot of attention when I show up to swim in my one piece. First, people compliment my swimwear choice, as it is boldly different while still being trendy, then they simply ask why. I give them a quick answer and usually end up feeling like it didn't suffice. So, I decided to finally come up with an answer that, in my eyes, actually does suffice. What I am about to say may offend some people, but I assure you it is not meant to. I really just want to offer another perspective on the matter of swimwear.
In order to answer why I choose not to wear a bikini, I would like to discuss two words as they relate to swimwear: reveal and empower.
Reveal
I believe that written upon every human heart is the innate desire to be truly known and with that, unconditionally loved. If we want to make ourselves known to others, we must reveal some aspect of who we are. Now, let me ask you this: what aspect of ourselves are we revealing when we wear a bikini? More than anything else, it’s pretty clear we are revealing our bodies. Just think about it — wearing a bikini is basically the closest we can come to being unclothed while not being completely naked. Please don’t get me wrong though, our bodies are good things, beautiful really; however, it becomes a problem when they are the only thing that we are revealing. After all, we are so much more than body parts!
Each and every one of us has so much inner beauty to reveal to the world, and it should never be sacrificed for the sake of … fitting in, looking trendy, impressing guys, getting a good tan (you fill in the blank). I often hear people say that they feel comfortable with their bodies and they have nothing to hide. My response is, “Well, that’s great because it is so necessary for us to be confident with who we are." Is it possible though that in revealing that much of your body, you are unintentionally hiding something else? Your intelligent mind, kind heart, lively spirit? Speaking from my own experience, I sometimes find myself fixated on the physical appearance of scantily clad women rather than noticing who they are on the inside.
Empower
Bikinis were a product of the Sexual Revolution, glorified as something which empowered women. Today, the same mantra is used. "Bikinis empower women." To be honest, this statement always confused me. If those who spoke this statement with such confidence truly believed in the words they were saying, then I decided that we must have two very different definitions of the word "empower."
I especially thought this after hearing a striking scientific study from Princeton University. These were the findings: "Brain scans revealed that when men are shown pictures of scantily clad women, the region of the brain associated with tool use lights up. Men were also more likely to associate images of sexualized women with first-person action verbs such as "I push, I grasp, I handle," said lead researcher Susan Fiske, a psychologist at Princeton University." The rest of the results from the study can be found here. This now begs the question, "What are bikinis empowering women to do?"
In my quest for this answer, I decided to look up various definitions of empowerment, more specifically, women's empowerment. One website listed some qualities which embody what it means to be empowered. For example:
* Having decision-making power of their own
* Ability to learn skills for improving one's personal or group power
* Increasing one's positive self-image and overcoming stigma
(It's funny because I didn't happen to see "ability to make men see us as objects" on the list. Hmm. Maybe they forgot it.) Anyways, my point is that the bikini certainly holds power. I do not; however, believe that it is the type of power that women are looking for. If we desire the power to make decisions on our own, learn skills to improve our group or overcome stigma, surely we will not find it in something that also has the power to degrade.
With all this being said, I am well aware that completely cutting bikinis out of your wardrobe limits your swimwear choices by a considerable amount. Trust me, I know. That is why I would like to offer some alternative options.
For cute and inexpensive, try Monokini Suits.
For vintage, flattering and Audrey Hepburn inspired, try Modcloth or Rey Swimwear.
For quality and fashionable, try my personal favorite, Kortni Jeane.
In every action, every choice, every decision we make, we hold the ability to reveal and empower ourselves. Even the smallest decision such as what swimsuit we choose to wear unlocks these capabilities. The next time we pick out our swimsuit, let us then ask ourselves, "How will I reveal and empower myself today?"
