The weather is getting hotter, days are getting longer and we all know what that means: summer is officially approaching. As the temperature outside increases, the amount of layers people are wearing decreases. Eventually, the weather will be lovely enough for a good swim, meaning it's time for bathing suits.
Many women look forward to swimsuit season all year, browsing online sales in their spare time and tanning in the spring in order to look like a goddess in the summer. However, another group of girls, including myself, dread this time of year. Swimsuits don't give us feelings of freedom or happiness. Rather, we worry and fret: We aren't skinny enough, tan enough, flawless enough. We have embarrassing birthmarks, freckles or scars. For many women, bathing suits create a feeling of vulnerability. Shedding layers is a burden rather than something to look forward to.
A few weeks ago, I walked into Target and my eyes immediately fell on the bathing suit section. Full of color and vibrancy, these racks of string bikinis made me sick to my stomach. While I am generally comfortable and confident in myself, bathing suits require a level of self-confidence that I have yet to achieve. You are basically walking around in your underwear, but in front of an entire lake/pool/beach full of people. Even now, writing this, I can't help but worry about what this summer will bring. It's in moments like this that I want to buy a huge t-shirt and wear that over my bathing suit, shielding my insecurities from the world around me. I want to hide.
But I, and every other girl in this world, should be able to wear a bathing suit without fear. Meghan Tonjes, a singer/songwriter and popular YouTuber, started a movement on Instagram called #BootyRevolution. She believes that every woman, any shape, size, race, etc. is beautiful and should feel completely comfortable when showing their bodies. Bathing suits are meant to represent the freedom and whimsy of summer. They shouldn't be seen as a torture object for the insecure. Do I have flawlessly tan skin? No. Am I completely toned? Not at all. But nobody has to be. Imperfections are what make us all human. If everyone were to look exactly the same, we would be SO BORING. What is humanity without differences?
It doesn't have to be a bikini. There is a plethora of adorable one-pieces, high-waisted and tank-topped bathing suits out there. Wear what makes you comfortable, but never think that you should hide yourself because of some qualities you possess that others might see as different. You are fabulous as hell.
