Last week, a fellow SVSU Odyssey writer published an article titled "To Girls Wearing 'Cheeky' Bathing Suit Bottoms, Please Stop." While I think Kayla is an amazing writer (I'm a huge fan of her article this week "To The Girl I Used To Be"), many Facebook users, myself included, disagreed with the sentiment of her article.
For those of you who haven't read Kayla's article, I highly recommend it. Although I didn't agree with it, the topic got me thinking. Does the clothing we wear have a direct link to our sense of self-worth? Does my bikini preference have any correlation to the type of role model I can be?
If cheeky bottoms bother you, then I have a key piece of advice for you, DO NOT WEAR THEM. I have the same advice for women who dislike 6--inch stilettos and low cut dresses, just don't wear them.
Personally, I think cheeky bottoms are much cuter than regular bikini bottoms, mainly because the latter remind me of diapers. But I wouldn't take it upon myself to write an entire article entitled "To Women Wearing Saggy Diaper Bikini Bottoms, Please Stop." The issue that most Facebook users seemed to have with this article is the idea of one woman telling other women what they can and can't wear, simply because it makes her uncomfortable.
Kayla goes on to point out that showing that much skin is downright inappropriate, especially around young girls. However, when bikinis were first invented, I'm sure many people had similar complaints. We are a progressing society and as hemlines get shorter and necklines get lower, bikinis are bound to get cheekier. It's an individual choice to wear what you are comfortable in and not shame others for what they are comfortable in.
The main point that Kayla covers in her article that threw me off is the idea of a bathing suit being worn to attract male attention. She even goes as far to say, "How often do you see men roam around in speedos to attract attention?"
I personally don't wear bathing suits to attract male attention. I wear bathing suits because I would feel very silly swimming in leggings and a T-shirt, but that's just me. Kayla closes her article by saying she will wear a bathing suit that "fully covers her behind," but what about the front of her bathing suit? In a bikini, your stomach, back, arms, legs, and often times cleavage is still exposed, so why draw the line at cheeks?
Swimsuits in general were not built with modesty in mind.
No one on this Earth was born with the soul purpose of regulating what women wear to the beach. My advice to Kayla would be to wear what you are comfortable in and let other people wear what they're comfortable in. After all, it's my bikini body, not yours.
