Note: This is a response to this article by Kayla Ratajczak.
You said “To girls wearing ‘cheeky’ bathing suit bottoms, please stop” and I say please don’t criticize other women’s fashion choices. I say dear girls, wear whatever you want. If you want to wear board shorts, wear them. If you want to wear a triangle bikini, rock it. If you want to wear a rash guard, own it. And if you want to wear cheeky bikini bottoms, wear them.
In the original article, which now has 70K shares, the author asserts that “this trend is ruining women’s dignity and it must be put to an end”. I disagree. A woman’s dignity doesn’t depend on what she wears, it depends on her morals, her values, the way she treats people and the way she loves herself. Dignity is defined as “bearing, conduct or speech indicative of self-respect” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Revealing a little bit of booty doesn’t compromise a woman’s self-respect. In fact, I can think of nothing more representative of self love than showing off a body that you’re confident and proud in. It is a woman’s prerogative to own her body however she likes, including wearing the bathing suit that makes her happy. I admire the woman that feels comfortable and confident in these bathing suits because my relationship with my body is a complicated work in progress. Honestly, I hope to someday flaunt my body in a cheeky bathing suit because that would represent a pride in my body that I don’t have yet. I have put my body through a lot, and it would mean the world to me to have that love for myself.
In addition, let’s talk about buying bathing suits. Next to jeans, bathing suits are the hardest thing to buy for most women. A lot of women in my life order bathing suits online just to save themselves from the trauma of going to the store to try them on. I haven’t bought a bathing suit in six years despite weight fluctuations and bathing suits that no longer fit simply because I hate the idea of standing in a fluorescent lit changing room and being forced to see my body. Now imagine the pain of this process when not only are you judging your own body, you are being shamed by other women about your choices. How would that make you feel?
Furthermore, I would like to address the points made in the last few paragraphs of the article. First, I would like to respond to the claim that we are teaching children and families not to have self-respect. Let’s be blunt -- children are exposed to far worse than a little bit of a woman’s behind on the beach. Everyone has a butt, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. And in addition, you say that “it surely doesn’t teach them about having self-respect or dignity”. I strongly disagree. It teaches them to love the bodies they have and that they don’t have to be ashamed and cover them up. This is a valuable lesson as well. And let’s think about other influences on children. What about Barbie with her busty chest and fully developed body? Mattel created her with the intention of teaching young girls about the bodies they’ll have when they’re older- and 96% of girls ages 3-10 own one. That reveals more about a woman’s body than a little bit of cheek in a bathing suit bottom, but we keep giving them to our girls. What about advertisements on television? Women’s bodies are everywhere, and in far more sexualized manners than a simple bathing suit.
I also have strong emotions about the claims that women are wearing these bathing suits for attention from men, and that men don’t dress in a way to show off their bodies. What about the men shirtless on the beach showing off their abs? Isn’t that a form of showing off their bodies? You are holding women to a double standard and playing into internalized misogyny by shaming women for showing off to men, when most women are wearing a bathing suit themselves, not to satisfy the male gaze. I know that I dress for myself, to feel good about myself and to be comfortable in my body, not to show off for everyone. It is a woman’s right to choose what she wears, and if men take advantage of that, that is their fault. You can’t buy into the patriarchal view that it’s the woman’s fault because it’s not. Men make that choice, not women.
In conclusion, to all the girls out there -- wear the bathing suit that makes you feel good, and if that’s a cheeky bottom, I’ll be cheering you on.
