The great swimwear debate. It is a longstanding one, filled with many opinions, heated discussions, lengthy blogs on modesty, and thoughts and feelings from all sides.
And yes, this year I am chiming in with a few words on the topic. I mostly wish to speak about class and how dressing with class is reflective of your dignity and worth.
Spring break and summer are quickly approaching, which means this anticipated and/or dreaded bathing suit season is here...and I am in greater disbelief than ever before with the suits being sold to the mass market of women and the suits that have become popular in the last few years. "Brazilian cut" bikinis - also coined "cheeky bikinis" are a trend in 2015. If you are a young woman, you probably see them on girls on Instagram, at the beach, at the pool...young women hanging out in these suits in public. They look much like this...
This bottom piece you see here is laying front side down. Yes, that small piece you see is the "back."
If wearing a small bikini was not seen as comparable to underwear in the eyes of some people before...this new swing of bikini fashion has confirmed it. These suits you see here are underwear you wear outside.
And to the point of class...wearing your underwear outside is not classy.
It is not classy to show your booty to everyone you pass by on the beach or at the pool - 18 year old and 80 year old men alike. It is not and never will be classy to put a picture of your backside on your Instagram in a bikini. Wearing a swimsuit that covers a few square inches and reveals nearly your entire body to the general public says sadly and loudly...
"I am an object to be looked at. Here is nearly every inch of me for all the world to see."
Our society vehemently advocates the idea that the more skin you and I show, the more empowered we are. A new website was recently debuted on which a woman interviews other women and photographs them naked, and most of the articles I read about it shouted of how this is empowerment. Women showing everything to the world means we are empowered.
And yet, you are so, so much more than an object. You are more than the body you live in and dressing yourself with class and your inherent dignity in mind proclaims that with conviction. You do not have to be naked or nearly naked to be empowered or to feel beautiful or to let people know that you feel great in the skin you live in. Believe me when I tell you - the more covered up you are, the more you say to the world what needs to be said to the world...a woman's body is not something to be ogled at.
When I am shopping for the perfect swimsuit this summer, I will look at buying from a company like Beverly Swimwear. She sells handmade suits that look like this...
These suits champion class and dignity and respect of my body as a wonderful creation rather than an item to be looked at. You can see all of her lovely, classy, and fun suits at www.beverlyswimwear.com. In the past few years I have bought my suits at Target where they have a small selection of pretty, classy suits as well.
So for the sake of your worth and the beautiful creation that you are - think about it when you find yourself scanning the store racks in the next few months. The way you dress your body sends many messages about who we as women are. What do you want to tell people about the beauty women possess by the things you choose for yourself?