My recent vacation to Mexico helped me see some changes within myself for the better. Whether it was trying snorkeling for the first time, or packing 7 (yes, SEVEN) swimsuits.
So why does packing 7 swimsuits matter? In the past, plus size swimsuit options ranged from non-existent (hello t-shirt and shorts) to swim dresses. The options available today in a range of sizes is amazing when you think about where we came from. In-store options are still few and far between, but with some searching online, the options open up immensely and you begin to imagine yourself in something other than a swim dress. The adrenaline from having so many options left me with a dresser drawer overflowing with bikinis, tankinis, one piece tanks, swim dresses, and cover ups. Buying the suits is one thing. I've worn a couple bikinis in the privacy of my back patio, but never out in public. Even wearing a skirted one piece in public used to elicit anxiety that some assholes would point and laugh, or whisper behind my back. I'm pretty much always Anxiety Girl, and for this vacation my biggest goal was to unclench. I know that's a weird word, but just relaxing my body and mind from the constant twisting it normally does.
Equipped with my 7 swimsuits, I still wasn't sure if I would actually wear them all. I knew there were 2 that I would wear for sure as old standbys, but everything else was up in the air as they were much more fashion forward and revealing than I've worn out before.
I found my sense of YOLO and ended up wearing all 7, and you know what? The world didn't end. I felt comfortable – even sexy – at times. I didn't notice any pointing or whispering. And it was wonderful 🙂
And now, I bombard you with swimsuit photos:
Lilly Pulitzer for Target Bikini (no longer available)
Lilly Pulitzer for Target Bikini (no longer available)
Lane Bryant Tankini Top, Lands End Swim Skirt, Old Navy Cover Up – also see this swimsuit in my snorkeling adventure post
Gabifresh for Swimsuits For All swimsuit (available at Kiyonna). Pictured with my friend Emily, who also gracefully acted as swimsuit photographer for me
Gabifresh for Swimsuits For All swimsuit (available at Kiyonna)
Lilly Pulitzer for Target Bikini (no longer available)
Lilly Pulitzer for Target Bikini (no longer available)
Always for Me Swimdress
Gabifresh for Swimsuits for All top, Lands End Swim Skirt, Old Navy Cover Up
Swimsuit 7, not pictured, was a black full coverage tankini top and a swim skirt from Lands' End.
You'll notice with the 2 Lilly Pulitzer bikinis I'm wearing a wrap. I called these my “laying out” suits because I wasn't comfortable with the small bottoms of the bikinis and I obviously couldn't swim around with a wrap! I pondered if that meant I wasn't truly body confident, and in the end just needed to do what made me feel my best. I didn't want to add another layer of anxiety to my trip. Just wearing what makes you feel beautiful – no matter how little or how much skin is covered – is what was most freeing. My friend Sarah has a great post about this: Why I Won't Be Wearing A Bikini This Summer.
Moral of the story?
[clickToTweet tweet=”Secret to a bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. Secret to a beach body? Put your body on a beach” quote=”1. Secret to a bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. 👙 2. Secret to a beach body? Put your body on a beach. 🌴”]
1. Secret to a bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. 2. Secret to a beach body? Put your body on a beach.
Posted by Authentically Emmie on Sunday, July 19, 2015
See you at the pool!