Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
YES!
Say YES to swimsuits that aren't bikinis.
Say EWW to bikinis.
Yesterday, I took my little siblings to their swim lessons, and I sat in the waiting room, watching them swim and reading Richard II. I also may or may not have been evesdropping on a hilarious and fascinating conversation that two young twenty-something women were having. One of them said to her friend (or sister, mayhaps?):
"Okay, this may sound really weird, but I really like the swimsuits that these little girls are wearing. I wish they made some like that in our size. Is that weird?"
"No, no. They're cute!"
"Yeah, I know! All they make now are two-pieces."
"Yeah, and like no one looks good in a two-piece."
"Yeaaaahhhh!.... .... Like that one-that's super cute. I wish they made some like that for us."
I thought: No one really likes bikinis. No one. No matter how fit you are, you just don't look beautiful in one. But if you walk into the store-that's all that's there. It's completely frustrating and demoralizing. And Catholic/Protestant/Homeschooled/Ex-homeschooled girls aren't the only ones frustrated by it. I think the general public will recognize that
this:
is much more stylish, unique, sophisticated, and chic than some silly old bikini.
(In case you haven't found out, I'm in love with one-shouldered looks. On the appropriate outfits, of course.)I've decided to ask myself this question before wearing a swimsuit:
Would Audrey Hepburn wear it?
Audrey Hepburn has the most beautiful, timeless, sophisticated and modest sense of style that you could ever find. And, she is universally recognized in our secular world as a style icon.
Would Audrey Hepburn wear a bikini?
NO.
Would she wear this:
Yes.Modestia's list of why to wear modest swimsuits:
Bikinis are boring. If most people are wearing them, are you really fashion forward?
Bikinis are not flattering on the vast majority of people, even “skinny” people.
Modest designs, especially vintage cuts, are more flattering for more body types. And that’s pretty much a fact.
You can stop being self-conscious and have fun!
You’ll get a ton of compliments on your cute and flattering suit.
The men in your life will thank you for it.
Other men will stare, but they’ll be thinking, “Man, who is that hot modest girl that totally looks like Mary!”
And perhaps most important:
You will have kept your convictions.
From The Rebelution's Modesty Survey:
--------Guys' thoughts on bikinis-----
"Ugh. Guy's brains are not compartmentalized. Underwear is underwear, folks."
"Two things: First, if your choice on the bottom is to shave or to show hair, it's immodest. Second, if your underwear covers more than your swimsuit, and you wouldn't walk around in your underwear, shouldn't that tell you something about your swimsuit?"
"Of course they are modest! After all, bikinis are nothing more than colorful underwear (less, actually, but that is besides the point) and we all know that underwear is perfectly acceptable and modest to wear in public. What guy could possibly be stumbled by seeing a girl only wearing underwear? Only some home-schooled, stuck-up, legalistic prude could object to that."
(Sarcastic, funny guy who appreciates modesy. PHF=100.)
