Ripped abs + thigh gap + toned arms = bikini body? Says who?! Meet three women who prove that every body is a bikini body.
Ripped abs + thigh gap + toned arms = bikini body? Says who?! Meet three women who prove that every body is a bikini body.
Sure, everyone wants to look their best when they hit the beach. And if a few additional workouts are what it takes to get your confidence to an alltime high, we say – go for it! But we certainly don’t think it’s compulsory or, worse, that women have to meet certain criteria in order to even qualify to put on a piece of clothing. The notion, if you ask us, is just absurd.
When it comes to much-touted “bikini body guides”, we get that the idea of transforming into some perfected, idealised version of yourself is appealing – seductive, even. But that doesn’t mean the current version of you isn’t already amazing and worthy of being flaunted. That’s why we’ve dedicated these pages to three awesome women who know what it means to not just talk the talk when it comes to body confidence. Flip the page to read their inspiring stories!
Aarti Olivia Dubey
Body positivity blogger at curvesbecomeher.com
“I’ve wanted to wear a bikini since I was a teen. Unfortunately, throughout my teens and twenties, my body dysmorphia was so strong that it made me shy away from wearing one. Despite being a self-proclaimed water baby, I only swam while on holiday overseas. I had been shamed by fellow patrons of public pools within earshot and vowed never to swim there again. The pool was not the only place I felt uncomfortable; the neighbourhood gym, or taking a brisk walk around public parks were all places of peril.
At 30, my confidence was at an all-time low. After years of yo-yo weight gains and weight loss attempts, I had given up on myself, in every sense. But after years of putting myself down and looking at myself through the eyes of onlookers, I stumbled upon two concepts that would change my life – plus-sized fashion and body positivity.
When I first saw Gabi Fresh’s fatkini post on Instagram (@gabifresh), I was in awe. Her post caused a chain reaction on social media, as women began to upload honest and inspiring images of themselves in bikinis. Cellulite-riddled thighs, big bellies and big arms, they embraced it all: “This is who I am and I look just fine in a swimsuit”. Their celebration of their bodies made me reflect on how I viewed myself in a swimsuit. Was I going to let what people say stop me from wearing what I wanted? Was I that ashamed of my body? Didn’t I want to be as confident as Gabi?
Curves Ahead
Over the next few years, I discovered my fashion sense as a plus-sized person. I started my blog Curves Become Her (curvesbecomeher.wordpress.com), and gained the confidence to experiment with my style, wearing jumpsuits, skinny jeans and sleeveless shirts – things I’d never dreamed of being able to put on my body with pride before.
At the same time, I awaited each swimsuit season with some glee and trepidation. Would this finally be the year I wear a bikini with pride? Each year, I came away realising I was just not ready yet – my inner critic was still having a hard time considering this feat.
Last year, I finally decided to take the plunge (no pun intended!) with a one-piece swimsuit designed by Gabi Fresh for the brand Swimsuits For All. I remember my mother staring in surprise and horror as I peeled my outerwear away to reveal the beautiful palm- printed swimsuit underneath. I remember onlookers from the pool pointing at me while I fought away tears. But the sense of exuberance I felt when I shared these images on my blog made my inner critic begin to doubt itself.
Fighting Back
Growing up and struggling with my body image, if someone had told me I would wear my first bikini when I was 34 – and at my largest size, too – I probably would have stared at the person incredulously and laughed my head off. Ironically, what led me to put on my first two-piece was an upsetting blog post. Someone on the internet had stumbled upon my swimsuit post and responded with his two cents’ worth, along with fat-shaming memes.
I was mortified when I first read it and cried for days. But something else crept in – anger. Was I nothing more than my weight? How much did this guy or any other shamer know about my life’s journey? That was when my breakthrough happened. I was done hiding and crying.
I then realised with surprise that the past few years of plus-sized blogging and immersing myself in the body positivity community had actually paid off. Despite the hate, I felt this stubbornness to finally do what I had always wanted to do, and to bask in it. When I finally took photographs of myself in my firstever two-piece, I felt liberated and so proud of how far I had come. Now I’ve simply stopped caring about what people have to say. What matters the most to me is that I have my life to live and so many more beauty standards to break.”
“The first time I wore a bikini, I felt really self-conscious about my thighs. They’re dimply, soft and they touch each other. But then I realised these were my thighs – they have walked me a long way, are actually pretty strong and I love them just the way they are. It took me a while to get to where I am about accepting my body, but at the end of the day, I work hard with this body, I nourish this body, and despite what people might think, I love this body!”
“I feel like the phrase ‘bikini body’ has been used atrociously – so that women have developed a huge sense of negativity about their bodies. I’ve realised that hiding or covering up certain parts of my body won’t make them disappear. And I think when you realise that people will always talk about you or your body no matter what you wear, you realise you can’t live your entire life trying to please them. So these days, I just do me because life’s too short!”
