my apple bottom will wear those jeans; my doughnut belly will rock that bikini

Other hemispheres are going into summer right now, which means, for them, swimsuit season. I’m sure they’re getting bombarded from all angles about having the “right” body to wear swimsuits. Luckily, fatshionista Gabi Gregg has given a giant middle finger to that rhetoric and posted a series of photographs of her fabulous fat self in a bikini I want desperately, but of course, the store does not ship here.

It’s ok though, she sent me on a look-see for my own bikini for next summer. It may sound ridiculous, but I’m a little scared of wearing a bikini, of showing my uncovered flesh to the public. Fat acceptance has made me far more comfortable with myself and my body, but there are still moments and parts I have trouble accepting. I’m hoping the purchase of my first bikini in well over fifteen years will enable me to get over this fear and enjoy the Australian summer like it should be enjoyed.

I think it helps that I like the vintage-y look in swimwear and have gone for that in a bikini – it’s a mega high waisted bottom, with an adjustable top, worn either strapless or halter. The Etsy seller has a standard set of sizes, but I believe she will also custom make her togs for those who query. I cannot wait for it to arrive. I hope I’m brave enough to wear it.

However, before summer comes around again, we have winter to deal with. For me, that means, yay, tights! For others (and sometimes me) that means yay, jeans!

I know I’m not the only one who has massive troubles with jeans. This isn’t even entirely a fat chick problem. Every woman’s body is shaped differently and sometimes jeans do not want to conform to your shape. That’s not even mentioning that off the rack will tend to only fit a small percentage of people perfectly and the rest of us either need to get stuff tailored or just put up with it.

City Chic released a new line of jeans recently. I would probably never buy a pair of jeans from them, as I’ve heard way too many stories about the quality of the jeans versus the price, but I did applaud the varying body shapes they had in the jeans (still all within plus model range, but at least there was a bit of body diversity). Apparently Facebook users weren’t all that impressed though – the page was flooded with comments like, “Fat girls can’t wear skinny jeans”, “Those jeans are too tight” “You need to have the right body to wear skinny jeans” repeat, repeat, repeat.

A friend of mine was upset by these comments and decided to engage in a little body positive activism. I decided I couldn’t hold my tongue any longer and joined in. I don’t know if we changed any minds that were already set in their ways, but I hope someone reading the body positive comments thought about them and challenged their own notions of fat and their bodies.

I understand that not everyone has to love their body. I understand it’s incredibly hard to do so when society tells you every day that your body is the wrong body. These messages become ingrained and it’s so hard to break them. Not everyone has to wear a bikini to show body positivity, nor do they have to wear skinny jeans. You don’t have to lay your flesh bare. What upsets me though, is people enforcing their strict body and clothing rules onto other people. If you don’t want to wear whatever article of clothing for whatever reason, then don’t. But don’t tell me I can’t wear that article of clothing for whatever reason. My body, my bikini. Your body, your whatever.

(Image Credit)