I’ve been pondering swimwear week a little more than is actually necessary. And not the reasons most are; as they debate what they will and won’t show, will and won’t do. I had what I planned to wear organised. A cute outfit and the gorgeous swimmers I was sent for this post sponsored by Sequins and Sand. Nope. I was covered. Ready.
So what I was pondering was the idea of swimwear.
The big and small of it. From bikinis to wetsuits and everything in between. It got me to thinking about my Mum and summer at the beach. Every year my family would rent a house at the Sunshine Coast for the summer season. Sometimes the same house for a year or two in the row, often not. My Mum is a beach lover and a woman who gets what she wants.
Summer’s were spent lazing on the beach, swimming in the pool or hitting the shops. We played and laughed and tanned {it was the early nineties after all}. I never once saw my mother wear anything more extreme than a sheer oversized shirt over her togs. EVER. Most of the time she was wandering around in them. it was the beach and she certainly didn’t care. She laughed when I requested board short at the age of 12. Why? Was her genuine response.
Why indeed?
WHY!?
Because being a teenager can suck. And being a teenager who towers over most grown women in height and size is hard work. No matter how confident your parents have raised you to be. My mother bought me those board shorts even though she thought they were ridiculous. How will you swim in these, she asked. Knee-length, men’s short were all that I could find in my size at the time {even though I would have barely been a size 16}. “There’s so much material? Won’t you find it hard to swim? Really swim?” she persisted. I didn’t elaborate, I just want them, I said.
I’ve been bigger and smaller than that girl who wanted board shorts.
I’ve been fitter and un-fitter. Healthier and unhealthier. I wonder now if I would have felt differently if I blended in a little better. By high school, I had girlfriends who not only got me but who were just as tall, as athletic. I wasn’t different anymore, I was the same. I was a little short by comparison in fact. At school carnivals when I was competing I would wear togs. Just togs and brave it out. Winning became more important than the concern of being called too fat.
And the years passed. After high school, I didn’t really swim like that anymore. I swam in the ocean. Strong hard strokes as I pulled myself through the waves. I floated out past the break for hours sometimes. The sun in my face watching those caught in the break struggle to find their feet. Musing about life and being caught in the tumble of it all. I pondered that this week with my swimwear pondering. It’s not about the scraps of material we wear at all. It’s about the feeling.
Swimwear, after all, if you remove all the backstory, is just what you wear to swim.
Nothing more, nothing less. It’s simple in its dullness. Why we allow it to invoke feelings of fear, doubt, shame and more is beyond me. It’s time to move on. In my opinion, you should wear whatever makes you the most comfortable while you swim. That will be something different for everyone. It’s like Dr Suess said, the people who matter don’t mind and the people who mind don’t matter.
So swim, for goodness sake. Live. Forget the bullshit.
Wearing dress and swimwear from blog sponsor Sequins and Sand.
Dress – Sequins and Sand – similar {gifted}
Capriosca Sky Bow One Piece – Sequins and Sand {gifted}
Various accessories – Sequins and Sand {gifted}
Blue long necklace – Op-shop
Shoes – Converse
{disclosure}
Hi! I’m Melissa Walker Horn. Around here, they call me Suger. I’m the Chief Blogger and doer of all the things here at Suger Coat It. Blogging since 1901; I love a casual ootd, taking photos, and writing about things that irk or inspire me. I love wine and cheese, long days at the beach and spending time with my family. I make stuff for the internet over at Chalkboard Digital. You know, living the sweet life.
So pretty Suger! Beautiful photos, especially the ones in the water.
You’ve encapsulated your emotions toward swimwear so beautifully in this post
Thank you Elle. On both counts. 🙂
Love the photos in this! They are so colourful and bright, and your great big smile is so pretty too 🙂 Love the colour of the togs, light blue looks so good on you! I wear boardshorts or boyleg togs so I don’t have a worry about my stupid bikini line :p
Baaahaha. Stupid bikini line indeed. And you know what, it’s absolutely fine, wear what makes YOU comfortable, it’s not a test or competition.
Thank you! Blues are my colour. Dad WAS right. Haha.
Gorgeous Melissa, this colour is perfection on you!
It’s been a couple of seasons now since I ditched the board shorts and I’ve never looked back!
Thank you Katie. And I’m glad to hear it!
Forget the bullshit. I love it, you are so so right!
I am, right?! Haha. 😉
Back in high school we had a beach sports carnival every year and I would not go swimming without a t-shirt and board shorts over my swimmers. Although plus size swimmers then were not as pretty as they are today, haha. (I say then as if it were many years ago, I’m 24 lol). Anyway, i remember the t-shirts took FOREVER to dry. If only I had a cute coverup to use while sitting in the sun and the confidence to go without mountains of clothes at the beach.
I went to Bali for the first time in 2010 and was in the hotel room getting ready to go for a swim with my girlfriends in the hotel pool. By this time I’d discovered body positive blogs and online shopping. I had my black Torrid one piece and an ASOS sundress and it was the first time I went swimming without boardies or a t-shirt. And… the world didn’t end. NO ONE said a THING! Magical 🙂 I don’t go swimming often (outrageous as I live a few minutes from the beach), but when I do I just don’t care anymore. SO liberating 🙂
People really don’t care. They are too busy doing their own thing, worry about their own stuff. And even if they do consider you and what you are wearing for a moment, it passes quickly. There’s no reason to worry and stress. You might as well be swimming, right!? Magical.
I know that girl on the beach trying to dry that bulky t-shirt. Madness. If I could chat with her now I’d be like, errr you know they can tell what your body looks like ANYWAY right? You’re not fooling anyone and to be honest you skinny turd, you’ve got nothing to worry about anywaaaaay. HA.
oh that Dr. Suess is sooo smart!!
Killers legs too!… but then again we already know that!
Sooooo smart. And thank you. Haha. It has been mentioned. 😉
I totally relate to this post! Love it! x
Thank you L-A. x
loved reading your post this week Melissa, definitely resonates with me. I was always a water baby, I was even good at swimming in school, then puberty struck me years before the other girls in my classes and I used to beg for notes to get out of swimming.
Thank you. I hear you. I had no idea how common it is, but it really is. EVen girls who weren’t necessarily any bigger than the others feel and hide in the same way. Sucha shame. All that wasted talent.
“‘So swim, for goodness sake. Live. Forget the bullshit” – LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lovely swimsuit too x
Thank you Nicole.
And yes, I stand 150 billion percent behind that. Go swimming. x
Hit the nail on the head Melissa. I came to realise this a few years ago myself. Strangely enough, it was probably after I became a mum, I sort of stopped caring what people think of me when I’m swimming. It’s so liberating to just swim in swimmers and not worry about soggy boardshoarts, tshirts and whatnot.
Thank you! And yes, ALL those soggy clothes, wet and heavy. Sigh. It’s like that class they used to have in related to school swimming. The survival one where you had to tread water in full clothing to pass. Did you have that? We did. That’s hard work! Haha.
I was a boardies wearer too. Oh, the summers full of chaffing. Now, I think boardies on girls looks kind of crazy. I much prefer the look of bare thighs, no matter how much cellulite covers them- both on myself, and other people at the beach.
Super cute cover dress, by the way!
The board shorts things is madness for me. I have chaffing within minutes sometimes. Nope, not for me at all. Though they make some pretty cute ones these days, I may be swayed to wear them as shorts, just not get them wet. Haha.
I love thighs. Legs. Butts. I vote get them out in the sunshine and just go for it.
THANKS! Light and breezy, perfect for the storm season with no rain we’re having here.
You’re so right! It is all about the feeling. That pool looks sooo lush, and so do you x
Thank you Madame Sophie. x
Great post…you & your mum are both wise women.
Thank you Mel. x
Really love that shirt, and that water looks so lovely 🙂
Thanks Jackie. It’s gorgeous and light, very easy to wear. And it was. Warm enough to get straight in, but cool enough to be refreshing. The best.