As a not-thin, not-straight person, the bathing suit has become a particularly loaded item of clothing. Through the years, I’ve felt pressure to hide my body, pressure to “reclaim” my body and most recently, pressure to to publicly show my lack of shame and unapologetic body confidence via donning a two-piece anytime I’m near water.
Growing up sentenced to unflattering swim dresses and catalog tankinis intended for someone five times my age, my initial move to the bikini felt revolutionary. The more I loved my body, the more I loved wearing two pieces — for their peeing/changing/layering convenience and because they made me feel good about myself. I’ve been a strict two-piece wearer for nearly a decade now, and never thought I’d go back to covering up.
Yet, on a recent trip to a Philadelphia public pool with a friend and her kid, it occurred to me that it could be nice to have a one-piece in the mix. Not to hide my body, just to ensure I can splash around without worrying about a nip slip or exposing my buns. Besides, a one-piece is one item to launder and pack instead of two. It requires no matching or coordinating. And frankly, as I bid farewell to my 20s, a one-piece just feels more comfortable for me when I’m at the beach with my family or asking the teenage lifeguard for the pool hours.
