Summer is here and you know what that means...swimsuit season! Some
dread it, while others dream about it all year long. Regardless of how
you feel about it, if you want to participate in 90% of summer
activities, you'll need to chose one. So what now?
For
most, the answer is obvious: the itsy bitsy, teenie weenie yellow polka
dot bikini. Ok, so maybe not that specific, but the bikini it is. But
what about for others? What do they wear? Introducing the tankini!
Every
summer I am flooded with the same questions. "Why don't you wear
bikinis?" "Do you think you're fat?" "You're too small to not wear a
bikini." The list goes on and on. I'll be honest, the idea of trading my
bikinis for tankinis originally came from self confidence issues that I
used to (and sometimes still) deal with. It seemed to me that covering
myself more would leave less room for me to judge myself harshly.
However, after much prayer and scripture intake, I finally grasped who I
am in Christ: a confident, young woman who is fearfully and wonderfully
made in His image. (And you are too!) My body is perfect how it is,
because it was made and formed by the perfect Creator to whom I belong.
After finally grasping this concept, I again began to consider wearing a
bikini. "I am confident now!" "My body is fine how it is!" "I should be
able to show my body off!" These were just three of several thoughts
that crossed my mind. However, one day I was asked this question by
someone who I view as a very strong and trustworthy Christian man. "Why
is it unacceptable to wear your bra and underwear out in public unless
there is a body of water near?" It wasn't long after hearing that
question when I made a commitment not only to myself, but also to my
Savior to keep it modest, and stick with the tankini. By doing this, I
feel like I am honoring God with my body. ("Do you not know that your
body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have
received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Before I go any farther, please understand these two things.
1.
If you choose to wear a bikini, I am not casting my judgement on you.
Nor am I trying to convince you that I am right and you are wrong.
Everyone has their personal convictions and this happens to be mine. You
are beautiful, and I'm sure you wear your bikini with grace and poise.
2.
This is not some blog post I have quickly thrown together to defend my
choice of clothing, or to gain anyone's praise. I am simply here to
answer questions and share my personal thoughts. I have spent several
years now thinking and praying about this subject, and I have done some
research lately that led me to writing this post.
To
gain a better understanding of the bikini, it is important to know
where it originated from. The bikini was invented by a French engineer
by the name of Louis Réard in 1946. Louis came up with his design in his
mother's lingerie shop. The design was first noted to be so scandalous,
that no French model would agree to wear it for Louis. This left him
with only one other option: to hire someone who would wear it- a
stripper. Once again, I am not casting any judgement on anyone who
chooses to wear a bikini. Many of my best friends wear bikinis, and I
love them just the same. While I understand that modesty standards have
come a long way since the 40's, it still blows my mind that what is
regarded as the only "socially acceptable" thing to wear near a body of
water was once only even considered at all by a stripper.
In
a video I watched recently, a woman laid out the results of a study
done by a professor at Princeton University. (I will link the video
below.) In this particular study, men were given pictures of women in
bikinis, as well as pictures of women in modest clothing. While looking
at the pictures of women in bikinis, the part of the male brain
activated was the same part in which men view tools such as hammers and
wrenches. This seemingly showed that men view women in bikinis as
objects to be obtained, rather than a beautiful woman who deserves to
have her heart pursued. The study also showed that men used 1st person
terms to describe women in bikinis, such as "I take" or "I want" while
they used 3rd person terms to describe the modestly dressed women, such
as "She wants" or "she takes", showing that they lost sight of the
woman's wants or feelings, and jumped straight into what they wanted at
the sight of a bikini, while they considered what the woman wants for
herself when she is modestly dressed. Please also understand this: I am
fully aware that not all men think in the same kind of way as the men
from this survey. I know there are men out there that still see women
for what is on the inside. Which brings me to my next point.
As
a Christian young woman, I'm sure I know what you're looking for in a
man. You're looking for a man who loves the Lord, and whose desire is to
be more like Him with every passing day. In 1 Samuel 16:7 it's says,
"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the
outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." If a man is truly
seeking to be godly, he will want to see straight to your heart just as
God does, and I am pretty sure that is the type of man we all want to attract. If
I choose to wear only a bikini, it will be harder for a man to see to
my heart, because my exposed body will be a distraction, or I may even
attract attention of a man that has no godly intentions at all.
Although, if I wear a more modest swimsuit, it is easier for a man to
see my heart because there is less to distract him.
The Bible tells us that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)
Let me just say, I never want to be the cause of anyone's sin. It is a
man's job to physically protect ladies, but as a lady, it is our job to
protect the eyes of men. It is our job to dress in a way that leads men
to our hearts and not to our bodies.
Always remember, modest is hottest.
-Amy
Here is the link to the video I mentioned above. I HIGHLY recommend you watch this: https://youtu.be/o_RIROWqhe0
