Body Confidence: Bikini Body Beautiful?

I have never worn a bikini in my life and unless I have a miraculous bodily transformation in the next few months I doubt if I ever will. As I write this, I am sitting on a beautiful beach in the Gambia, dressed in black trousers and a short sleeved shirt, whilst all around me are women and men of all ages dressed in little scraps of nothing. I am here for a conference, they are here for a holiday – and from what I hear, perhaps some sex tourism.

There is an old lady sitting not too far away from me, she is wearing a hot pink bikini, she saunters casually from her sun bed to a table for her lunch, her belly is rolling over her bikini top, her bottom is saggy, her skin is wrinkled, yet she seems not to have a care in the world. I envy her this body confidence. It reminds me of an alternative scenario:

Man: (Naked, sitting on toilet, with door open doing a number 1) don’t move away you have a beautiful African body

Woman: (Naked, caught in the glare of harsh bathroom light trying to retreat to the comfort of the dark room)…

For as long as I can remember I have always had issues with the size of my belly, some of my friends have beautiful flat tummies but not I. I know there are other parts of my body that make up for my sizable belly – I quite like my breasts for example, they are big and well shaped, and although they are starting to head a little south I still have no issues with them. From what I hear, my legs are not bad either but as for the tummy I don’t think anything short of a drastic diet, constant crunches or plastic surgery will help. In the past I have tried the drastic diets and constant crunches, yes the belly does go down a tad but not by that much – it’s still not flat enough for me to wear a bikini. My sister thinks I’m crazy, she thinks I have a small belly (well, compared to her I do) she says if she had my body, she will wear a bikini.

9 comments On Body Confidence: Bikini Body Beautiful?

  • Err you have a smaller body than I have and errr I WEAR bikini’s. So yea sweetie.. its the only one you have ( your body that is) so enjoy it before you remember the “Good old days”.

    I used to say that i would do x when i looked like y but i realized I see my “flaws” no one else sees them so why focus on the unseen?

    We shd go bikini shopping 🙂

  • Having gone to the local strip joint several times in my college days, I can tell you that the way a woman looks unclothed is often far better than she looks in clothes. My thought is that clothes have a way of creating demarcations on a body and serve to localize one’s perspective, whereas naked women are a seamless panorama.

    the answer: go naked on beaches, or get the smallest bikini possible.

  • Kajsa,

    I agree with BrownAngel on this one. The small tummy you have today will likely be bigger tomorrow, so today is the day for bikini! (btw I think you have rocking body!)

    Also, when I feel body conscious, like we all do at times, I think about the signals I’d be sending to my unborn daughters – do I want to tell them only super models should be “allowed” to wear bikinis and other small outfits on the beach?

  • @BrownAngel – I do enjoy my body, I can do short dresses, sexy tops, just can’t do bikin’s….oh well, maybe one day. My goal is to be like Madonna and look hotter with age. Maybe I will wear a bikini when I’m 50

    @Kofi – Ahem, you sound like quite the expert 🙂 Hmmm, seamless panorama eh? Better naked than in clothes? How about better looking in some extremely sexy lingerie or naked is still better?

    @Kajsa -I totally agree with you on not passing on body issues to our darling unborm daughters. However, we do have to teach them to dress for their shape, right?

  • for my money, a nice roomy cotton t-shirt beats sexy lingerie any day. and naked is even better than that! 🙂

    no expert, i hasten to demur, just an enthusiastic amateur.

  • Nana, don’t let the old lady you saw fool ya. There is “body confidence” and then there is “knowing no shame”.
    Shop around and you will find the beach/ swim wear that makes you look like paradise. If you hosted a pool party every weekend, I bet you’d have found the perfect one by now.

  • @Kofi – Are you sure you’re not an expert? Smiling at the thought of an “enthusiastic amateur”

    @Mike – Oh, you are so blatant. That old lady in particular I thought had body confidence but you’re right, some people just have no shame. A pool party every weekend? Perhaps, I shall aim to acquire a pool one day

  • I know I know. I’m blatant on days that end in “y”. I need to change and be a more “feel-good” type of guy.
    About getting the pool – just gwaaaan! I’m wishing that for you so expect it to happen soon. You know how to swim right? If not, start taking lessons.

  • I understand Nana’s point completely. Nothing can ever get me into a bikini. I’m the girl who wears jeans at the beach. No no no!!!!!!!! I don’t have that kind of body confidence and whilst I admire the body confidence of people who wear bikinis in public but really shouldn’t, I can’t help my instinctive reaction of “Oh God! My EYES!!!!!!!!!!!” Rather than wear a bikini, I’ll muss up my hair and go naked so people would just think I’m mad. I know my limitations. This body of mine is only for viewing through a filter of love (or at least lust)!

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