STORY TIME|First Time Wearing A Swimsuit in 14 Years | #JustWearTheSuit

#JustWearTheSuit is a hashtag created by Caryl, a body positive blogger of Lipgloss and Crayons. She built a community around a hashtag to encourage everyBODY to get into their swimsuits and celebrate body image and journey.   And boy do I have journey to share y’all

So, I was introduced to #JustWearTheSuit hashtag by a fellow blogger I met at a fashion show, Kendall Rayburn. She is one of the sweetest people to come across. I told her haven’t worn a swimsuit in years. 14 years to be exact!! When she told me about it, I had a big knot in the back of my throat. Saying to myself, ”Can I do this…. You already show your body off in underwear.” Hell with it, I need to face my body insecurities head on and just do it.

Yeahhh, so I finally wore a swimsuit, OKAY! After a long extending period without wearing a swimsuit, I got my beautiful body in one. I am so overjoyed that I did it. Shout out to Carly for forming this amazing hashtag while encouraging us to wear a swimsuit. Also, she letting the world know that everyone can wear a swimsuit and look good! See, conquering fear is not so bad.

My Story

The last memory I have of being in swimsuit was probably when I was 14. A teenage girl at the Boys & Girls Club going to Red Oaks water park in Metro Detroit. At that time I did not think of myself as beautiful. I let the world convince me that I was not beautiful. I bought into it and folded on myself! I believe I was too big to wear a swimsuit and nobody would want to see my body. I did not want to see my curves. So that was all she wrote and I completely stop wearing a swimsuit.

As a teenager, I was not confident at all. I was this curvy nerd like black girl from the hood who did not know how to fit in. Growing up, you did not want to be label as anything but cool.  Cool didn’t fit me so I became the funny girl. I would talk down and make fun of myself, before any one else could. I guess you can say it hurt less. Anyway, nothing around me made feel like my body was amazing. Music videos only glorified smaller women. Clothing stores never carried anything that was cute for me.  Nothing I saw represented me. During that time I was having a hard time navigating in world that only saw one standard of beauty. I did not fit that mold, no matter how hard I tried to fit in.  On top of my insecurities I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO SWIM. So I stayed away from water parks! If I couldn’t my love for water parks I would wear boxes and shirts that match. This made me look bigger, and body-less Smh, I can remember my boy boxes falling off in the pool exposing my whole butt to the world.

Sidenote: I never learned how to swim. I took free swimming classes when I was 8. However the classes end right in the middle of me learning, with no explanation. So my rule is, as long as my feet can touch the bottom of the pool I am good. SMH 

Anyway it has taking me a long time to get to this point in my life.  14 years and I got my beautiful curvy/ fluffy body in swimsuit. I can say it loudly that I GOT A BANGING BODY! OKAY!! I am showing off and wearing a halter top high waisted bikini from SHEIN. Even adding a bold color like red to make the experience more gratifying for me.  Whew I am doing it sis. It took a lot of hard work and SELF LOVE.  Honestly, I had to get over myself and stop listening to the world. Now, it was not all me! It people like Carly who creates hashtag to encourage! Or Sasha from Flaws of Couture to push to wear swimsuit all summer long! The world doesn’t have a clue what is best for us. THERE IS NOT ONE STANDARD OF BEAUTY. I learn that everyone is beautiful in there own way.  No more trying to fit. Stand out and pave your own lane. We should not tell people what is beautiful and what is not. I became a fashion blogger to embrace my body. My curves are fire okay!

“Life is too short to spend another day at war with yourself.”

-Rita Ghatowey

So like the hashtag says JUST WEAR THE SUIT. We are beautiful just the way we was made. Don’t let anything stop you from being happy and enjoying life. So I encourage you take the swimsuit challenge. Make sure you use the hashtag #JustWearTheSuit. Make sure you check the hashtag and see the other ladies in their suits too! SWIMSUIT all summer long sis! LEAD WITH CONFIDENCES !!!

Location: At Home

Photographer: Me, Myself, and I

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 Do you say swimsuit or bathing suit? Were you every afraid to put on swimsuit? If so, why were you afraid? Have you conquer your fear? 

Share with me in the comment section. Let’s talk sis

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