The Bikini Debate

While I was swaying to the music playing on the radio on the way to my weekly Zumba class (which is definitely more tiring than an hour of ICT hell!), an idea popped into my head. Before I add a colon into a sentence to exaggerate the importance of this idea, I want to point out that it completely took me by surprise as, until yesterday, it had hardly ever occurred to me. Unlike important matters such as revising, staying healthy and transforming my naturally straight hair into a ball of crimped fluff every other morning, this idea has never really meant anything to me - perhaps because I never have the time to wear one. 

As soon as I dropped the 'wear' word, I can pretty much guarantee you that this idea is clothes-related so, as a warning to all fashion-haters, now is the time to return to browsing Amazon's latest deals! In addition to my unfortunate lack of time to get into one, I haven't needed to get one for ages because the need to do so has not recently arisen - until now. Even then, I'm not entirely sure if I'll be required to get one as, like those who are sadly not in the possession of a crystal ball, I haven't been blessed with the ability to make an accurate prediction (hence why nobody will let me place a bet any time soon!). 

The idea? Getting a bikini for my upcoming trip - which is now five weeks away - to France next month. 

Uh, I know that bikini talk can be a bit embarrassing for some people - especially if seeing tons of flesh is what you'd expect to see in a poster promoting the circus - but it is nonetheless new territory for me because I have never worn one. Shock. Gasp. Collapse on the floor. As some of you might be wondering, how could I have lived without a bikini until now? Beautiful, colourful and eye-catching, bikinis are typically the first things that fill our minds whenever discussion turns to the summer; well, you would've had to have been living in a cave to escape the recent hype over being 'beach body ready', which I suppose partly contributed to my idea. 

First of all, if I were to get a bikini, I wouldn't be getting one for the sole purpose of exposing as much flesh as a headline-grabbing Z-lister whose aspirations barely reach beyond being featured on the cover of Closer magazine (which makes semi-decent reading while I'm waiting to catch the bus home from school on Wednesdays), even though a bit of skin is guaranteed to be on show. For me, I see wearing your first bikini as an exciting ritual which, as I've pretty much gone through every kind of ritual that you can imagine by now (excluding my very first bar of dark chocolate), would add to the number of events that have defined my teenage years. 

However, the last time I went swimming was around two years ago - a sport that I literally worshipped, despite ruining my make-up (though my fourteen year old self  thankfully knew better than to put on non-waterproof mascara!). Back then, I used to wear a swimsuit - as black as the eye-liner that I used to be renowned for applying too thickly. Why? I felt that I was too young to wear a bikini, which I perceived a bit too revealing. And, to this day, I don't blame myself for not wearing a bikini; when you're fourteen years old, your body is developing so much that you might not feel completely comfortable about showing it off, especially at a place as unsophisticated as an unhygienic (albeit expensive) leisure centre! 

Two years on, I'm that bit more developed - both in terms of maturity and confidence - which means that I'm now not so quick to dismiss the idea of swapping swimsuits for bikinis. As my entire swimming life (if such a thing makes sense!) has been defined by sticking to flattering, yet boring swimsuits, I've developed a thirst for wearing something different and quite exciting. Well, I relish nothing more than giving anything a go - and what more so than when it relates to fashion? 

Although it might sound a bit crazy (but I've definitely got the right to be so after wrapping up a term filled with exams, assessments and tests), I woke to a delightfully sunny Saturday morning by browsing clothing sites on my phone. Not only did getting out of bed seem slightly easier, but I managed to get a taste for what I could potentially be wearing on my trip to France - though this has yet to be confirmed as I don't have the faintest clue on which activities I'll be doing (apart from ordering food in town!). 

Yet, like many things, I've got to get my head around wearing something that will, initially, feel quite strange and alien-like. As thrilling as change can be, adapting to it isn't necessarily a walk in the park - particularly when more flesh is exposed than is possible with an ultra skinny pair of jeans. Though I'm still keen to get a bikini, I won't immediately be rushing to get the tiniest pair that I can get my hands on quite yet - and I doubt that I ever will! The sun hater within me is crying at the thought of the sun beaming its rays all over me, but I shall triumph...

The question remains: shall I wear a bikini? Well, I'll never know if I'll like it unless I wear one - and the mystery shall stay unsolved as long as I stick to swimsuits!