The coming of age for a girl is so exciting! The teenage years are a glimpse of the possibilities and new responsibilities as a girl transitions into womanhood. One starts discovering what one likes and dislikes. More independence is gained on doing certain things like shaving, plucking your eyebrows, and getting your period! The body is going through so many interesting transformations that a girl starts seeing and feeling like a young woman.
From a parent’s perspective, these transformations are a whole different experience; for the flexible types, they are supportive and onboard to learn with their daughter. Conservative ones adjust rules and regulations but with lots of hesitation. Oh, the struggle! Understanding that their daughter should be given reasonable independence is a challenge.
No matter who you are, the teenager or the parent, the teenage years are the most important in a young woman’s life.
One of the many dilemmas, as they start accepting their bodies and are affirmed in their self-esteem, is whether to wear a bikini or a one-piece suit. I grew up with conservative parents with religious beliefs, and I always wanted to be covered and not show off too much skin as I worked on accepting my curves and dealing with the attention they got.
I was not mentally ready and did not have to deal with the pressure of social media or peers to dress otherwise.
However, this is not the case for most teenagers in the world today. There is a confusion with being and feeling beautiful if you show off more skin, influenced by peers, distorted advertising, and social media.
Let us cut to the chase and figure this out together.
Bikini VS One-Piece Suit
This is where modesty meets balance. If the mind and esteem of the young woman are not well-formed, a bikini might be used for more than getting into the water. As she starts discovering her body, the perfect transitioning style is a one-piece. One-piece suits are far from boring! There are innovative cuts, materials, prints, designs that are stylish, age-appropriate, and will fit any personality type.
What we communicate with our bodies is important and we should learn to dress with the right intent at any age. What we wear does not define our beauty, we are beautiful no matter our size, color, or ethnicity.
I was at a beach in California last month and a group of teenagers was taking pictures of one of their friends. The “model” was very confident in her skin but the pictures were a bit sensual. I wondered if the girl was wearing a less revealing suit, would she have posed differently? Was she posing for herself? Was she posing for her social media followers?
If a bikini were to be considered because of personal choice, I would recommend the modest types and stay away from the string models.
I hope this sheds some light on the dilemma and encourages parents to support and positively influence their teenagers as they build their character and set standards for themselves.