labels aren’t sexy… but onepiece’s can be. on my most recent trip to miami i was there a total of five days. one of the days was spent entirely out of the water. the other four were either at the (actual) beach or the hyde beach day party at the sls hotel. (‘retreat fridays’ featuring dj danny stern — much more tame than the saturday parties — i actually was loving the laid-back atmosphere and the refreshing drinks. the music was great, and it was just lively enough without getting too crazy.) keeping this schedule in mind, i wound up wearing four bathingsuits, and i couldn’t help but realize that three of them were onepieces. as someone who has struggled nearly her entire life with weight, i used to loathe – and i mean loathe – wearing a onepiece. in my teenage years, these were the suits reserved for old ladies, losers and ‘big girls’. i hid my round tummy in every piece of swimwear that i’d ever put on my body. i bought my first bikini in 2010 after losing a solid 40 pounds, and i never looked back – until recently. onepieces have all of a sudden been resurrected as a fashion statement. women of all shapes and sizes are rocking them, not in an effort to conceal their bodies, but as part of their sexy, beachy, effortless summer ensembles. graphic tee’s? who needs ’em when you can have a graphic onepiece that says baewatch? plunging necklines, strappy silhouettes, palm-y prints, off-the-shoulder looks…. i saw so many gorgeous and interesting onepiece bathing suits during my last two trips to florida. i just have to say – i might have lost all the weight that made me feel uncomfortable in my own skin, but no matter how fit you are, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t juuuuust a little more conscious of ‘sucking it all in’ when prancing around in your bikini. i found that my most recent time on the beach and at the pool was filled with laughs, sun and lots of selfies. it was easy, it was breezy…. it was freakin’ beautiful. i didn’t have care in the world. i just felt more comfortable.
i remember a day many years ago that my very in-shape yoga-instructor-friend kendall (hey kendall!!!!) sent me a snap wearing this gorgeous blue onepiece. it was the same suit that i owned in a different color. she said ‘twins!!!‘ and i thought to myself – ‘no girl….. you’re wearing a onepiece as a fashion statement, i’m wearing it because i need to.‘ well, now i’m wearing them to make a statement, too. i think the stigma is finally broken for me. the weird label, built entirely from my own insecurity, has become a thing of the past. not only am i embracing onepieces – i’m advocating for them. especially this pastel beauty from forever21, which i’ve paired with a hat by express, some chinos by old navy, and my favorite beach bag from francesca’s. the moral of this story? wear what you feel most confident in. i’ve learned that labels aren’t sexy… but onepiece swimsuits can be. follow me on instagram to stay in the loop!
