Every body is a beach body

It’s summer! My husband wanted new swim trunks. I said let’s go shopping. He said, nah, just pick something out for me. Size 36.

Are. You. Kidding.

Men apparently don’t know it takes months of trying on every swimsuit in the store before you can find something … anything that doesn’t make you cry. Most of us would rather have a root canal. In one of life’s mysterious twists, I only came to grips with my beach body after I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy.

I did not have reconstruction, which I wrote about here. Breasts would have made swimsuit shopping easier in some ways, but when you are as flat as a 10-year old boy, options are limited. It forced me to look at my body with new eyes. I realized we’re just a collection of body parts, and we want something to cover some of those parts so we can go out in public and enjoy the water.

Once you lose the idea you’re supposed to be sexy or thin or voluptuous or 22 years old … once you lose the idea you’re supposed to be anything but who shows up that day, it’s easier to find a style that makes you feel comfortable and confident.

I treated this challenge like a science experiment and tried on just about every swimsuit in the tri-county area. Everything, whether I thought it would look good or not. There were some real losers that made me wonder who is this made for? Who could this possibly fit? Yet, I have a feeling someone, somewhere said, “Perfect!”

Lots of older women like tankinis, but I settled on a mix-and-match with a similar style. The hipster bikini bottoms are from Target. The rashguard with Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) is from Athleta. The top does not balloon up in the water, and the bottoms don’t ride up my butt. Those might be my only two requirements at this point.

Also, I am fairly modest in how I dress, but I found “full coverage” bottoms were not particularly flattering to my lower half. It turns out I like a slightly skimpier bottom with ruching in the back. I was as surprised as anyone, so I encourage you to experiment, even when you think it will look ridiculous.

Although I chose this swimsuit combo to accommodate my flatness, it would look great on curvier women with breasts. The folds in the top are flattering for all shapes and sizes, and you can pair it with a swim skirt or board shorts if you prefer. Athleta also makes tops with long sleeves for those who need more sun protection.

I spent years being self-conscious about how I looked in a swimsuit. My breasts weren’t perky enough. My butt was too big and my abs too flabby. I absorbed all the hype about getting your beach body ready by summer and made myself miserable. Then life happened, and I no longer had breasts to complain about.

Only after my mastectomy did I come to fully appreciate the concept that all bodies are beach bodies.