Bikinis were made for the male gaze so isn't it about time we stopped wearing them

[Hadmysay]

https://www.tiktok.com/@ddp8792/video/7509271473366830378

They were created for the male gaze.

Interesting @latetothefisting- I used to go to the Sanctuary Spa in Covent Garden which was women only and wore bikinis - far more comfortable when you’re wearing it for a full day.

If I’m feeling uncomfortably conscious of the male gaze (at certain pools or times) I would opt for my very sensible Speedo swimming costume - definitely not a bikini.

It's about time some women stopped telling other women what to do - wearing bikinis, letting their hair go grey, wearing heels....the list goes on. As a strong, educated, independent woman, I despise other people telling me what I should be doing.

I don’t GAF why they were created it’s still up to me if I wear one or not.
Thanks to my shape & measurements, bikinis fit better & can hold everything I need to be held comfortably & practically in a way a swimsuit can’t. They tend to fit part of me well but the rest of me poorly.
It’s weird to try to stick up for women by saying they should stop doing something rather than advocating for their ability to make choices themselves.

Me and my girlfriends have admired many a ‘fit’ man bod on the beach when we’ve been on holiday together. Should we not be doing this or is it just the other way round thats frowned upon 🥴. Ah well. My bad.

Not clicking on a silly TikTok link but nobody has any place telling women what they should or shouldn’t wear. What else should we ban incase men might look at them? Heels? Miniskirts? Anything showing skin?

Pffffft. Feminism indeed.

I wouldn’t wear a bikini as I think I look awful in them but I wish I could. They dry faster, and you can easily change, discretely, in the middle of a crowd in the beach without acting like you are stuck in a pipe or having to queue for ages to get changed in a disgusting public bathroom.

Actually I wasn't being completely truthful there. I don't only wear swimsuits. I do wear bikinis but the brigit Jones type big knicker type bottoms ..or swim skirts (they're great).
I can't stand small bikini bottoms ..but in the same way I can't stand small knickers that ride down and disappear under my belly hang. It's not just about looks, but comfort too.
But also it creeps me out the way man looks. And they perv at old woman too. They look at ALL woman..but maybe I just know creepy man.

Edited for typos a per usual

Are men going to start wearing tops at all times or is it just women who are being told to cover up?

No point in going to the beach if you're just going to cover up.
I love having sun and air all over, but accept that I must wear one or both parts of a bikini sometimes. Would never want a clammy restricting all over costume.

You're free to do what you want and admire who you like.
I'm assuming your 'admiration' wasn't as disgusting though. But woman can be disgusting too.

I don't think you're talking about the same thing

Exactly the same here. When I discovered the joy of a well fitting, bra sized bikini top my holiday life was transformed. I'm never going to back to suffocating under a swimsuit in hot weather. Wish I'd been this confident in my twenties!

Hard agree. Men can walk around in public, naked from the waist up as soon as the sun comes out and that's fine. Women can't.

Many of them have bigger figs than I do. But they're not lady tits so...

In 1980, I was a student exchange in Krasnodar, Russia. It was the height of summer and people used to go swimming in the Kuban' River.

The Russian women all wore bikinis - that included quite elderly women. Their thinking was that they wanted to get as much vitamin D as possible.

A few years ago, I was on holiday in Montenegro. Quite a few elderly Russian grannies were on the beach with their grandchildren. Again, the Russian women all wore bikinis. Nothing to do with the male gaze.

@sparklychair
If you search online a number of companies sell long length swimsuits eg Next, Land’s End, M&S.
I was a swimwear Merchandiser in the early 90s and we sold long length swimsuits at Debenhams.

My point was about the limited choice there is. Look at many of the threads in the Style and Beauty section.

I watched the TikTok.
He makes a perfectly good point.
He's not telling anyone what to do, just commenting on a social paradigm which is worth discussing.
He doesn't mean bikini as in the concept of separate top and bottom. He means those apologies for garments that have been aggressively marketed recently.
I always wear a bikini when I'm poolguarding, under shorts and shirt. I've got six or seven. They are presentable for primary school kids in a lesson.

I use Landsend. Thy have some longer swimsuits, but the best fit for me is a Landsend long line tankini plus swimming briefs.

What a load of crap.

I wear bikinis because the fabulous bra sized bikini tops now mean I'm better supported in a well fitting top rather than the hideous monoboob created by swimsuits.

I wear a bikini as swimsuits are too hot and sweaty. What a ridiculous thing to say.
Do men wear budgie smugglers for the female gaze?
maybe we should have segregated beaches and public areas?

Is there a full moon? There are some utterly bonkers threads on here today! Yes, I wear a bikini, no, I give no fucks about the “male gaze”. Frankly I’d probably look better draped in a giant bed sheet but since a bikini is much easier to go for a wee in, I’ll stick with that.

I don't do beaches other than to paddle my feet and look for shells like a six year old in a Ladybird book. I've never worn a bikini, but having had to schlep myself in and out of soggy swimsuits at the baths, I completely see the upside of a two-piece. Pulling a whole suit down to go to the loo and then back up again has to be one of the most unpleasant sensory experiences ever. Plus, while you're enthroned, you're in all your glory and you'd better hope that wonky bolt on the cubicle door holds...😳

More broadly, one person's taste, preference and interpretation of what feminism is about shouldn't dictate the personal choices of others. Men don't tolerate having their lives made harder and more complicated through what they wear and nor should we.
.

I also have a small bottom half and a much bigger top half. Plus a long body. Swimsuits give me a wedgie and do not support my chest. I need underwire, in the correct place.

When I was young and lovely, I never wore a bikini. I was pale as paste, didn’t want to attract anyone’s gaze, let alone the male gaze, and had zero confidence. I have a long body, so would spend half my holiday pulling my swimming costume out of my crack and sweating.

I’m 51 now, and realise no bugger’s looking at me. I wear bikinis with abandon, and they’re a revelation. Comfortable, and fun to wear. I’m sure the male gaze flies off me like water off a chip
pan 😂

I don't think a man would see a difference with a bikini or costume. You can still see everything in most one pieces. It clings to the body and still shows plenty of skin. I wear board shorts over a tankini, I feel very exposed in a swimming costume.

These will dry quickly and get you a great tan. But what's the point? Just don't bother.
Just go topless like men do.. oh wait ..🤔
I can't see any point to these type of bikinis apart from attention seeking