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.

I am in Italy and on the beaches I go to, almost every woman wears a bikini whatever her age or size. So much more comfortable than sitting around with a wet costume on your midriff.

No way mate; I want the sun on my belly

well, there are different types of bikinis?

Skimpy thong types might be better if you only plan on sunbathing, whereas if I go bodyboarding or to a waterpark I've got some which are basically crop tops plus hi-rise bottoms - comfortable but keep everything in, actually less likely to ride up my bum or have the straps come loose than a swimsuit.

The issue with swimsuits is that there's very little variance for size - a woman wearing a size 14 could be 5'1 or 6 foot, with a b cup or f cup - what's slightly too long in the torso for one person might end up with straps falling down, if it's too short in the torso the bottoms will ride up. A good bikini doesn't have any of those issues, plus you can pick and choose different sizes if you're big boobed but small waisted/ big bum and smaller boobs etc.

Well said.

Well not if we want brown tummies we wont!

I find it odd that the extra few inches of material can make it so much more hot and sweaty. I wear both depending on how body confident I’m feeling but have to say I don’t find the swimsuits any different in terms of being hot etc

I live up to my name and swim naked as often as I can, rivers mostly. Sometimes when people are around, I stick on a bikini so as to respect their sensibilities.

Post menopause, so I’m now invisible to the male gaze and wear as much or as little as I like with impunity.

I was referring to your comment wrt you doing what you want, even going topless.
It's clearly limited to certain places where that's acceptable. Not just wearing whatever you want, anywhere .

@330ml You go topless in Egypt? Of course some women do but it's rare. And very likely to get someone into trouble

I'm on holiday ATM and bikinis are the norm for women, old, young, fat and thin. Interestingly a leather bikini was found years ago from the Roman era so they have been around a long time.

This is kind of besides the point but for the people saying “I wear a bikini to get a tan on my stomach”
you really really shouldn’t be doing this. Tanning is worse for the skin than smoking, it’s really not a good idea at all for your health. On the subject of bikinis I don’t care what people wear but those thong bikinis make me squirm. I find them gross I can’t help it. People are entitled to wear whatever they want though.

If you read the post I quoted carefully, you will see that it says “wear a bikini or go topless”.

I chose the wear a bikini option when responding.

I wear a bikini top because I have big boobs and need bra like support. My life was greatly improved when I realised that, instead of worrying about my bikini line, I could just buy much bigger, full coverage bikini bottoms.

Because I’m very pale and burn easily, I then wear a long sleeved rash vest type thing and, because we holiday in the UK, I wear wetsuit leggings.

Basically I end up wearing more on the beach than I do anywhere else in the summer.

I am bemused by women who wear almost nothing in public and have their buttocks out on the beach, but then I feel buttocks of either sex should be covered in public, I am a bit of a prude.

I agree

its tankinis all the way for me, though i did have the fleeting thought of wearing a bikini while on holiday last week….fleeting