A Response to Jordan Kranda...

This is a response to Jordan Kranda's Should A Christian Girl Wear a Bikini? 

This is a question that's come up multiple times in the past few years and I want to preface this by saying that I think Jordan's take on it is fantastic! For the first time, I see a man who isn't outright condemning females for wearing swimsuits. In fact, there isn't much that I feel that I need to add or respond to. I agree with what he has to say: wearing bikinis in the summer is a given. Even Christian girls want a nice tan and to feel that all that time in the gym was worth something! And there are plenty of ways to go about this without being completely revealing and asking for lustful eyes and thoughts from the men around. The biggest point is to wear the bikini because you love it- not because you love the attention you get in it. 

As a Christian girl, I wanted to add a little bit to this that I have heard or talked about in the past. Firstly, any man who gets angry because girls are "asking" for guys to look at them needs to take a step back. Yes, guys are more visually stimulated than girls. I know this. But I also know that girls aren't totally turned off my a good looking guy with his shirt off... and from my experience young guys tend to avoid wearing shirts whenever possibly once the sun comes out. I'd like to express how nice it is to be able to wear a bathing suit and not feel like I need to be covered to be socially respected. This desire to take in the fresh air is mutual and I think guys tend to forget this because it's just not socially accepted for girls to walk around topless like it is for guys.

But that is not putting the "covering oneself" topic lightly. I find it important that I feel 100% comfortable in any bikini that I buy. I want it to stay together and I want it to make me feel good and look cute by the pool or on the beach. I hate strings and I feel most comfortable in bandeaus. That's what I buy and wear. And, honestly, when I try them on I'm worrying more about if I'll get judged by other girls than getting looked at by guys (still not the best way to go about it... but I'm a work in progress). Like Jordan said, a young woman should be more concerned with showing Godly character than fleshly skin. When it comes to summer and having fun, that means wearing something that makes playing in the waves or a pickup game of beach volleyball possible and more about meeting people than about re-adjusting your suit every 2 seconds.

There is an obvious point at which bikinis get tooooooooo revealing. Until that point, I think that any style can be modest and cute without being too provocative. Whatever is most flattering and most comfortable is what I'd tell any girl to get- and I'd tell her to take a deep breath and rock it confidently! But, once away from the pool or beach, I think it is important to cover up. Getting a cute coverup or beach-to-lounging outfit makes this not a problem at all! I know I'm all for the coverups... probably because I'm a redhead and need to give my skin a break from the sun anyways.

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I went into reading this article with an "ohhh no, another guy telling girls to wear one pieces or tankinis this summer" attitude. I've heard it before and I'm sure I'll hear it again... probably in the near future. So I appreciate his take on it even more after expecting that. Not that I'd change the type of suit I wear, but it's nice to get someone who understands that wearing a two-piece isn't the work of the devil. Christian girls- and anyone else who wants to be appreciated for her personality rather than physical attributes- can get sun and enjoy the summer without compromising modesty. It's all about mental attitude and goals. I could wear the exact same bikini as another girl, but if I had the mentality that I wanted attention then it could take on a completely different meaning. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having fun and feeling great in a cute bikini, as long as you intentions are correct.