Summer certainly has its high points: outdoor jogging, extra
freckles, barbeques, breezes, vitamin D, boy shorts. But when it
comes to swimming, the warmer season can be a time of stress for us
women who wouldn't want to get caught dead in a feminine bathing
suit. It can be even more stressful for those of us who are
genderqueer, trans, or would simply prefer our boobs not on
display.
Sadly, we still live in a culture where unless you're an
athlete, stores assume female-bodied folks want to use the beach as
a time to show off their curvaceous feminine figure. While our
community has made some strides in promoting androgynous swimwear,
it can still be hard to find bathing suits that aren't trying to
enhance cleavage. This leaves us to work with what we've got: swim
shorts on the bottom and athletic wear on the top.
Colorful shorts are so much more fun than lady-hip hugging
swimsuit bottoms. Pick up a pair from Topman (pictured above),
H&M, or Speedo in a variety of plaid, stripes, and solids. If
you're ok with showing some skin, pair them with sporty bikini tops
will for an androgynous athletic look from sportswear stores such
as Speedo and Nike. Many of us don't want to give up the feeling of
the sun and water on our skin, but if we want to present male or
avoid boobage altogether, rashgaurds are the best bet. You can
still wear a sports bra and binders under them. And if men's are
too big, try boys! Check out rashgaurds at Decathlon, Cskins, or ftmunderworks.com's
Concealer Chest Binding Compression swim tank (made specifically
for trans men).
So why avoid swimming because you can't find the right bathing
suit? The pool eagerly awaits your cute androgynous style.
Other queer swimwear resources
http://www.autostraddle.com/autostraddles-swimsuit-issue-47315/
http://sartorialbutch.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/but-she-swam-too-far-against-the-tide/
http://www.theboisdept.com/2011/09/05/swim-suits-that-suit/
Sonia Oram is the writer of Dyke Duds, a blog for lesbians,
queer women, and transmasculine people to share their styles,
fashion ideas, and stories around clothing.
