Bikini - Before I'm Gone ✰

Ultimately, the act of wearing a bikini—or putting it away—is a personal testament to the journey of self-acceptance. It is an exploration of navigating "what a girl should be" versus who she actually is. If you’d like, I can: Add more focus on the history.

Best essays of 2017: The day I put my bikini away - Salon.com Bikini - Before I'm gone

Before the societal pressure to conform takes over, many feel a delight in their bodies, a "deep well" of power and raw emotion. Later in life, reclaiming the body—perhaps through swimming—can be a way of embracing that strength, of being a "tall girl in a small swimsuit". Ultimately, the act of wearing a bikini—or putting

I grew up never going to the beach, until I learned the power of being a tall girl in a small swimsuit. Melissa Febos: "The Wild, Sublime Body" - The Yale Review Best essays of 2017: The day I put my bikini away - Salon

In contemplating the "before I'm gone," the bikini becomes a marker of time—what we wore, how we were viewed, and the "disdain" or "tenderness" we felt when looking at our own reflection. It reminds us of a "precious body" that was often treated with cruelty, and the eventual, necessary reconciliation with oneself.

The bikini can also be seen through the lens of the Riot Grrrl movement, where it was not just a fashion statement but a way to "defy society's expectations" and embrace personal autonomy. It is about rejecting the "win-lose reality" and defining one's own identity on one's own terms.