My Bikini Problem

I have a bikini problem. I own sixteen (or sixty) sets of them. I’m Brazilian. It’s in my blood. But I’m also Canadian and that comes with a different kind of bikini problem, namely, being the only one amongst my friends who sports a bottom showcasing most of my butt.

Usually, their first reaction is shock. “I’m a bit uncomfortable with how much of your butt cheeks are showing.”

My reply, “I’m not.”

Sometimes my friends say, “My butt would look huge in those.”

To which I reply, “Ummm… isn’t that the point?”

And then the truth comes out, a deep yearning. “I wish I had the body to wear that.”

Then it’s my turn to be shocked. “You do!”

You’re a woman. You have a woman’s body. It’s beautiful and perfectly imperfect.

Are you a mother? I am. Both of my pregnancies wreaked havoc on my skin, stretching it to its limit like an over-inflated balloon. At a quick glance, you might think I had a clumsy one-night stand with Edward Scissorhands (I wish), but upon closer inspection, you would realize that I just have a bunch of stretch marks—all over my butt. And yet I boldly show my cheeks. Why, you ask? Because I am a woman and this is what a woman’s body looks like.

Brazilian bikinis are not for the perfect body. They are for every woman’s body. There is a style for each and every one of us. My personal favourite bottoms are the ones with the ruching at the back. You see, endless squats are the not the secret to a sexy apple round butt, cheeky Brazilian bikinis are. But there is a secret to being beautiful which every Brazilian woman knows and it’s this: attitude. It’s why we don’t care that our bodies are not perfect. We embrace our imperfections.

Wearing a Brazilian bikini is an attitude.

How do I feel in mine?

Sexy. Bold. Beautiful.