Stanmore Bay
I remember being teased and taunted in the swimming pool changing room when I was eight or nine years old. I was still in primary school and already puberty was changing my body. At that age I was already more developed that all of the girls in the year above me and they were mean about it. I got teased a lot because I developed breasts long before everyone else did (I was wearing a D cup before I started high school), and I became really self-conscious about my body. In fact, I hated my body.
Once I hit high school, I would always hide under board shorts and shapeless one pieces when swimming. A big change from someone who was swimming competitively in Intermediate at age 11. Not only was I swimming competitively, but I was pretty good! Unfortunately, I gave that all up when I got to high school, because I felt ashamed of my curves.
Fortunately for me, I have since learned to embrace my curves and love my body. This summer, I decided that I wanted to bare my belly at the beach. I’m sick of hiding myself away behind fabric, I want to feel the sun on my skin. No more tankinis for me, I decided it was time for me to wear a two piece swimsuit that is clearly two pieces.
Okay, problem. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find affordable two piece swimsuits in size fat? Nigh on impossible. I managed to snag myself some fab bikini bottoms from ASOS (these stripe ones and the leopard print ones you can see me in here), but the ASOS bikini tops are not built for larger busted ladies (despite the fact that their staff will try and convince you that if you buy your dress size then it will fit…), as I learned after forking out for a bikini top only to try it on when it arrived and find that the fit was abysmal.
Fortunately, I discovered a saviour in Chubby Cartwheels. I loved the look of her bandeaus, so I asked for one to be custom made for me in swimsuit material. And look! It’s just what I wanted. Boob-covering, belly-baring and beautiful.
Some people might have something to say about me baring my fat body at the beach (and in fact, they already have. There are a number of charming dropkicks who have commented on my tumblr post with things you can bet they’d never have the balls to say to my face), but to be honest, I don’t care. It’s my body and I love it. If you have a problem with my fatness, then that’s your problem, not mine. Ain’t no one got tiiiiime for that!
Meagan wears:
Custom swim bandeau from Chubby Cartwheels
ASOS Curve High Waisted Striped Bikini Pants from ASOS
SXUC Pippa sunglasses c/- Sunglasses Shop
Photos of Meagan courtesy of Cassie Ace.
All people should feel comfortable to wear what they want to the beach and enjoying the feeling of swimming, frolicking and all that jazz. This is one more powerful step towards that.
p.s. Let me know how you go with that top! x
Meagan, you are an inspiration to so many woman. Such a fabulous post and you are one foxy mama!
Thanks Alison! x
Fearless and awesome as always! Yes, yes, yes!
You look amazing! Go you for wearing a two piece, your confidence and beauty just radiate through these pictures! Amazing!
just checked out the tumblr – fuck the haters, you have a hell of a lot of likers too 🙂 I adore your confidence and you look so super cute!
Next time I’m having a confidence crisis, I’m going to think “wwmd” (what would Meagan do!)
Haha, I love it! Thanks Katie x
Good on you Meagan! Boo to the haters… pack of wankers. You look fab!
Your a shining star Megan..can’t wait to see more pics from you project 🙂
Beautiful and radiant!! Love you girl!
I wish I had your confidence! Love your nail colour here 🙂
You look gorgeous! Keep rocking those 2 pieces! x
Kudos on your bravery! You look absolutely amazing and don’t let any moron on Tumblr tell you otherwise!
Love those bottoms Meagan!!! You look great 🙂
Love love love this post! You are totally awesome. Hope I can embrace your confidence this summer and get out on the beach with my wee girl (why should she miss out because of me being self conscious, right?)
Thanks Mel! And yes, get out there! You’ll be setting a great example for your wee girl by being body confident!
xxM
Hi Meagan. First, I wanted to thank you for what you are doing with your blog and internet presence for Plus Sized women. There is much need for this. My wife is a beautiful larger women and I am happy there are places started by women similar to herself that can help plus sized women feel better about themselves and acquire more confidence for a better life.
My wife has a somewhat similar experience as you in the fact that she also started developing at a very early age (she told me she started wearing a bra at age 9 and started her period then too) and is close to the same size as you appear to be now (you look somewhat more top heavy, however, and she is a little more bottom heavy). She was teased a lot growing up due to her size/weight and actually was ridiculed at home by her older brother to the point of abuse (I won’t go into detail here). As an example of what happened in school, she once told me she wore some stretch pants and a top that was waist length in middle school and a very mean girl commented to her, “If I were you I wouldn’t be wearing that” and to this day she will not wear stretch pants (which she loves due to comfort) without a long shirt covering her backside (and she is 37 now, so this decedent was some years back). She would never have the courage to wear a takini/bikini in public like you and still has issues with struggling to accept her body and with body image/hatred. Thank you for overcoming some of these obstacles, as an example to and for others.
Again, I appreciate how you are helping empower women of size like her. I also am an advocate/activist for plus sized women and am thankful to all who are too, as well as want to give big shout out to anyone else who is also (as yourself).
(On a side note, I also enjoy your other internet pages on Facebook and Pinterest. I have a board on Pinterest myself entitled “Size Positive” that’s purpose is to showcase that beauty can come in sizes beyond what society has dictated is “acceptable” to be considered beautiful and is also there to empower larger women to feel good about themselves (many women have commented to me with praise that I have helped them to feel higher self esteem which makes it all worth it). I do not allow nude or porn type pictures on it, as I am not into that, feel it is degrading to women and is unethical to me, and that is not what it is all about at all. Anyway, I had pinned some of your pictures to it, as I felt they truly represented the ideal of plus sized beauty (as my wife does too) and also placed some complimentary comments on some of your pins, but removed all of them due to the fact that I did not want you to think I was some kind of internet “creeper” and also respect you, if that is something that might bother you or make you feel “objectified” in any way. I could say if someone feels that way about me than that is their problem not mine, but I respect plus sized women too much to ignore the thought that if a woman might have that type of feeling concerning publicly posted pictures of herself for whatever reasons, then I respect that and will not use them as an example of what I feel constitutes an example of what is beautiful or to promote positive body image).
Anyway, sorry for the long post, and thanks again Meagan for allowing yourself and others to overcome obstacles. As well as for getting to the point of loving yourself and your body to where you are wanting to help other women love themselves and love their larger bodies too. Keep up the good work and I hope you keep helping yourself and many others on your size/body acceptance journey (which it really is)!