To the Hopefuls-

To all of you hopefuls, to you boys out there,
Who have been dreaming of asking me out,
This poem is a warning, a friendly "beware!"
You don't know what you're talking about.

See, I'm very picky.  It takes quite a lot
For a boy to win my affections.
You may be the right guy... but probably not.
Please know I have high expectations. 

I don't want to sound uppity, snooty, or mean,
But I feel like I should tell the truth.
I'm not in a great hurry.  I'm just seventeen!
There is still so much time left to choose.

I've liked guys before. You may have a chance.
I'm flattered.  You're so very kind-- but--
If you're trying to find a way into my pants,
Then you have the wrong girl in mind.

I know that God has great things in store,
And if you are the right guy, you'll see!
We can always be friends,  but if you want more,
You must be seeking Him to find me.

Emily Whelchel
4-28-10

This was a joke in many ways, but... girls who feel this way as well, here is our anthem. :)  What do you think?

Boys, you can leave now, because this post is for the girls.  Sorry.  :)

I saved this subject for last, because it is probably the most difficult and controversial topic when it comes to modesty.  Before I begin, I would like to clarify that if I believe something different than you do, I'm not judging you.  Christians believe different things, and they are still Christians.  However, I am going to write my personal beliefs- what I firmly believe is right and wrong to wear in public- and I'm not going to back down on what I think is modest. 

Would you ever walk around in public in your bra and underwear?  When you wear a bikini, there is little difference.  You are showing the same amount of skin, and you are keeping the same level of modesty as you are when you only wear your bra and underwear.  The only difference between wearing your underwear and wearing a bikini out in public is the level of social acceptance.  However, there is still the same amount of nakedness involved.  When you go and show off most of your body to the world, then you might as well just throw your sense of modesty out the window.

What you see to your left is a picture that I took off of Google images.  It features a teenage-ish aged girl with a fairly common-style bikini that I've seen multiple times.  The girl is not at all ugly.  She is not at all overweight.  I'm sure that she feels confident in showing off her body.  As you've probably noticed, I've added some embellishments to the photo with the lovely program, Picnik.  I probably could have also blocked out her upper thighs and very bared shoulders, but even some one pieces show that much, but in my honest opinion, showing too much stomach and back and chest is the main issue with this girl and her bikini. 

Think about it this way: do you really want the creepers and old men out there to be looking at you in perverted ways because you're showing off most of what you've got?  I don't think so.

When it comes to bathing suits, I firmly hold to the belief of wearing tankinis or one pieces (in my case, 99% of the time tankinis).  This is always difficult, because tankinis and one pieces will simply never be in fashion like bikinis are.  However, finding a cute and modest bathing suit is not impossible.  They're out there, and you can find them!  There are also cute swim shorts that you can purchase to wear over your tankini bottoms, which can also be immodest if you are not careful. 

Purchasing just any tankini is not always enough.  You need to make sure that it does not show too much stomach and it doesn't come down too low.  If you don't mind showing a small line of stomach (an inch thick, for example), then be sure that the tankini isn't going to reach over that.  Some tankinis show half your stomach, and they end up not giving you that much modesty... If you have a long torso like I do, then be sure to try a tankini on before you purchase it, or keep the receipts so that you'll be prepared to take the tankini back.  Showing too much tummy is simply a modesty no-no. 

Many, many tankinis cover up your belly, only to plunge way low and bare way more up top than it should.  Not a good thing!  When picking out your bathing suit, be sure to look at yourself in the mirror while bending over to make sure that it isn't going to show too much.  Remember that you're probably going to be swimming around horizontally in the water, and so if the front of your top is a little loose, then you may be showing what you got up there to the world.  Yikes!

The photo to your right is what I would consider a tankini that is borderline immodest.  It is far better than a bikini, but do you see how much shoulder and throat area it is showing?  It doesn't have any straps, which makes you appear less modest than even if you were wearing spaghetti straps.  Also, the tankini top shows a good two or three inches of tummy, which could be cut down at least another inch.   

When shopping for a tankini, you can go to your local mall and department stores and look around.  If there isn't a whole lot of cuteness in the youth area, then (and this may be horrifying to you, but take a deep breath and I'm sure you can manage) you can go to the women's section.  If you nab some of your mom's clothing catalogs, they will have many tankinis to choose from, as many adult women prefer not to go out half naked, even while swimming.  Despite the fact that they are technically "mom" clothes, there are still many cute, stylish selections... and there are way more choices than in teen magazines.  Catalogs are usually where I pick out my tankinis, because they have a ton of cute choices.

Cute one pieces are far more difficult to find than any other kind of swimsuit, but they are out there!  Catalogs and websites that specifically sell modest bathing suits are a good place to find these.  You can also go to athletic swimming websites and stores to purchase your swimsuit, because competitive swimmers wear one pieces. 

It is finally a good idea to purchase a simple, cute cover up to wear when you're walking on the beach, or out of the pool and there are guys around.  You can purchase shorts to wear over bikini-cut tankini bottoms.  I prefer to get these shorts longer (a few inches above the knee) and not halfway up my thigh, because when they reach that high, how much skin am I actually covering?  You can also find cover ups that look like long shirts... or even cute sundresses.

Here are some examples of cute tankinis:



Here are some examples of cute one pieces:



Here is an example of cute swim shorts:



Here are some examples of cute swimsuit cover ups:


I admire your courage to stand out from the crowd and be modest!  Keep following Christ, girls, and continue to be a shining light for Him and a godly example to everyone around you.

I hope that this has given you encouragement that being modest does not mean that you have to sacrifice style.  You can be modest and look cute at the same time.

This will probably be my last fashion post for a while.  When school is coming back to a start, I may start a "Modest Fall Trends" series, but until then, look forward to new topics.

If you have any opinions about this subject, or if you have a place where you can find cute, modest swimsuits, then comment below.