The burqini is something that I never knew existed, but when I began researching it on the net, it seemed strange that it hadn't been thought of before! Except it has! We've just become less prudish, that's all. Lest we've forgotten that women used to wear full body bathing suits in the late 19th early 20th century, followed by having their hems measured and eventually exposing themselves to practical nudity. It's considered a female right to wear a revealing bathing suit, did women's rights activists fight for the right of being nude, or being respected? The Guerilla girls certainly had a different opinion of the nude. I'm a bit conflicted when I think of the dichotomy of choosing to cover yourself up and choosing to uncover yourself, they are both rights, so which is right? On the one hand, the burqini is fantastic in that it allows women who choose to wear the burka (or not) to enjoy activities they wouldn't otherwise. On the other hand, is that much cover up necessary to divert lustful eyes? As for the bikini, I don't think any woman older than 35 chooses to wear it with confidence (unless they do, but sometimes they shouldn't) or without a shawl. Not all women want to be gawked at 24/7 and not all would probably want to wear a burqini, but we should have the right to choose, based on religion or not. The worst is having our choices be dictated to us. On a last note, I think swimsuits should be seen as the fashion statement that they are and to categorize it between "show nothing" and "wear almost nothing" is very limiting as it could be such an incredibly fascinating creative medium in all sorts of fields.
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late 19th century bathing suit versus early 21st century bathing suit
victorian bathing suits source 1900s bathing suits source source source
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