I don’t think wearing thong swimwear requires any justification, but I always find it interesting to hear why people prefer the style.
For me, it’s not a practical choice. If it were, I’d just wear swim briefs and avoid the potential controversy that comes with anything more revealing. I wear thongs because I think I look good in them.
For much of my life, I didn’t like my body. People sometimes tell me I’m lucky because I can eat whatever I want without gaining weight. They mean it as a compliment, but it isn’t. The truth is, I eat a healthy diet at home, walk a couple of miles most mornings, and go to the gym five or six times a week. My health is far from effortless, but I don’t bother to correct them; their comments say more about their own insecurities than about me. However, it’s usually the closest anyone comes to saying something positive about my appearance.
If anyone was attracted to me in my school days, I was too clueless to notice, and I started working in a male-dominated industry as a teenager, so I spent most of my early adult years surrounded by people at very different stages of life. I often felt isolated and lonely.
Sisqó’s Thong Song was released when I was in high school. As many would agree, it’s a pretty terrible song, but it was apropos. Thongs were in, at least for women. It seemed like there was a Victoria’s Secret with thong-clad mannequins at every mall, and every department store stocked them in the lingerie section. Men’s thongs were harder but not impossible to find. While most of my male peers were content admiring women in thongs, I wanted to wear them myself.
When I tried one on for the first time, I remember thinking I looked good. I hadn’t felt that way about myself in a long time. I struggled to find flattering clothing, but the thong was everything the rest of my wardrobe wasn’t. For once, I actually liked what I saw in the mirror.
I’m older now, and I’m not getting any more attractive. I know that some people find my choice of swimwear unconventional, but that’s okay. I don’t wear thongs for anyone else. Thongs still make me feel good about myself, and that’s what matters most.