We should all know by now that any body is a beach body — just bring your body to the beach, ta-da! — but there are still plenty of women who cringe at the thought of putting on a swimsuit.
Author Jennifer Weiner is at the forefront of an inspiring movement aiming to change that. The 46-year-old writer posted a call for women to share their swimsuit selfies on social media, using the hashtag #weartheswimsuit, in the hope that seeing various body shapes and sizes in bikinis and one-pieces will help girls realize that there really isn't any such thing as a perfect body.
"I know we are inching — slowly! — toward the idea that you don't have to be a size zero, or a teenager to look good/be allowed on the beach," Weiner wrote on Facebook. "I also know that, even in the era of the plus-size bikini and the stretch-mark mom, too many of us would rather be skinned alive than put on a swimsuit... and that too many of us are missing out on all the fun of summer."
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Weiner, who has two daughters, also shared her own swimsuit selfie in the post.
"Science shows us that the more non-supermodel bodies we see, the less likely we are to beat up on ourselves," she wrote. "That's true for women, and for girls, too many of whom start worrying way too early about how they look and what needs fixing."
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Her post has gotten tons of support, with many women sharing their own swimsuit selfies plus stories about how they learned to accept themselves.
Now Weiner's feed is flooded with photos of women making the most of their summer — lounging at the beach, playing at the pool, even parasailing and stand-up paddleboarding.
"I refuse to let society's view on size and beauty keep me from swimming with my kids!!!" one mom wrote.
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"Being comfortable in my own skin feels so much better than being ashamed of my body," another woman commented.
With summer now in full swing, Weiner isn't the only one reminding women to love their bodies.
Other hashtags, like #EveryBodyIsBeautiful and #ThereIsNoWrongWayToBeAWoman also encourage body positivity.
And plus-size models and activists like Tess Holliday, who's back to sharing bikini photos on Instagram two weeks after giving birth, are constantly proving that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.