This summer, let’s reclaim the joy of walking onto the beach—or deck or dock—removing your cover-up and feeling like a million bucks. (Blasting Lizzo’s “Juice” while doing so is optional, but highly recommended.)
Yes, a swimsuit that fits like a dream can go a long way toward full-body empowerment, but that’s only part of the solution. It’s hard for the average non-supermodel to feel confident in swimwear—most of the images of swimsuit-clad women we see online and in the media represent a very narrow slice of womankind. But research shows that looking at imagery that more closely resembles one’s own body type can improve mood and self esteem, and reduce the likelihood you’ll compare yourself—often unfavourably—with the woman in the photo.
For the June/July 2019 issue of Chatelaine, we wanted to do our small part to help shatter the persistent myth that only a certain subset of bodies looks stunning in swimsuits. And so, for this cover shoot and accompanying swimsuit feature, we cast seven “Everywoman” models—Aisha Fairclough, Farhana Islam, Sarah Nicole Landry, Mandy McIsaac, Charandeep Parmar, Jessica Prudencio and Mui Tang—and then sat back as photographer Katherine Holland captured their joyful confidence (and super-cute swimwear!). It was a master class in body positivity, and exhilarating to behold.
We hope the following images, and the brilliant advice that accompanies them, leave you with a similar exuberance.
