Have you noticed the sun peeping out a lot more just lately, and the temperature rising? It must mean that summer’s here!

The great thing about summer is wearing fewer clothes. The not so great thing about summer is also, for some people, wearing fewer clothes. The heat is on this year for plussies to woman up and bare all in a two piece like the stunning Tess Holliday who is fronting the Simply Be Bea-kini campaign, suggesting that as we all have a body, we are all bikini ready.

Only, some of us aren’t, even if we’re quite happy to strut out stuff and wiggle our curves with the best of ‘em most of the time.

And you know what….that’s also OK.

Is it alright for me to say that you won’t actually get me in a bikini this side of Doomsday? That the idea of exposing that much of me on a beach to complete strangers is not one that I embrace wholeheartedly? I’m happy as Larry tottering around in my one piece, exposing my wobbly legs to the sea air and letting the sun get to me cleavage, but there’s something about baring my belly that quite literally leaves me cold…and somewhat exposed, too.

Other bloggers have been talking about it this week and I can see where they’re coming from. Becky from the Mrs Be Be Blog (http://www.mrsbebeblog.co.uk/)  agreed that all she felt when she wore a two-piece was…like any other 30-something mum. She didn’t feel special and in fact being a modest person usually, it felt a bit wrong.

This doesn’t mean that I think gorgeous, confident people like Tess, and any other plus size woman who wants to feel the breeze around her belly button should cover up in a kaftan pronto. Not at all. Like anything else in fashion, it’s a purely personal choice. I prefer never to be seen dead in culottes. Or crocs. Other people love them. That’s absolutely fine. Tess Holliday looks damn foxy in her ‘kini (of course) but that doesn’t mean I want to rush out and copy her.

Being tall as well as curvy means that I can’t help but draw attention to myself when I’m on the beach and yeah, I’m not going to lie, I do feel uncomfortable when I feel as if I’m being stared at and judged. I’m not ashamed of my body, I’m over that, but at the same time, there are a lot of slim and average sized women who baulk at the idea of baring midriff because they feel uncomfortable showing that much of their body off at whatever size.

Do you feel pressured into donning a bikini because so many plus size babes are doing it?