Women of all ages and body shapes are bearing their skin on this hot and humid day at the beach in Pesaro, a beach town forty-five minutes from Urbino. The shapely and curvy senior citizens are as comfortable in their two piece bathing suits as the young, model-like women are.
I haven’t been in Italy long enough to understand the standards for beauty in this country, but this experience at the beach, seeing all different types and ages of Italian women lounging about comfortably in their bathing suits made me think that Italian beaches reveal more diversity in body shapes than do beaches in America.
In my experience in America, I rarely see senior citizens in their bathing suits on the beach. Yet here in Pesaro were women who could be my grandmother, in two-piece swim suits. I’m only in my early twenties and I get a little shy revealin my body in a two-piece because I’m not used to it. I applaud these women for being confident and embracing their bodies just the way they are. Confidence does make someone even more beautiful, and those women on the beach reveal that confidence.
I’ve admired how the women carry themselves here in Italy. They make sure to look their best when they go out and have a relaxed, but sensual style. It’s a style that I believe every women can pull off as long as they have that essential confidence inside.
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Confidence is the key. I do wonder what we are teaching young girls and women in the U.S.that leads all of us to become so self-conscious. You have captured well this important distinction.