Embracing My Small Chest This Summer With Hunkemöller The Doutzen Stories Collection

I didn't always love my small breasts like I do now. As a young girl, and a late bloomer, being flat chested was something that I had a hard time dealing with. I was bullied for it, called names. I already wasn't having the best time at school, so the fact that also my body was a reason for others to bother me didn't help. It wasn't until I had boyfriends who never had anything negative to say about my A cup that I was comfortable in my own body. Yes, I owe a lot of my body confidence to boys. I realise that sounds like a weird thing to say but it's the truth. Those boys then left but my body confidence never did, it only improved. Today's post is about embracing your small beautiful boobies in collaboration with Hunkemoller for their Doutzen Stories Collection. The best part about this collab? That this post will be a crazy trip down memory lane! Hunkemoller is where I got my first brahs as a young girl. I still have one of them to this day, it's a red sporty kind of bra. Maybe a little TMI but it is still in great condition, I promise! 

I wish I would have known this when I was younger but your body still undergoes many changes long after your teen age years are over. I have a B cup now at 28, a small one but it's there. Even though I'm happy with my breasts at this point something that I always found very confronting is how bathing suits and bikinis just never really did it for me boob wise. Padded and push up bikinis are great, but there always seems to be - a lot of air passing through there, if you know what I mean. There's a space that is left unfilled with small breasts and it's very noticeable when sun bathing, in any position really. Bathing suits on the other hand, literally make my boobs disappear into my body. Everything's just gone and being embarrassed about it, for me, became a given. I decided to do something about that last year, about those feelings. Even though I've been a fan of push up e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g for like ever, I was tired of thinking less of myself. Thinking that I wasn't worthy because I have small breasts.

So, I started figuring out what really worked for my chest, my body type. I have long legs, a short torso, wide shoulders, small boobs and a lean body with a little booty. No curves really, or maybe a little but also none. When you see me now however it does seem like I have curves and it's all because I've taught myself how to fake it and for my feelings to actually 'make it'. To be comfortable, at the beach, at the pool, or just for myself, in my head. Last year was the first time I finally started experimenting with different types of swimwear. No push up anything, just crazy looking sexy shit. I've always had quite an athletic body so now my goal is to accentuate those legs with swimwear that goes a little bit higher up those hips. V necks are also something that, as a small chested girl, have always worked for me clothing wise - so a V neck it is.

This particular bikini from the Doutzen Stories Collection is called the Precious Stone bikini. When Hunkemöller asked which bikini I wanted for this post I chose the Brazilian bikini bottom and the wrap bikini top. I saw a picture of another lifestyle blogger, with a similar chest to mine, wearing it in an Instagram post - and having just booked my holidays to Southern Italy I thought: that is the bikini I want to wear to the beach this Summer! I like the way it gives shape to your body and how it really is a design that stands out from the crowd. This is a bikini that makes me look forward to going sunbathing at the beach.

A lot of girls and women struggle with their body image, at some point, and I'm here to tell you it does get better. I thought it was important to tell my story because upstairs in my bedroom, under my bed, I have an old scrapbook that I kept from when I was younger and in there is an envelope filled with ads of places where you can get your boobs done, cut out of magazines! I think I have come a long way since then - and so can you. We as women don't have it easy, our bodies are something that is constantly criticized and nothing seems like it's ever good enough. We're either too fat or too skinny, we wear not enough or too much makeup, our fashion choices are too modest or too revealing. I mean, our nipples are an actual threat to society. So as a favour, to yourself, you must remember to never place your worth in someone else's hands.