There are some things that are just a given when you are a girl like periods and bras. But, spandex is a right of passage for girls as well.
Most girls begin wearing spandex long before we are self conscious. The most common is tight shorts and swimsuits. When we are involved in sports we often end up in leotards and running briefs. And maybe even bodysuits if we are on the cheer squad.
Up until about the age of twelve, all that spandex doesn’t even give us a second thought. Then puberty happens. Suddenly, the spandex is showing off our body in ways we didn’t imagine when we were younger.
How do you feel comfy in those tight outfits? Most of it comes down to practice and getting used to the feeling.
When spandex hugs your body, you tend to feel both safe and exposed. It’s always good to know that your clothes will stay stuck on and can’t fall off and spandex does a great job of that. If you’ve ever worn a t-shirt that is too big, you can easily attest to that worrisome feeling that something might slip out.
The flip side is that spandex is tight enough to show all of your curves. For girls that means showing our chest and the area between our legs. If you browse on over to the Stirrupz.com photo galley there are plenty of examples of just how exposed spandex can leave us.
Step one in getting comfy actually starts before you get nervous about it. If your parents put you into a swimsuit fairly often before puberty, you are already used to the idea of wearing them. Whether it’s one or two piece, you know how they feel and what it’s like to walk around at the pool with it on. That goes a long way to making it easier as a teen and young adult.
Step two is just plain adjusting to the new feelings. After puberty, spandex between our legs causes new feelings that we aren’t used to. While they aren’t bad feelings, they can be surprising. And they are very private feelings. Having to feel them as you walk at the beach is a little un-nerving. The more time you spend in spandex after puberty, the sooner you feel that it’s no big deal. The feelings spandex causes become enjoyable and some girls look forward to wearing it.
I joined the swim team in high school and quickly got a lesson on just how much time you can spend in a swimsuit. At first I was terrified of everyone in school making a habit of watching us compete. Mostly “everyone” was boys who knew they would see all their favorite girls with barely anything on.
Believe it or not, over time I didn’t worry about that as much. It got to be more about swimming then about feeling half naked beside the pool. The same thing will happen for you with time.
Of course, wearing spandex causes some issues specific to girls. You should take a look at the related question about staying dry at practice. It applies if you are in a leotard or such where there isn’t the easy cover of simply getting in the pool to have an excuse for being wet.
