Summer 2024 has been declared as the “Tankini Girl Summer.” 

The tankini girl summer is a trend where some girls on TikTok have decided to wear tankinis this summer rather than their usual bikinis.

Since the tankini girl summer trend was created, controversy has ensued on TikTok. Some people are all for the tankini trend, while others are firmly against it. 

A lot of the comments on TikTok about tankinis are complaining about how they have to buy a whole new summer wardrobe full of tankinis rather than wearing the swimsuits they already own.

While some users comment things like, “I’m being influenced. I’m about to shop for a cute tankini.” Other TikTok users comment, “I did not spend thousands of dollars on bikinis for it to be a tankini summer.”

However, the simple solution to this apparent issue is to just … not buy tankinis if you don’t want to. Just because someone on TikTok said that she wanted to wear tankinis doesn’t dictate what you have to wear.

People should be allowed to wear whatever they feel comfortable and happy wearing. 

Another issue people are bringing up is their body image now that they feel “forced” to wear a tankini. Some TikTok users are commenting things similar to “I worked so hard to wear a bikini! And now they’re out?!?!”

Which brings up another issue stemming from people thinking they have to wear what everyone else is wearing so they don’t get judged.

People work so hard to get their “summer body,” to wear a bikini, despite the fact that there is no certain way someone is required to look to be allowed to wear a bikini.

People should be allowed to wear whatever they feel comfortable and happy in. We need to move away from the idea of having to fit in with what is “trendy,” or changing yourself to fit in and focus on people’s happiness instead.

 It has been pretty commonly seen that people get judged for what they wear by people on TikTok. 

Another of the instances where people receive hate for what they choose to wear is the “Easter/Sunday brunch prom dress.”

In the past few years, it has been more common to see girls wearing long floral or ruffled dresses that some people have started calling “Easter dresses” or “Sunday brunch dresses.” 

People have been hating these dresses, saying they aren’t “formal enough” for prom. 

A lot of the comments on TikToks of girls showing off these prom dresses is “it’s cute, but not prom cute,” “it’s cute for a picnic” or “I’d wear that on a day out.” People also compare these dresses to bright, bejeweled, “classic” 2000s prom dresses.

It’s unfair to say that the dress a girl may wear to prom isn’t “good enough,” because if someone likes the dress and is happy wearing it to prom, why should it matter?

If a dress “isn’t formal enough” it still doesn’t affect anyone else, but making fun of someone’s prom dress that they may have been excited to wear does. Now they may not get to enjoy their dress as much because they have been made fun of online for not having a “true prom dress.”

One TikTok user made a video saying “When I have waited 18 years to wear a sparkly princess feeling prom dress but the girls want Easter dresses so I don’t want to look crazy.”

Girls shouldn’t be pressured to go against what they want just so they “don’t look crazy.” 

Just because a different style of prom dress makes someone happy, doesn’t mean they deserve to receive hate for it, or that anyone needs to change. We need to learn how to allow people to dress how they enjoy without judging them for dressing differently or not following what’s “trendy.”

One of the best things about fashion is that people get to show their individuality and their personality. When people just blindly follow what is trending on TikTok they lose this, only to blend in with what everyone else is wearing.

People have become so obsessed with following the trends and what’s “in” that they don’t dress how they want to even though they hate the trend, as we’ve seen with the tankinis.

We need to move away from following trends so strongly that girls have to give up how they love to dress. Everyone should be allowed to wear what makes them happy without fear of being judged.