Former competitors do have some odd opinions. Fans should not take offense to them, however claims can be disputed. Sharon Bruneau a popular competitor of the 1990s expressed a view about decorated bikinis and jewelry. Accessories and sparkling bikinis are common at women’s bodybuilding contests. Sharon believes that physiques are being overshadowed by stylish bikinis and jewelry. The rules formerly prohibited this. Restriction on tattoos was also in place. These rules seemed ludicrous considering the focus is judging an athlete’s physique. A person responsible for such a task should not be so easily distracted by swimwear or accessories. A judge should be able to hold their attention on the athletes. Sharon Bruneau’s opinion she admits is old fashioned. Maybe a nostalgic sentiment overtook her when writing. It should be recognized that the contests of the 2020s are different from that of the late 20th century. Women’s bodybuilding has developed its own fashion. Changes will inevitably happen. Wearing something does not take away from a woman’s physique. Certain divisions require that athletes have some accessories. Fitness and figure athletes need high heels. One could question this considering its not their feet being judged. Rather than focus on what bikini is worn look at the athlete as a whole should be done.
“There was a day when there was only one division – Bodybuilding. During that time, the competitors were not allowed to wear “anything sparkle” … (posing suits, jewelry, shoes) oh, and tattoos were not allowed or, at least be visible (cover them or lose points as they, too, were distracting ).The reason? Basic coloured suits would not deter from the physique and overall package so the judges would first focus on the competitors body (development, balance, separations, symmetry, dryness, lean long lines, etc.). I personally find this to be valid as when I watch the current and amazing competitors in all divisions, I find the first thing I notice are the suits peppered in rhinestones and picking out which one I like best .. then the physique – the eye can’t help but not wander from the bejeweled outfits and the heels … maybe it’s the “girly-girl” in me, maybe I’m old fashioned or still a fan of my day but, we all work so hard to prep for contest – it’s a shame to be hidden behind so much “shine”. Comments used to be “Wow, look at her shoulders!” or “Holy cow, she’s lean and look at her sweeps”. Now what I hear when seated in the audience is, “Oh my God, I love her suit. “I know I’ll get some backlash from this as the fans love the lineups and the competitors can’t wait to get adorned in their beautiful outfits and strut their stuff. Hey .. what girl doesn’t like to sparkle and feel like a princess on her day? Guess I’m just reminiscing.”
Sharon Bruneau
When thinking critically about this, one has to politely disagree with Sharon’s position. Decorated bikinis or bracelets are not going to distract or cover up a physique. Tattoos have a cultural significance in some cultures. Being of Metis descent , Sharon should understand tattooing has major significance to indigenous cultures of the Americas. Judges should learn to concentrate on the physique. If shining colors and rhinestones make a person lose focus, then they are not fit to be a judge. Making these bikinis is an important to the fitness industry. Women from all divisions pay to have various bikinis ready for contests. Restrictions on certain bikinis, tattoos, and jewelry was unnecessary.
A woman’s body cannot be hidden by a bikini. To say they are hidden by too much “shine” would imply that the light covers the muscle. The women are wearing the least amount of clothing. The only class that had more clothing was fitness and figure. The one piece swimsuit covers most of the core. Only the legs, arms, and shoulders are exposed. There is more of an argument against one piece swimsuits that cover parts of the body.
The color or design of the bikini is noticeable. The muscles are what are seen first. Certain body parts will stick out than others.
Decoration does not distract from the physique. The reason is that the women’s bodies are incredible. The sculpted physiques look straight out of a DC or Marvel comic book. The first attributes a person can notice is the large muscles on their bodies. Large legs, chiseled abs, and bulging biceps draw a person’s attention first. The bikini is a small amount of clothing. So, it is not possible that the body is covered by too much accessories or decoration.
A judge needs to be focused. Someone so easily distracted by colorful bikinis or jewelry should not be serving in that function. If they are going to be selecting a number of athletes for placings, then they must have a strict attention span. Criteria has been notorious in being inconsistent. The fact that a few rhinestones on a bikini distracts a judge, reduces their credibility. There is a tendency for people to be attracted to bright colors or designs. Artwork does this effectively. When it comes to fashion it can also be utilized. The bikini is a small piece of clothing so it really cannot be that much of a disruption.
A judge that does not have a limited attention span will not be distracted by a bikini. If that were the case, all competitors should wear the same color and type.
Select a number of photographs of women competing. What they are wearing does not take away from the physique shown. A woman in a plain color bikini has as much chance winning as a woman with a decorated one. The judge should focus on the muscle and ignore everything else. The athletes have over the years used their bikinis and jewelry as fashion statements on stage. Making bikinis has become lucrative and competitors do pay large amounts for them. Seeing as there is a business and a market for them, it would make no sense to ban certain types. The exception to this would most likely be the micro bikini and thongs . That swimwear is the closest to being nude. The judges should learn to be focused on the athlete rather than her swimwear.
Bracelets, rings, and earrings are worn by athletes. This should not be considered a distraction either. If a woman choses to wear them or not, that is their choice. When the contest happens, judges will not be looking a woman’s wrist or ear. The audience might get distracted, but an experienced judge should not. There is a frustrating double standard related to women. Their attire is often scrutinized more. The majority of dress codes target women more so than men in certain instances. Those rules are common in religious and educational settings. Relevant to bodybuilding, rarely do people make complaints about men’s physique having colorful swimming trunks or speedos . The argument is that the female athlete lacks femininity or elegance. When you see the women in their jewelry, make-up, and bikinis they prove the those accusations wrong.
Make-up could be designated a distraction. Few make complaints about women wearing make-up on stage. Jewelry is not much of a distraction either. Earrings and bracelets are not as visible compared to the rest of the body.
An athlete should be mindful the difference between a photo shoot and a contest. Do not spend so much time on make-up and accessories that it takes away from a posing routine. Sharon in her statement acknowledges that women are drawn to the fashion element related to contests. Maybe this is a good way to get more women interested in the sport. Although it is not a beauty pageant, some women might like that aspect of competition .
Tattoos should not be discouraged either. It should be remembered that tattoos have a significance to indigenous people. Most do not recall the history of this, because it has been commodified by European colonizers. Sharon Bruneau is Metis and should understand what this means. Tattoos were done to identify a family, clan, or tribe. The tattoo had a societal and cultural significance to the Amerindian peoples of the Americas. Stopping competitors from getting tattoos ignores the roots of the cultural expression with a thousand year history. The counter argument is that people wearing tattoos who are not indigenous are doing it for random body modification. Tattoos can be on the body without covering the muscle. The only way to hide muscle on the body is to wear baggy clothes. Tattoos were also common among the peoples of the Pacific islands. Ta moko is a type of tattoo done by the Maori people of New Zealand. If a competitor was Maori and had ta moko it would be discriminatory to list that as a violation of rules during a contest. Stopping the tattoo ban was a wise decision, because the rule it self was pointless. A tattoo does not give a competitor an unfair advantage or hinders the duties of a judge. Unless a competitor is covering up their whole body or wearing the wrong swimsuit tattoos or decorated bikinis should not be an issue.
The production of bikinis has economic importance to the sport. The business has expanded, because there is a market for it. The female athlete might desire a variety in their competition suit. Wearing the same bikini for various contests is not something many athletes will do. Part of the reason a decorated bikini appeals to competitors is because they enjoy the style. Fashion and clothing remains very female oriented. It only makes sense that a women in the sport would start changing the fashion related to their bikinis. Sharon admits she misses the old days. Nostalgia is fine, but it should not be as an excuse to complain about change. That is an inevitable reality of culture and society at large. Multiple companies exist make bikinis for the athletes. Angle Competition Bikinis, Vandella Costumes, and Goddess Glam Competition Suits are just a few companies that make them for athletes of all divisions. The economic element has to be considered. A bikini producer would probably do better with a variety of swimwear. Bodybuilding bikini suits can range from $185 to $500. The swimwear is not just any bikini, but crafted with jewelry. Ear rings and bracelets come with the bikini set. A regular bikini does not have as much detail and fashionable aesthetic. That is not to say a plain bikini would put a competitor at a disadvantage. Decorated bikinis make too much money to be removed from bodybuilding competitions. The rise of them was a business incentive. A bikini will not hide nor detract from a physique. The change in clothing demonstrates how the sport evolves on multiple levels.
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