BROOKLYN'S CONEY ISLAND is known for quirkiness. It's home to fortune tellers, rickety roller coasters, and each summer, the Mermaid Parade -- a parade where people of all sizes bare what mother nature gave them.

Against a backdrop of midway games and hot dog vendors, round bellies, curves, and rolls met the hot July sunshine. Dressed as mermaids, women and men flaunt figures that have never seen the light of a catwalk. It's a true celebration of the so-called "imperfect" body, where outrageous self-expression is the hottest look on the streets.

While I delighted in last year's spectacle, a couple of my friends were on hand to snap photos. Take a look foryourself. next, enter the mermaids >