Clothes . . . or lack there of

[No longer active]

Ok, first a rant: Why is it socially acceptable for a man to not wear a shirt and not a woman? I get that some people think breasts are sexy, but don't seem people think shirtless men are sexy? Seems like a double standard. 

 

But along the same lines, is it common for asexual people to find nudity or partial nudity . . . weird? Cause . . . I do. I'm fine bing being naked in private or being around my husband when he is naked. But in public/on TV/etc, I wish that people would keep their clothes on. 

[Roidgy]

it is a double standard..... im a trans man and i wish i could let those bouncy bastards free. 

 

When i see someone shirtless in public it seems silly but i understand it. 

When i see someone naked or partially naked on tv i get kind of apprehensive because i know some stupid sex shit is about to go down

[TheAP]

I don't like seeing people naked, or even shirtless. And full nudity has been known to make me gag. I find people much more attractive with clothes on.

[Karst]

Personally, I don't like seeing nudity or shirtlessness. I understand intellectually that people have a right to do what they want with their own bodies, but I also wish folks would keep their shirts on in public.

[Evren]

It doesn't really bug me, except in that its unexpected. I go to pride and there are lots of shirtless women and trans people (probably) with just their nipples covered, and I almost always do a double take because I'm not used to it. I enjoy being naked, I would like to visit a nudist beach or club.

[Member131995]

Honestly, I just (strongly) prefer people keep their clothes on, or at least, I'm not around to see them with them off. This is why I probably would never go to a pride March, as much as I really want to. I can't expect people to keep their shirts on so all I can do is stay away. I do not like seeing people walk around in public without shirts. Heck, I get uncomfortable when people take their shoes off in public. Like on a plane or sometimes in class, girls will take their shoes off so they can fold their bare *shudder* feet in their chairs and ugghhhhh...I probably need help...😖

[Kia Hiraeth]

If we are all equal under the law why can't women go shirtless to? I actually think most people look better with some clothes on but when its hot and stick outside I think its terribly unfair that guys can take their shirt off but I can't.

[no-longer-in-use]

Shirtless guys on TV just make me roll my eyes. So would a shirtless girl to be honest. I completely agree with you here, partial nudity in public is weird.

[Ortac]

7 hours ago, Cinders said:

is it common for asexual people to find nudity or partial nudity . . . weird?

Well in my case, I don't think I find it any more weird or less weird than most non-asexual people. I recognize that I am very much conditioned to societal norms when it comes to this. If I see someone bare chested or barefoot at the beach or in a park I would think nothing of it, but somewhere like a shopping mall or business district I would find it strange. 

 

However where I think my mindset perhaps does differ as an asexual is that I make no differentiation between male and female bodies and I don't see why there should be different rules for each. Personally, I would prefer it if people stayed covered up as I find bodies not at all attractive or nice to look at, but that's just me. I think that if people want to dress minimally, they should be allowed to do that. 

[Skycaptain]

The "double standards" is the most annoying thing here. Irrespective of whether people want to see others walking around topless it shouldn't be seen as acceptable for half the population and not the other half. 

 

Having said that, my preference would be for people to keep chests covered 

[Noko42]

Yeah males definitely get away with a lot more then females in Australia. Go to the pub and find men just in footy shorts and nothing else (or in my dads case budgie smugglers) lol. It’s not a pretty sight 😹 

 

females normally have to be fully dressed but Australia is far more relaxed with clothing requirements lol

 

In my opinion it is far better to see people with clothes on then random naked people walking down the beach lol

 

My boss is a nudist and it is hard for us to get him to keep his clothes on. I found out the hard way when he invited me to go swimming with him when I first started working there lol. Did not need to see that 🤢 

[Ceebs]

9 hours ago, Cinders said:

But along the same lines, is it common for asexual people to find nudity or partial nudity . . . weird?

It's common but only because it's common for a lot of people to feel that way. I'm not asexual and I really hate being naked unless I'm taking care of personal hygiene or having sex. Obviously not all sexual people feel as I do, but also not all asexuals dislike nudity. I've seen people on here say they enjoy just lounging around in the buff. There's likely no significant correlation to one's sexual orientation.

[Philip027]

11 hours ago, Cinders said:

Ok, first a rant: Why is it socially acceptable for a man to not wear a shirt and not a woman? I get that some people think breasts are sexy, but don't seem people think shirtless men are sexy? Seems like a double standard. 

Because it's female chests that get excessively sexually objectified, and the police are not able/willing to deal with all the sexual harassment cases that would ensue if women were freely topless so it's instead easier for them to just outlaw it.

 

It isn't quite a double standard because males and females don't have the same body shapes, to the point where the chest can actually be a decent indicator if someone is male or female.  But yeah, shit still sucks.  Blame biology for that one (and pigheaded males too, if it helps you feel any better)

 

12 hours ago, Cinders said:

But along the same lines, is it common for asexual people to find nudity or partial nudity . . . weird? Cause . . . I do. I'm fine bing being naked in private or being around my husband when he is naked. But in public/on TV/etc, I wish that people would keep their clothes on. 

I was like that when I was younger, but then I think most kids are.  I've mostly outgrown it and now I'm at a level of general indifference, so long as your nudity is not some kind of feeble attempt to entice me.  THEN it goes back to being uncomfortable, because, well, it won't work.

[ryn2]

Where I live women are allowed by law to go topless in public as long as they’re doing it in a nonsexual manner.  You pretty much never see anyone doing it, though, because it’s not worth the crap it causes.  Also, something being sexual is a bit “in the eye of the beholder” so innocent intent might be hard to prove.

[Redwylde]

I think it's a bit of a double standard, in the way that they should both stay covered and not the other way around.

I'm generally okay with nudity in general (except for penises - I'm phallophobic. I know we aren't talking about that but for the record) if I have the space to approach the subject, but I don't consent to seeing it when I'm minding my own business getting my shopping in and someone's bits are hanging out in the middle of the street.

[Laplace]

I’d prefer if everyone was modestly dressed in most public areas, barring beaches, swimming pools, and other places where one typically wears less clothing. That goes for men and women. There is a double standard for acceptable levels of nudity; however, I believe is generally for the best in the context of a sexual society. Let’s face facts. While male chests CAN be sexualized, in general, women’s breasts are viewed much more frequently in a sexual light. The amount of harassment would be insane if a woman were to go topless in most public areas. Unless it’s possible to unilaterally change the majority of people’s views on boobs, there’s some standards that are kinda warranted.

[The Dryad]

I have no idea, people should wear their clothes if modesty is the best policy, which probably is, because most people probably feel offended if people aren't wearing clothes. I know I am,regardless of gender.

 

I think human bodies can be beautiful, but there's a time and place for everything, some people might argue that everyone should be able to go shirtless in public...which is fine, but what about pants then? Or even underwear? If everyone's naked....the real question is 

Spoiler

who wants to sit in the same chair someone's naked butt just sat in....with their own naked butt?....did they wipe well when they went to the bathroom? These are the real issues though...

 

[Guest]

The more clothes the better.

 

I even changed the lyrics to that one Nelly song (when I was like, 10) to reflect how I feel about clothes:

🎵 It's getting cold in here, so put on all your clothes 🎵

🎵 I am getting so cold, I'm gonna put more clothes on 🎵

[will123]

A Canadian perspective,

 

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/women-s-topless-court-victory-20-years-later-1.1026403&ved=2ahUKEwiYk-aop83dAhWKxVkKHfVmCgkQFjALegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw0cycKB8j8NuPTph9tI-DZh

[No longer active]

13 hours ago, Moon Spirit ☽ said:

The more clothes the better.

 

I even changed the lyrics to that one Nelly song (when I was like, 10) to reflect how I feel about clothes:

🎵 It's getting cold in here, so put on all your clothes 🎵

🎵 I am getting so cold, I'm gonna put more clothes on 🎵

This gave me a good laugh. 🤣

[Madao]

AI appreciate nudity as a part of nature, but like many others said above, there should be a time and place for it. 

I like people with clothes on, because the nipples really distract and irritate me for some reason. I am neutral towards nudity in general since my some members of my family are 90% shirtless 24/7.

[everywhere and nowhere]

I'm absolutely nudity-averse, so you won't get any "boobs are just another body part!" message from me. Nope, I'm extremely uncomfortable with showing my body and it's gradual - I don't mind having my forearms, ankles or neck (except when it's very scratched due to my allergy ) visible, but my "no-go zone" is much larger than in most people - I already feel uncomfortable if my chest is visible below the collarbone or my legs above the middle of my calves (btw, I hate "midi" skirts, I think legs look short in them. I only like ankle-long skirts and I very rarely wear skirts anyway - if anything, rather robes* + pants underneath. But I sometimes wear capri pants for one single reason, in fact: to shock passers-by or people on the bus with my unshaved legs).

But I think that men's chests... well, at the very least they belong on the beach and not in the cities. I have seen a few male shirtless cyclists and runners - not in a budy city center, but still Ursynów is no suburb, just a district much calmer than the center.

I absolutely support how some restaurants and cafes at the Polish seaside are implementing a "no shirt - no service" rule. Once a guy leaves the beach, he should cover up - just the fact that the sea is one kilometer away doesn't excuse sitting shirtless in a diner.

*A robe is, in my terms, a garment which differs from a dress in that it has no waistline, just hangs like a sack from the shoulders to its bottom. The ones I wear are always pure cotton (allergy) and have ethnic patterns - I love hippie/ethno style and I'm not going to look elegant just because I'm 37. OK, yesterday I wore much more elegant clothes to a drag queen festival - bell bottom jeans, blue men's shirt and a yellow and blue paisley necktie. But still... well, it's very far from standard "female formal clothes".

[ryn2]

Your robes sound kind of like caftans?

 

Eateries here all have no shirt, no shoes, no service policies.

[Fluffy Femme Guy]

Clothes on!
I'm somewhat neutral about nudity, but I wouldn't want to have a nude get-together with friends or anything like that.
I prefer to have groins covered at an absolute minimum. I prefer breasts to be covered as well.

If it's quick and incidental or accidental it's fine, but don't go putting your genitals in my face and expect me to be fine with it.

And a gigantic 'NO!!' if it's part of a sexual advance.
Find someone else, I'm not interested. In fact I'm probably terrified, and completely disgusted with you at the moment.

But I really do enjoy a large range of clothing styles from very conservative to very revealing.

[everywhere and nowhere]

3 hours ago, ryn2 said:

Your robes sound kind of like caftans?

Here's one of my robes:

It's a photo from a Slut Walk in Warsaw. A few practical an ideological explanations:

The piece of cardboard in my left hand says "Horny? Self-service please!", the item in my right hand is my fan.

I was trying to compromise between my need for well-covering clothes and very hot weather, hence my uncovered forearms and part of my legs. Untypical for a Slut Walk (in this photo people are wearing more normal clothes, but for example one woman had her boobs covered only by some silver tape), but not that striking...

Generally, I just feel internally unable to wear skimpy clothes. Below some threshold I would be psychologically unable to let anyone see me in too skimpy clothes. But I was also trying to convey a certain ideological message by wearing a robe and a hijab to a Slut Walk: I was trying to support the message by showing that it's not so simple that women are supposedly protected if they only "don't dress like sluts". No, external evaluation of women's apperance and clothing is a typical double-bind situation.

[ryn2]

That’s an attractive and comfy-looking robe (which does, yeah, look a bit like a caftan).

 

The message makes sense too.

[tamarow]

I have no issue with nudity because most of the time I only see nude people for drawing and painting class. I only see it as anatomy. As for myself I completely understand why people are uncomfortable, but I have never had the issue of being nude. Probably because I used to change in front of other people all the time in the locker room at school. it depends on whats happening for me to be uncomfortable. if the nudity (in any context) is displayed in a sexual way I don't like it. If its just a body I'm indifferent. 

[Fluffy Femme Guy]

11 hours ago, tamarow said:

I have no issue with nudity because most of the time I only see nude people for drawing and painting class. I only see it as anatomy. As for myself I completely understand why people are uncomfortable, but I have never had the issue of being nude. Probably because I used to change in front of other people all the time in the locker room at school. it depends on whats happening for me to be uncomfortable. if the nudity (in any context) is displayed in a sexual way I don't like it. If its just a body I'm indifferent. 

I agree context and intent is a big part of it.

[gray-seagull]

On 9/20/2018 at 6:14 PM, Cinders said:

Ok, first a rant: Why is it socially acceptable for a man to not wear a shirt and not a woman? I get that some people think breasts are sexy, but don't seem people think shirtless men are sexy? Seems like a double standard. 

1

Yes, that is a facet of society's misogynistic double standard. Women have to cover up because men can't take responsibility for controlling themselves. 

[Colonel Aureliano Buendía]

It seems to me that all our standards for acceptable clothing levels are cultural. In different times and places, different things have been considered okay in public. There's no real reason why the things we cover need to be covered, it's just what we're used to.