It's beach week, so I've purposefully had my computer off more often than on, but I found this article on why fewer women bath topless in France really interesting.
What I've noticed from several days at the beach around La Grande Motte (near Montpellier) is that it's mostly woman who have kids or are older that bath topless. Young women all have bandeau bikinis which can be strapless and thus don't leave visible tan marks.
The article doesn't mention what I think are the two main reasons topless bathing is down, so I'll state them here:
1) There's nothing to prove anymore.
Topless used to be new, counter-culture, feminist, liberating.... Now it's something your mom did when you were a kid at the beach. Women used to not be able to wear pants to work or school, so being topless was a real symbol of freedom and progress. But in 2010 being topless is a symbol of...being on vacation?
2) You go to the beach with your friends, including guys, and you're not about to show them your boobs.
Maybe women used to go to the beach with girlfriends, or a boyfriend/husband, so topless was fine. But pretty much all the teenagers/20 somethings I've seen at the beach this week are there as a group, and I don't know many young women who are okay with showing their boobs to guy friends. Taking off your top is either for your boyfriend or a same-sex environment like a spa, but not for your friends from school/work who came to the beach with you.
So what have you noticed? Any other reasons you think the article missed? And do you sun bathe topless?
4 comments:
I found that if you go to the beach when there are mostly locals (June and September) you will see much more women topless. My boyfriend (from Montpellier) says that people from the North are a bit more puritanical.
I've tried it once and I was not conviced by it :)
My husband and I noticed the same phenomenon. Mostly older women doing this. Maybe to show people they've still got what it takes (though this is not always the case)? Frankly he thinks it's more appealing to see a woman covered and leaving something to the imagination...
Come on Laura... With such a title I was hoping for some PICTURES haha.
Actually, I have seen young girls do it, but it was a group of friends, so your theory may be right (don't tell Uyanga that I looked at their boobs)
You do have a well- organized BLOG with attractive features, especially the topic
of "Top-less sunbathing." Keep up your good work!
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naguabo.blogspot.com
Thank you.
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