Wet T-shirt Competitions

[Tiepose]

Were they real and how did they work?

Were they planned or spontaneous?

How good were the prizes?

When did they take place? (as in: which decade?)

How ubiquitous were they?

Am I likely to know anybody who would have taken part, and what sort of person would this be?

TIA

Also, it is a misnomer. The whole business sounds as though it has very little to do with the T shirts.

I love this! ‘A popular way to ogle breasts’.

And how did you qualify to be the officiant, I wonder? 🤣

I think they might have done them in Butlins in the 90s but I was just a kid then so not 100% sure I remember right.

OP
You mention the Bible but....topless dresses were worn by some ladies in ancient Egypt.

in England, In the Napoleonic era (I think?) there was a trend to wear damp dresses to cling to the body.

Wasn't a lot of Victorian culture a response to the more scandalous nature of Regency society?

Yeah they did them in clubs in student night when I was at uni 2005-6ish. The kind of clubs that had £10 all you can drink nights. The prizes were cash or fake champagne.

… and what about Colin Firth in his wet T shirt when Elizabeth Bennet first visits Pemberley?

Well, Colin Firth is dated 1995, so the trend was well established - though I couldn't take my eyes off the house!

The ancient Egypt stuff seemed more relevant to your Bible query. 😂

Yep I was there at the time -Gaza tried to rip my shirt off. They were all absolutely shit faced. Hong Kong 1996

When I was at uni in the early 2000s, a local nightclub used to host them... So not as far back as you would think! Was mainly students who took part.

I never saw one though was aware they were run in some holiday resorts and clubs (think the kind of place targeted at 20 somethings).

we go to motorbike rallies and yes they are still a thing there but then again bike world can be still very sexist usually the girl with the biggest boobs wins it is what it is ok probably not very pc nowadays

Late 200s when I started going clubbing, one of the clubs I went to had a clothes swap competition. They’d get a girl and a guy on the stage, stand them behind a sheet and get them to swap clothes as a timer went down. When the timer stopped, the sheet was dropped and inevitably they’d be on the stage in their underwear. As a thanks for participating, they got a bottle of lambrini each.