to think no matter how hot it is, you should keep your shirt on in public?

[Khaleasy]

Places like beaches and swimming pools excluded of course.

But walking around Tesco? I don't want to see anyone's sweaty nipples! Keep your top on!
(i'm boiling in this heat but trust me, no one wants me to whip my shirt off in the shopping centre!)

The warm weather brings out the worst-dressed crimes. I don't do summer very well, and I am still in jeans and t-shirt and quite happy. No desire to strip off.

I read the saying 'Just because it zips doesn't meant it fits' and that is so true at the moment.

Hey Mumsnet!

The Victorians called and they need their morals back.....

Oh god SKIN!!! whatever will we do!

Surely everyone knows the quality of a person is directly proportional to the amount of clothing they are wearing (by area not weight of course...that would be dumb).

I can be rather old-fashioned about many things - e.g. making your shoulders are covered for a job interview, dressing children so that they look like children rather than miniature WAGs/gangsters, but honestly, it's just skin. Unless it's a particular location or event where a certain propriety has to be observed, what on earth do people think is going to happen?

If people aren't attractive when they expose flesh, so what? Few people are TBH. I'd like to think that if you're going to judge someone on something it would be on their behaviour, values, kindness etc rather than the pastiness of their flesh in a supermarket aisle.

YANBU. Time was, a man wouldn't be seen out without a hat. My grandad wouldn't even answer the door in his shirtsleeves.
Now people think its ok to wander around half naked. It's horrid, slovenly and disrespectful.

Agree, it's totally uncalled for, common as muck and usually a physical assault on the eyes when men walk around town and shops etc with no top on. It's not THAT hot ffs. And it's nearly always pasty pigeon chested chavs. One walked past my window the other day. No top, mullet, horrific sunburn and a pitbull or similar on a string, amazing. BUT I think it's equally unacceptable even when they're not a minger, like the drop dead gorgeous young black man in Morrisons the other day. You're in a supermarket for god's sake, get dressed! I'd love to walk around half (completely) naked all the time, I'm 17 weeks pg and really suffering in the heat. But I don't. Do women really walk around in bikini tops? Haven't seen that, yet... Those denim shorts that are so short you can see the bottom of the pockets always make me laugh.

And don't even get me started on the comedy tattoos that are on show now. I've nothing against tattoos, I've got 5, most of which you can't see most of the time. But some of them are just hilarious, always good for a giggle in a long supermarket queue!

I would normally agree but I have just seen the tastiest young man in the park without his shirt.
He should be made to go shirtless all the time.

lol @ kittens. I think a park's kind of ok anyway, it's a bit like being at the beach really.

agree with holly park is ok
or washing your car outside

Food shopping, library, bus, dentist - not ok

I walked through Hyde Park yesterday (after work) to go meet a friend and was astounded at the amount of bare flesh on display, not just from the men but from the ladies also and not all of it was easy on the eye, actually rather a lot of it was just wrongness! But I can't knock their devil may care attitude to "summer dressing", they obviously don't care what other people think and I take my hat off to that...

Or maybe they think they look good?! That's the really scary prospect!

Yanbu at all! It's horrible. Bare chests are acceptable on the beach or in the park. Or when breastfeeding of course

YANBU. Anyone over the age of puberty should save their nudity and semi nudity for beaches, swimming pools and the privacy of their own house and garden. Anything bordering on being so tiny it constitutes swimwear or underwear should NEVER be seen in towns, cities, shops etc. Even if you think you have the body of a Sex God/dess, I don't care, the answer is still no. Put it away, please.

I agree with the OP.

It must be tough though working outdoors in the heat. There is building work going on at DDs' school at the moment and the builders are just wearing the hi vis tabards on top. Not that I have assessed them in detail or anything but I generally agree no walking about in town with bare chests.

I really don't like men wandering about with tops off. It's gross and yes I too find it aggressive en mass.

However, on Sunday a super-fit, tanned, rippley muscle type had his top off walking down the road and I approved.

I'm a shallow, shallow woman to let my moral compass be so swayed by a pair of fine so very, very fine pectorals.

My nearly 17yo DD1 and I have been having this conversation frequently over the last few days. She is of the majority opinion - beach, park, garden fine; anywhere else not fine - so clearly its not just old gimmers like me that feel like this!

Its just so UNNECESSARy - what's wrong with a T-shirt and shorts or a flimsy floaty dress over your bikini?

Agree it's totally unnecessary. I had a shirtless man sitting next to me on the bus the other day - not much fun. It's just so blinkin' inappropriate.

Some people seem to think that every single public space is simply an extension of their front room/bedroom/garden. Put some clothes on for heaven's sake! And put some sunscreen on while you're at it - red raw peeling skin is horrendous to look at, not to mention extremely dangerous.

And wash and moisturise your feet if you're wearing open shoes. And remove chipped nail varnish. And use deodorant.

End of rant

MaryZ @ poor deprived shirtless teens!

shopkeepers are so fickle! - take your hood off, bike helmet off, sunglass off...no no no pants & shirts back on...hands out of pockets...

there's no pleasing them!

To the OP and mot of the respondents in this thread: YABU.

There is an appalling double standard here. We as women want to be able to go out (whether on on a night out or during the day) in skimpy outfits if we want and not to be judged on it, yet want to dictate what men can wear (or not wear). Some are OK with it as long as the bloke has "the body for it", yet will complain if he is otherwise and howl protestations at the remarks of John Inverdale about Marion Bartoli.

DH seems to have been mostly bare-chested for the last two weeks - even at work. He keeps scrupulously clean and odour free and is in pretty good shape, but he is extremely hairy and gets hot. DH has put a vest on when in the supermarket. He doesn't strip off to show off, only to be comfortable (and it does save washing).

Personally as long as they aren't rubbing shop goods on their sweaty chest then putting it back on the shelf it's fine by me.

Wear what you like when you like. If I don't like the look of it, i just look away.

Easy.

shopkeepers are so fickle! - take your hood off, bike helmet off, sunglass off...no no no pants & shirts back on...hands out of pockets...

there's no pleasing them!

Haha -so true!

I really feel that in the UK people don't know anything about appropriate dress when it's hot. The sun comes out and everyone strips off and I'm talking about men and women of various ages here.

I have Italian friends who say that in the Italian summer people still wear full length trousers in town and hot pants are only worn on the beach. I have never flaunted loads of flesh even when I was 18 no matter how hot it is.

On the street, in the park, I don't care, but in shops especially food shops and fast food places, t shirts please.

There's no need to be topless. Men are no cooler topless than in a vest are they?

I repeat that I don't want to see a bare chest whether Adonis like or beer belly ahoy. Just put it away.

Sparkling

I think I'd forgive having to look at a 6-pack though
hmmmm
but not a barrel....

(Disclaimer: nothing against barrel bellies as such. DH is a proud owner of a demi-barrel >