Difference between bras and bikini tops?

[ILovetheSunshine1234]

Genuine question here and it's in relation to a Dailymail article (yes I know):

mol.im/a/9417311

There is a picture among tons of images of women on the beach with bikinis and among these pictures is a picture of 2 women on Barry Island wearing shorts and a bra.

A lot of the commenters on Dailymail are saying how the women look like 'typical Barry island girls', 'why are they wearing their underwear and not a bikini?' "Walking around in bras - classy"

AIBU to think that these ladies are getting a hard time over the bra picture? I mean, I wouldn't personally walk around in my bra but I wouldn't resort to calling these ladies 'scummy', 'not classy' 'typical Barry girls'.
There are tons of images of women in bikinis so I really don't see the difference apart from they're wearing bras... but bikinis look like bras?

Also men can walk around topless? I don't see commenters being disgusted by that.

[BeigeFoodLover]

They looks like bikini tops to me in the picture. Maybe the colour is misleading, but bikinis are very structured these days. (And I would still prefer a bra rather than those swimsuits that look like a piece of string tied around a joint of beef...)

[Beseigedbykillersquirrels]

[quote ILovetheSunshine1234]@ThisForUnpopularOpinions I find this whole "breasts are sexual organs" a bad excuse; there are plenty of European countries in which women happily lay on the beach topless; For some reason, many people in this country expect a woman to cover them up.

I am not saying I would walk around in my bra or topless, but if a man can walk around topless, then what is the problem with those 2 women in a bra among other women in bikini tops? Maybe they were wearing a jacket and got hot? Maybe they had a jumper on and got hot?[/quote]
Oh what wide-eyed faux naivité. "For some reason, many people in this country expect a woman to cover then up". And you genuinely have no idea why?
There's a campaign at the moment for bras to be donated to countries in Africa because a girl/woman is less likely to be sexually assaulted if she is wearing one.
Would you be happy for your child's teacher to go topless or strut about in her bra and knickers? Or for your daughter to be encouraged to go topless?

[Kimye4eva]

For me it’s about material and style. I wouldn’t walk around in just one of my bras as they are obviously underwear. Sports bra I might be ok with but they are thicker and often more coverage.

If they are clearly bras then they are not the same as a bikini top and in my view shouldn’t be worn as such.

[ILovetheSunshine1234]

@Beseigedbykillersquirrels where did I say teachers should walk around topless? We're talking about a beach here.

[ILovetheSunshine1234]

@BeigeFoodLover I think the same! Some of the Shein and Boohoo bikinis look like a bra these days!

[ILovetheSunshine1234]

@Kimye4eva I do agree that I wouldn't personally wear a bra to the beach but I just don't see why these 2 women in a bra on a beach are a problem. Perhaps they did just get too hot and took the tops off. How is that different to a man taking his top off on the beach?

[ILovetheSunshine1234]

@malmi I genuinely don't see why others would care about 2 women on a beach wearing a bra. Especially when some bikini tops cover a lot less. I certainly am not offended by a bra.

[CounsellorTroi]

30 or 40 years ago we had proper seasons. No one would be sunbathing in bikinis on the beach in March or even April.

[SaucySarah]

I saw the picture,Those particular bras are not at all lacey or see-thru. I'm pretty sure they are bras but they could be grey / cream bikini tops.

[Beseigedbykillersquirrels]

[quote ILovetheSunshine1234]@Kimye4eva I do agree that I wouldn't personally wear a bra to the beach but I just don't see why these 2 women in a bra on a beach are a problem. Perhaps they did just get too hot and took the tops off. How is that different to a man taking his top off on the beach?[/quote]
What is it you're not getting here? You're really coming across as a bit silly by protesting that you have no idea why it's different for men and women.
People will be surprised to see people walking around in their underwear, whether you like it or not. If you saw a man walking around in his boxers I'm sure it would register with you. It's out of the ordinary. The way you keep going on about not understanding how it's different for men and women being topless is bizarre. What exactly is your issue? Your point that women frequently go topless in other countries and here they are expected to cover up when men aren't? Or that people are surprised by/judging these girls for wearing their underwear in public when men go topless? The first should be blatantly obvious and the second aren't comparable.

[LolaSmiles]

Bras are underwear, bikinis are swimwear.

Just like I'd not bat an eye lid at a man buying an ice cream at the beach in swim shorts or board shorts but would think it weird if he wandered up for his 99 in a pair of boxers.

[OfaFrenchmind2]

I see no difference between a bra and a bikini, provided the bra is not sheer.

My only issue, coming from a French seaside city, is when people walk about in the streets either in bikini/bra or topless. This is not respectful. It is ok however in parks when static or on the beachside.

[Stoppissingonmyheather]

"another way to control women" what is? Having breasts? Or thinking they are something sexual? Fookin hell I hate to tell you this but breasts serve many functions and are very useful during sex so I am afraid they are very much sexual things aswell as comfy cushions baby feeders and tea rests there is nowt wrong with admitting that and in no way does that mean men invented the idea to control women good god

[CorianderBee]

Idk I do think it's a bit weird - wearing PJs out isn't really considered acceptable even though they're just clothes. I guess it's because Brad are sexualised.

They can do what they want though.

[ILovetheSunshine1234]

To all those mentioning the 'boxer' argument, I am not talking about the lower-half of the body. I am talking about the upper half of the body.

Yes breasts are sexualised, so that means a woman who wants to take her bikini top off on the beach to catch some sun shouldn't just because a man on the beach won't be able to control himself?

The women's picture in the dailymail, their bras aren't even lacy, see-through and they're probably covering more than many of the bikini top. But God forbid, it's made from a different fabric

[ILovetheSunshine1234]

@Beseigedbykillersquirrels i'm not talking about the lower-half of the body.
And yes it is comparable that men can be topless on a beach but these 2 ladies wearing their bra on a beach get ridiculued, despite their breasts being full covered up.

Perhaps men should control themselves when a woman has her breasts out on a beach rather than women covering them up so men don't get excited?

[malmi]

Everyone knows what you think. What we're struggling with is your inability to see it from another point of view, even if you disagree.

[ILovetheSunshine1234]

@malmi I don't think you speak for 'everyone' on this thread considering some have agreed with what I'm saying;
But nor do I see you seeing it from the other point of view that goes against what you think either, so works both ways really

[Kimye4eva]

Idk I do think it's a bit weird - wearing PJs out isn't really considered acceptable even though they're just clothes.

Well that’s just a whole other thread...

[malmi]

[quote ILovetheSunshine1234]@malmi I don't think you speak for 'everyone' on this thread considering some have agreed with what I'm saying;
But nor do I see you seeing it from the other point of view that goes against what you think either, so works both ways really [/quote]
No I don't speak for everyone.

But I have indeed been expressing the "other point of view" considering that I actually don't have a problem with women (or men) wearing bras, bikinis or nothing on top on a beach. If you don't like it, don't look, as far as I'm concerned. That's honestly my personal position on the matter! But I can understand that others would see it differently, drawing a firmer distinction between swimwear and beachwear and not being comfortable with any sexual body parts being on show. Hope that makes things clear.

[malmi]

*swimwear/beachwear and underwear

[Beseigedbykillersquirrels]

[quote ILovetheSunshine1234]@Beseigedbykillersquirrels i'm not talking about the lower-half of the body.
And yes it is comparable that men can be topless on a beach but these 2 ladies wearing their bra on a beach get ridiculued, despite their breasts being full covered up.

Perhaps men should control themselves when a woman has her breasts out on a beach rather than women covering them up so men don't get excited?[/quote]
You're really desperate to turn this into something it's not. Is this really so important to you?
Men's and women's bodies are different. It has been decided that women's chests should be treated as a 'private' area, not for general display. Of course men should be able to control themselves around topless women but the fact is that it's not seen as appropriate in this country for women to walk about topless. Your complete refusal to understand why is becoming really tedious.
One more time, wearing underwear as outerwear will attract attention as it's not generally the done thing. You'd probably notice if a man was wearing a bra at the beach, seeing as how you don't seem to understand that men and women offen have different underwear requirements.

[Beseigedbykillersquirrels]

Also, how do you know that so many women actually want to have their breasts out on a beach? You, again, appear to be confusing wearing underwear at the beach with wanting to go topless because men can/do. Your posts suggest that you think these two women would have liked to have been topless rather than walk about in their underwear. You don't know this. These women's breasts were covered up, as you keep mentioning. They attracted attention because they were wearing underwear as clothes, so why are you going on about women being topless when you have no idea if they actually want to be? Write to your MP and start a campaign about changing the law to allow public nakedness if it's really that important to you.

[ZacharyQuack]

It's the distance from the water. Like Togs vs Undies

[RingtheBells]

Some bras are a lot sturdier than bikini tops which are often a couple of flimsy triangles.