Topless abroad . Yes or no

[HowmuchcanispendatChristmas]

Just after everyone's opinions. I'm on an all inclusive holiday . Nothing flash . European destination. Hot sunny . 3*. Would you feel offended if a female sunbathes topless at the pool? Just for context I have done , but put bikini top on to go in pool and her drinks . It's literally just going topless when laying on sunbed . More context age range is babies up to 70+ . Lots of different shapes and weights of people . Lots of bellies make and female and lots of big boobs on men. Like I say this is just for context . Just interested in people's opinions. I'm with my husband on holiday .

Good for you, @Browsing2023, and I see no reason why you shouldn't, unless you're in a country where it's culturally unacceptable.

I think it's really sad that so many people are uptight about the human body.

Yeah, you can’t tell if someone is on their phone or taking a picture/video now. Rightly or wrongly, I think we’ve all been disabused of the idea that female bodies can be present in a non-sexual way in front of men now. Being harassed on the beach as a young woman, top on, was particularly informative too.

I’ve spent a lot of time in one of the Scandinavian countries and I’ve never seen anyone bathing topless - especially around children.

Getting changed without a care in the world, definitely, but that is a means to and end.

Nakedness in appropriate places, of course, but I would be surprised to see someone (sun)bathing topless by a public pool.

Polite thing to do is keep farther away fom kid's pool
The kids have had a close encounter with them before.

I would go topless certainly. I'm in my 40s and was brought up in France. Topless the normal to me. I often go topless in the UK too. You get the odd look but that is someone else's problem.

Actually, the fact that you’re even asking show that you have a doubt about it, so maybe you shouldn’t be…

This.

I'm sure all the women on here would be cool with a man walking around the pool in a skimpy, tight fitting, thong bikini bottom. I mean it's cool for women to wear that, so it's equally acceptable for men, right?

Yes same 🤔 quite surprised at all the go for it it's fine comments . Beach is different , hotel pool I've never seen it

With the exception of breastfeeding, it always feels a bit like being involved in something sexual without your consent. I'm sure people will insist they only go topless for the even tan and it has no sexual appeal to them. But the reality is the people who do this are creating a sexual situation whether they intend to or not.

I have vividly unpleasant memories of a holiday in Fuerteventura as a child where a large bunch of otherwise normal Brits who became friendly with our group were discussing the various breasts on display at the pool and rated them within earshot of me. They were saying what everyone else was thinking, I observed many other people staring, pointing, winking at their friends and showing their sexual interest in the displays. For children to be around that sort of atmosphere is deeply, deeply unpleasant regardless of the original intentions of the women who go topless. I find it grossly inappropriate at family resorts.

Of course people will blame the observers and say the topless women are not at fault for other people being pervy. This doesn't sit right with me. Anyone with half a brain will know we are a sexual species and others will have basic instinctive reactions. I find the topless women just as culpable as the pervy onlookers, they are both sides of a very grubby coin in my opinion.

It depends which country you are in and what the local customs are.

I would take my cue from other people.

But won't you have a tan line from your bikini bottoms? Who sees your tan line?

I use to 20 odd years ago but I think it's declining in the younger generation. I'd not do it now because men can't be trusted with phones cameras around naked women.

@JMSA - saying "The 'what about men' argument doesn't stack up" is an opinion (which you are of course entitled to) is is not a fact.

In my view it's an equality issue and it's time men got more sensible about the female breast. Some bikini tops just enhance rather that cover anyway.

It's a holiday pool, not a munnciple pool in a city. And yes, I've seen people topless in a city centre pool in Copenhagen.

I think laying on a sunbed topless (either face down or face up) is pretty normal.

Where I draw the line is walking around topless, frolicking in the pool, going to the poolside bar, etc., which, personally speaking, is taking it too far at a family-style hotel/resort.

If you want to walk around or frolic in the water topless, then find a clothes optional beach.

Wtf! They're not remotely the same!

I usually holiday in Europe and have done for years. I’ve seen topless women on the beach but never by the pool. I’m not sure why - maybe it’s rules or convention. So, I wouldn’t do it. Would I judge you? Not really but I’d wonder why you were doing it when others weren’t. The women by the pool do lie on their fronts with their bikini straps undone, or sometimes they lie on their back but kind of roll/tuck their bikini top down so their nipples and most of their breasts are still covered.

It's quite interesting reading this thread, and I am usually very much for the live and let live approach and doing what feels comfortable for you. But I can still vividly remember my sister and I going topless 30 odd years ago in the Canaries (when we were in our early twenties and in pretty fine shape) and a couple of older guys being v interested IFSWIM. Nothing more than staring and adjusting their trunks 🤨 which you weren't really aware of until you turned over or sat up but it still makes me feel a bit creeped out all these years later. Have never done it since and really never wanted to. Can only imagine now when everyone has a camera phone I would feel v uneasy.

@HowmuchcanispendatChristmas
Absolutely wouldn't bother me at all if someone was topless sunbathing by the pool.

(.)(.) 🙂

I'd be quietly thinking "good for you" and wishing I was comfortable enough with my own body to do it...it's way more healthy for society to see all sorts of shapes, ages and sizes, at ease, rather than always sexualising nakedness. (The female breast particularly).

And seeing real bodies in varying stages of condition are an important contrast to airbrushed perfection on SM, IMO.

As you say, you're being discreet about it all, minding your own business...if someone was, on the other hand, very purposely flaunting themselves to all, re-enacting soft porn with the suncream, whilst floating through pool swimmers on a flamingo inflatable, I'd be inclined to think differently!

Not wrong per se but I would be surprised to see this immediately by the pool in a family hotel. Less so in a quiet corner away from the “action”

And very good points made by PPs about furtive phone cameras probably being why people are very wary.

What times we live in.

Wouldn’t be something I would do (body confidence issues) but I wouldn’t care what others around me did.

Agreed. Topless in the beach is one thing (and I do quietly still judge) but I have never seen women topless around the pool - especially a child friendly pool

Sensible about the human breast = not harassing or touching women without consent. This is already the case for 99% of people.

You can't except anyone to be suddenly asexual, however. That goes for everyone. Men, women, teenagers, whatever.

I don’t like the idea of doing it because you are proud of your body, it implies a standard of body. Either it’s ok for women or not.

BUT, not knowing that much about it, I don’t know why I have an idea of it being a beach thing? Does that come from films? I just went to France, Italy and Spain and it seemed to be pool - top, beach - topless. I wonder if that’s their custom.

Beach yes, pool nooooooo