Topless yoga!

[Newmum738]

I've been going to a hot yoga class and on Sunday, a guy rocked up next to me with no top on and jus a small pair of shorts. I found it really uncomfortable and offensive to be honest so I emailed the company to ask about the dress code.

I said that I hadn't found it comfortable and for women from some cultures this would be completely unacceptable. And of course if I took my top off I'm sure I would get kicked out.

I've had a reply today that says there is an FAQ doc that states it's OK for men to be topless. They said that the man had his girlfriend next to him (how is this relevant?!!). And perhaps I could move next time or go to a different class that isn't so busy.

Wondered what people think about this response?

@Liveandkicking

Honestly I don’t see a massive problem here.

Me neither

I wouldn't like that either but it sounds as though your yoga place, like many PP on here, don't think women's discomfort is anything to bother about. I guess you'll have to decide whether this is a battle worth starting. Sorry your class has been spoiled.

I don't think it's a problem either. It's hot yoga; people do often wear very little and that's just to be expected. Many studios' websites etc suggest that you dress lightly and feature pics of men with bare chests and women in sports bras, so it shouldn't be a surprise. I think it's quite unusual that you haven't seen this before in a hot yoga class.

As for women from some cultures, I think that's a red herring. IME with observant Jewish and Muslim women they simply cannot be in a gym or class environment with men full stop, whatever they're wearing.

I do think their response was a bit odd in that his girlfriend is irrelevant. If I were them I'd just have said it's normal in the hot yoga context for men to be bare-chested.

That said, though, if I were running a hot yoga studio I'd think about running women-only classes; I think they'd be quite popular.

I genuinely don't see the issue here.

@DidoDino

I wouldn't like that either but it sounds as though your yoga place, like many PP on here, don't think women's discomfort is anything to bother about. I guess you'll have to decide whether this is a battle worth starting. Sorry your class has been spoiled.

I've got to say that as a woman some of the attitudes on this thread make me extremely uncomfortable. As a highly athletic person I spend most of last summer in short shorts and crop tops because I'm pretty much always working out. And in a hot atmosphere there is an utterly enormous difference between how you feel in midriff covering vest and a crop top.

And yeah, I probably do 'look better' more covered up as my belly area is very scarred after numerous surgeries when I was younger. As well as the saggy skin/stretch marks leftover after pregnancy. So it actually took a phenomenal amount of overcoming my mental discomfort to feel ok about dressing in a way that lessens my physical discomfort. But I strongly believe that no-one, especially women, should be beholden to stupid fucking societal decorum and beauty standards to the expense of their actual physical comfort and/or health.

Yes there are polite/respectful(?) standards we all adhere to, to some degree. But in terms of there being a time and place for anything, hot yoga, sure as hell sounds like a time and place for wearing very little for the sake of physical comfort.

@Wanderingowl I completely agree with you - you do you, I can only wish to be as athletic as you appear to be and if I was, I'd spend most of my time in small sports clothes too (I live in a hot country). The OPs complaint is completely unreasonable in my eyes, I would fully expect to see topless men and women in sports bras in a hot yoga class.

In the hot yoga class I attend, men are required to wear a top at all times.

I wish there were more women only sessions.

I don’t mind the shirtless men, I mind the smell. Hot yoga by its nature means everyone has to be squeezed in together cheek-by-jowl and it’s vomit-inducing when someone has bad BO.
Yes, women can also be stinky but generally if someone pongs it’s a bloke. 🤮

Just wondering how you feel about men's and women's swimwear, OP? It is perfectly normal for men to be topless in a swimming pool and women to cover up their breasts. I can't really understand how these different social norms for the two sexes are less acceptable in a hot yoga class.
I speak as someone who gets horribly hot and sweaty in gym classes! So I have sympathy with people who wear the least they can get away with within the rules.

I wonder how those rules would be applied to trans masc individuals.. Specifically, those [adults] who identify as men and have had their breasts removed vs those who identify as men and are pre-op' or 'non-op'?

Or biologically female, fully intact adults who identify as non-binary or other "Not a WxMxN!" identity?

Standard on my hot yoga class men are top less women in the skimpiest bras they own we have a combined age of 105 and no one bat's an eye. Focus on yourself.

@Tontostitis

Standard on my hot yoga class men are top less women in the skimpiest bras they own we have a combined age of 105 and no one bat's an eye. Focus on yourself.

I salute your attitude but you are not 'topless' if you are wearing a bra.

???

Oh i see all the commas are missing