This is an interesting discussion. I have no problem being completely nude alone in my house. I have a pool in the back yard and have no trouble swimming around naked, although this depends if my child is at home or sleeping and I try to be reasonable about not shocking my child or the neighbors.
My wife is more demure. She is hesitant to swim naked unless its night.
I think there is a lot of difference beween the sexes on this. First off, to females, swimsuits, as I understand feel like wearing underwear in public. I can understand that, the fashion is form fitting and improper style or size makes a big difference. Men’s swimsuits trend the other way, more like boxer shorts and little other than bellies are revealed.
I also think that females are more aware of their percieved bodily flaws. I just love seeing my wife in the buff but she will quickly correct me to show sags or other imperfections, I think she looks great. Men rarely will do that, men will flex the tiniest bicep and believe that they are Mr. Universe.
I don’t understand it.
I don’t believe that I would ever join in the clothing optional culture in America. I’d be too engrossed in staring at the ladies and comparing myself to other men. I’d miss the enjoyment of being in nature without clothing. However, when I know that I’m alone and nobody will be shocked or offended I’ll go naked in an instant.
I have kinda an unusual body type (very very thin), so while I like my body fine and am a very nudity-positive person, I can feel ‘embarrassed’ by the possibility of other people’s reactions to nudity or revealing clothing, and I often get negative comments on my body when I wear smaller clothes in summer.
I hate the prevailing attitude towards nudity in the USA (which to me seems to be 'only sexy people should be allowed to be nude/all nudity is inherently sexual and anyone who is not fully clothed is ‘asking for attention’) and wish we were more relaxed and body positive.
So, I am comfy naked at home around friends who are comfortable with that, doing art modeling, or at clothing-optional public areas - where the people around me aren’t concerned with my nakedness and/or are often fully naked themselves. I wear a small bikini when swimming and since that’s normalized at the beach or pool, I don’t notice anyone staring and don’t feel self-conscious.
But in any arena where it’s customary for everyone to be fully clothed, people are going to be gawping at me, or worse, saying say rude things to me, if I’m in a bikini or even a skimpy outfit. So I take pains not to ‘show too much skin’.
I have very little body modesty. As a child, I was apt to peel down in front of strangers in order to change into a swimsuit or other clothes and just did not get why it was a big deal. In college, I understood that it was a big deal, but I happily took a part time job modeling for art classes (I was an art major and understood what they were looking for).
Twenty years and a hundred pounds later, I still don’t have body modesty, but I do have body shame. I do not like how my body looks, and I’m aware of the disgust some people voice seeing even modestly clothed fat people. Even alone, I tend not to strip down, though that is more practical care of my hide. Heat rash is no fun, and I’m much more likely to scrape or injure my skin naked than wearing clothes.