I’ve been thinking about this a lot, because of the whole burqa/modesty issue that’s cropping up these days, and all because of the show Big Love, where on the Warren Jeffs-esque compound, the women dress in ankle length skirts and long sleeves. One character on a recent episode has just come from the compound (she’s a young girl, I think 12 or 13) and feels really uncomfortable and naked wearing things like a sleeveless shirt or shorts. But when she’s wearing the typical all covered up stuff she’s comfy with people tend to think, “Whoa…Laura Ingalls Wilder with a rattail.”
It made me think–we all have our limits. What would make you feel uncomfortable? A all nude society? A society where we just wore the equivalent of a bathing suit? I’m pretty comfy wearing revealing stuff but I think the naked thing would freak me out. Also, I love wearing nice clothes and fashion. I’d probably be the insane prude who adopted clothes while everyone else was letting it all hang out.
Though the opposite side of the spectrum would skeeve me out, too. That is, totally having to cover up. It would feel so uncomfortable physically (generally I hate long sleeves when they’re not on something I can remove like a jacket or sweater). And mentally–I don’t want to channel Little House on the Prairie. It’s just not who I am.
That’s a tough one - I would never be cool with all nude. I prefer to dress somewhat modestly, but that’s mostly a self-esteem issue.
I wish our culture was just a tad bit more modest. Its nice that you look pretty in that dress, but what’s wrong with dresses and skirts that go “all the way down” to mid thigh?
I am cool with sleeveless, but seriously, no tube tops or midi’s in the office. (And on some physiques, never!)
otternell, that’s a good point. Are there people at your work wearing that stuff? Yikes. I have tank tops and the like but I wear them on my own time or under a sweater if I need to look all professional.
It’s also more fun to be transgressive if we’re slightly more modest. I like to think I walk the line well between showing off my figure and being too much of a tramp. Though to be honest if I were on Big Love, I know Nikki would put me in the corner with Margene, wearing my jezebel cap.
I’ve been to nudist events. After abput ten minutes of culture shock, I got used to it, and it didn’t bother me. Most people are not particularly more interesting nude than not. And the ones that were, I would have been interested in them nude or not. I think that hiding things makes them more interesting than showing them. Is this not the rationale behind wrapping Christmas presents?
I often see women wearing headscarves these days in Toronto, and have occasionally seen people wearing the full burqa, the one with the screened face opening. On the other hand, people are basically naked during the Pride Parade.
I figure it’s only a matter of time before burqa meets naked reveller. Then what? What are both of them thinking?
Whatever people want to wear is fine with me; just don’t force them to.
Not at my current office, but for a time I worked at Wells Fargo in one of their processing centers, and yes, on a hot summer day, there were a couple of tube tops. They were cute girls, and had nice figures and all, but really, at an office? :dubious: (FTR: I don’t know how they weren’t freezing - WF kept that place at the lowest temperature all the time, IMHO. Save money in the winter, and spend it in the summer.)
When I was in the Peace Corps, I was on an island where I basically wore a loin cloth (like all the other men on the island) and all women went topless. It took me a couple of weeks to adapt, but it was not a big deal. I expected to be more uncomfortable, but was not.
I had the same transition period when I went back to a non-traditional culture and encountered mini skirts and I had to wear pants and shirts.
I’m OK with everything from full nude to fully-covered. Been to nudist beaches, and my one SCA persona is from a time and place where everyone (men too) would normally keep the head covered. (My other is Japanese - I still want to do an event in the traditional robe,diaper&gaiters combo (happi,fundoshi and kiahan))
Had to laugh when an ad came up in this thread for a “Muslim dating site”, complete with woman with hijjab (that’s the head scarf (you can still see the face), right?) I think that’s one of the things I like about being a non-paid member, the ads add to my enjoyment!
Were you the only Peace Corps/American there? If you weren’t, how did the other Peace Corps people feel? I’m mainly curious how the women Corpsmen (?) must have felt, if there were any, a guy wearing a loincloth isnt’ that bad, as we wear not that much different at the beach. But, at the beach, the women do at least cover up their breasts (if only just, it seems), at least on non-nude beaches. I would think that kind of culture shock would be harder for a woman than a man.
I was the only volunteer on the island. But other islands had more than one and some had both men and women. And they seemed to adapt OK. The only problem seemed to occur when an American or “Westerner” visited the island. They tended to stare at the woman volunteer. Of course this only happened two or three times a year.
This thread reminds me of the office episode when Meredith wore the very short sleevless tube dress and her pixilated boob was hanging out, and when she was told to pull it up her pixilated hoo-ha was exposed.
I respect the nudist idea, and I get why people would think like that…but I, personally, like the mystique that comes with covering our bodies. It makes disrobing in front of someone you’re attracted to that much more exciting. Besides, the only way I could be naked in midwinter is if I’m in a building that’s constantly 75 degrees. (Or I suppose I could move to Florida.)
That said, I don’t like the completely covered up look either. When it’s 90+ degrees outside, I’m going to damn well wear something short-sleeved.
I wouldn’t have a problem with me being all nude. Furthermore, I don’t have any issues with nudity in general. But there’s just some folks out there that look better covered up. By which I mean more than a bikini, more than a one-piece bathing suit… heck, even more than those thin stretch pants that show every flaw.
I guess I have aesthetic hesitations, not modesty issues.
I think I would make a good nudist but I’d never take the plunge, I don’t care enough about socializing to make an effort to do it nude - and my partner wouldn’t be interested in or comfortable with nudism.
I’m comfortable around nudity and being naked myself. I’m not grossed out by naked people who I could never find sexy. I think most people would be shocked about how quickly they would adjust to mass nudity or toplessness in non-sexual situtations. Everyone I have heard of trying it has had this sort of reaction - ‘wow, after only a couple days I didn’t even care about breasts any more!’
I tend to be pretty covered-up because I get cold easily and I don’t like to attract attention, and a young woman showing skin attracts a lot of attention in mainstream American society.
The ideal societal mores, for me, would be where full nudity was acceptable in at least some public contexts, and not automatically sexualized (although of course if you’re a good-looking young human, you can’t expect people aren’t going to look at and desire your body).
Well, just to add the “other extreme”–I’d be a lot more comfortable if people in general dressed more modestly. A year or so ago my daughter and I attended an oboe/bassoon conference at a university in Utah that had a non-mandatory dress code. Both men and women were asked to wear shirts with sleeves and no plunging necklines and to have their legs covered down to just above the knees. I found it pleasant and relaxing to walk across a campus with minimal nudity–male or female. The general climate was more respectful than on other campuses I’ve visited. I honestly don’t want much (or any) visual exposure to some else’s naked body in a public setting.
I think most people would be comfortable with whatever is the norm in the environment they’re in. If they moved from one type of clothing culture to a very different one then there’d be some adjustment period, but I think I could get used to just about anything as far as appearances or modesty went. When I lived in Japan I went to public baths a few times and I was only slightly embarrassed the first time about being nude in front of a bunch of strangers. I knew that was the local norm and it wasn’t a big deal. But the thought of being the ONLY nude person at say a public pool or non-nude beach is pretty horrifying!
I knew another American woman (funnily enough one who was far less modest than I am in terms of her regular dress and behavior) who said she’d never go to a public bath unless she could wear a swimsuit. I’d consider that ultimately more embarrassing than being a nude among nudes, though. Other people would either be thinking you were an idiot who didn’t understand that you weren’t at a swimming pool, or they’d be wondering what sort of horrific deformity you were trying to hide.
However, I don’t think I could get used to being nude all the time just because it would be physically awkward to have my more sensitive areas exposed all the time. I wouldn’t want to have to be totally covered at all times either, and of course some garments like tight corsets or eye-covering veils can actually interfere with normal use of one’s body. In terms of comfort and freedom of choice I’m happy with being a 21st century American. I often see others wearing things I’d consider too revealing or just plain too stupid-looking for myself, but I’m not obligated to wear such things. It can be frustrating when I can’t find the styles I like in stores, though!
Agreed. I’m fine skinnydipping or at a nude beach, but I don’t think I’d be able to handle being an art model or some other situtation where I would be naked in front of a group of clothed people. I’m also fine being nude with one or two other clothed people (like a doctor or masseur).
I think that hiding things makes them more interesting than showing them. Is this not the rationale behind wrapping Christmas presents?