Aside from men being horny in the 1800s, and this being a holdover since that time, is there any actual reason why this hasn’t changed?
If society was dominated by women, would this be more likely to change?
I was sweating my ass off hiking in the hot sun, and the question has been bothering me all day after my top soaked through with sweat.
In much of Europe and North America, female toplessness is legal. As for why women don’t take advantage of it when exercising, breast movement varies from annoyance to uncomfortable and throwing off momentum depending upon size. As a result, many women exercise wearing what is most convenient: a sports-bra top. However, concerns about harassment are sadly valid.
Women are the majority of voting age adults, but they aren’t a homogeneous group voting exclusively on gender. 45% of women voted for Trump in 2024.
As a male who exercises in high heat on occasion (35-38c), I have never once thought that I’d rather be naked. I wear breathable, light colored clothing. I also wear a top. Sun burns aren’t healthy.
breast movement varies from annoyance to uncomfortable
As a teenager and young woman, not being able to find a good super supportive sports bra for my weird size was one of the reasons I stopped trying to exercise.
I still hold my boobs automatically when taking the stairs or when I run somewhere. Otherwise it hurts and feels like my breasts are being torn away from my body.
I’m sorry you gave up exercise because of this. Female friends telling me the same is what inspired me to write the response. One was an amazing long distance runner who had breast reduction surgery in high school so she could continue her passion.
Sports bras are a necessary evil for many women. It’s not a societal restriction but a physical preference for less discomfort.
Kudos to your friend going through with a reduction to pursue her passion!
In my case, I have a very small band width, so I cannot shop in regular stores. (In my city, there is exactly one shop that has my size.) As a teen and young woman, I simply didn’t have the money to even consider a 50€ sports bra, let alone a 100€+ one. And since the selection is super limited, I didn’t even find one in my size that would - no matter the money - give enough support for comfort.
Funnily enough, regular wired bras with cups still ended up giving better support than any sports bra I could find. But they still only work so well. (And I, by far, wasn’t as passionate about sports as to get a reduction, or spend my limited bra money on a semi working, ugly sports bra.)
My friend was committed, but it helped that it was not uncommon for larger endowed teens where I grew up. Doctors openly discussed the option and it was covered by government health insurance.
I can sympathize with the difficulty of finding the right size. It wasn’t until my wife traveled to her country of ancestry and measured at a department store in her 20s that she finally obtained her first bras that truly fit. They still weren’t cheap. I think that is when I learned the burden of what is, for most, a medical support garment.
And that is what I find so frustrating. Bras should be treated like a medical device: basic models that fit well should be covered by government health care. The 200-400% markup in most prices is outrageous, and there would be a positive return for society with women more confident in more activities.
Of course, I live in the United States, so we’ve regressed to the point of figuring out whether dying of communicable diseases is bad.
I’m a dude, we seldom think about these kinds of things until women bring them up then suddenly women disliking having large boobs makes a lot more sense. Sounds like a bit of a raw deal, fun to look at, terrible to own.
In many countries in public spaces women can be topless wherever men can. Sadly it doesn’t mean they feel safe/comfortable doing so.
They can, but harassment from men keeps lots of women from doing so. We already get harassed when we’re covered.
Because of creeps, freaks, and prudes
Man here
If you ladies wanna walk around shirtless at the gym and work out I personally have no objection and I promise I won’t say a word to you.
However you are going get looks, a lot of them.
You know, I’ve been in places with lots of nudity, and for the first day or so all you want to do is look. Then after that you stop looking and it just becomes normal. I imagine if women going topless was more common, guys would not look any more than they currently do.
It’s legal where I live, but nobody does it cause women don’t wanna be stared at and cat called when they’re walking around titties out
^Real answer. It’s not just men, you’d definitely get stared at by everybody lol. It’s not bad but I notice a few stares here and there just going without a bra
That’s only because it’s unusual though. If more people did it, people would stop noticing.
A few women I’ve asked are happy with it being illegal - they say they just don’t want to see it. I don’t think I’ve ever met a man who wants it to stay illegal, because for the most part they do want to see it
As a guy I kinda laugh to myself about those guys who walk around without a shirt on down the street
Yeah. There’s the dudes who have spent a lot of time at the gym, and really want the opportunity to let everyone know that. Then there’s the schlubby dudes who are just feeling too hot and DGAF what anyone else thinks. Not sure who’s more worthy of respect, there
They also don’t want to be photographed and end up with their tits all over social media. Places where this used to be routine (European beaches and so on) there is a lot less of this than 30 years ago. Another thing mobiles phones and social media have made worse
My mom seemed to always have them out.
And we all loved her for that.
Giving the perfect example why this is not done
As a cis male, I’m totally in favor of this idea.
In fact, I went to school in Germany and I was throwing a frisbee with some friends in the park. It was a beautiful summer day, which was rare, and I retrieved the disc that landed near an attractive young lady sunning herself topless. I still think of her fondly.
And this comment is why women often do not go topless, even if the laws in a country allow it.
Ummm, I really don’t like the way you said that. I would like to point out that I was 14 years old at the time and there’s quite a difference between seeing something like that and becoming some kind of sexual predator. The human body doesn’t seem to be quite the shameful thing in Europe as it is in the US. If we (assuming you are from the US) weren’t so perfectly comfortable with violence and gore while simultaneously so puritanical about sexuality, you probably wouldn’t feel that way. And finally I do believe it’s a bit unreasonable for ANYONE male, female or otherwise to remove one’s shirt in public and expect literally no one to look at you. The point should be that it doesn’t MATTER if someone looks. Until this is the case, maybe shirts should just stay on.
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Someone’s jerked off to a memory
Actually he did it right there in the park
There was a movement to decriminalise women being topless (because it is actively criminalised in a lot of places). Unfortunately it’s fallen off. It’s particularly ridiculous because women are the ones who have an actual need to expose their breasts in public, ie some women need to breastfeed—no men need to.
Some people get turned on seeing topless men but it’s not a sex crime for men to be shirtless in public. Free the nipple 2025
> Some people get turned on seeing topless men
If someone sees my torso and gets aroused, why is it my problem? Moreover, why is this even a problem at all?
You get hots from other people? Congratulations, you’re human.
All of this is such a non-issue. And it’s just to keep women down.
Some people get turned on seeing topless men but it’s not a sex crime for men to be shirtless in public.
This is the thing that really bothered me. It’s so one-sided. Perhaps people won’t be comfortable doing it, for various reasons, but the legal limitation is what actually irritates me. One silver lining is that a lot of places are starting to allow it, even if culturally, it hasn’t picked up yet.
Pretty sure breastfeeding is protected all over the US. It certainly is in Florida.
I’m not even big in that department, don’t wear a bra for yoga, but running? That needs a sport bra, and working outside I wear long sleeves to keep the sun off.
I do think beaches here should allow topless suits for women though. That might go a long way towards desexualizing simple nudity, people would get used to it. I agree that it ought not be a rule that you have to cover your boobs at all if you don’t want to.
Women compensate by only wearing the shortest of shorts during winter while men cover their ankles.
In my experience (as a trans woman who has experienced both sides of this coin), I can no longer get away with being topless in most situations. However, I can get away with wearing less in more situations. It’s acceptable for me to wear a short cut, sleeveless tank top or boob tube in situations where it would be difficult for a guy to wear a singlet or other sleeveless top.
I am personally very upset that on some specific day during my transition, it was no longer acceptable for me to be shirtless in public. During summer I get consent from visitors to my house, and have my housemates consent, so go shirtless at home.
As a (mostly) masc-presenting transfem enby, I’m anxious to reach that point for myself. I feel like I’m in a weird sort of limbo, 'cuz even after two years of hormone therapy I rarely draw any second glances when hiking topless on public trails.
Holding on to some of that sweet sweet male privilege post transition i see :-)
I read a sentence on here these days that kind of resonated with me in regards to if trans women are real women: Of course they are. Who else wants to be a woman in this world.
For what it’s worth I think it’s kinda weird for other guys to not wear a shirt in public, like dude what are you doing, put your shirt on.
Honestly I hate this take, saying everyone should have a to cover up to me is just was weird as saying one group should have to. There is literally no explanation you can give for this position that isn’t a personal problem you should get over.
it’s the same kind of statement as saying that, for example, politicians should wear suits… we tend to have expectations that everyone is dressed to a similar level for the context they’re in. in public, that expectation tends to include a shirt of some kind. shirtless is a similar level of “should have to” as arriving at work or a party dressed too casually
But the idea of politicians needing to wear suits is arbitrary too. Why keep meaningless standards? Something should have to be causing an actual problem to not be allowed.
we have meaningless standards for a lot of things… just ask someone on the spectrum what they think of social norms and they’ll have a huge list of things that don’t make any logical sense that people just do
i’m not saying it’s right, but it’s just something that humans do
I get what you’re saying. I also think society is too sensitive about nudity in general. I’m certainly not saying men should be fined for not wearing a shirt, it’s just my perspective. At the beach or pool is normal, but not just out on the street. Anyway I was only trying to say I don’t think stardards between men and women are so different in this particular case. Well I mean standards are definitely different, but (laws aside) not black and white different.
There’s also been a rise in swim shirts for boys and men. Which I see as a positive. Especially when it comes to sun exposure
Yeah, basically agree. And if parity is the goal I’d rather see men cover up a little more.
Reading the comments made me wonder how people react to elderly people in a female body and those considered unattractive who go topless. It’s probably still harassment?
Yeah. We don’t get harassed because those men find us attractive. It’s because they want to make us uncomfortable.
Vice versa, they can’t wear skirts for hot days, but gals can.
The answer is imho, holdovers from more sexist days, and a general attitude of not wanting to be seen as effeminate/photographed by creeps.
Even though guys have been wearing kilts for many years, in various cultures; and there’s AI slop now anyway that keeps 'em busy instead.
Iirc it’s also allowed in some countries. Naturism is bigger in them.
Men can wear skirts if they want.
Edit: oh, its probably illegal now in the USAs a man who owns multiple kilts I can confirm there will be some assholes that have something to say.
On the other hand, those encounters have been outweighed by the compliments and enthusiasm I’ve also gotten.
All that said, I say just do you. Haters gonna hate, people will judge. Stop caring about those people and live Your life.
Kilt suggestions?
Wear one or don’t
Huge difference between not wearing a skirt because someone might make ofun of you and not being able to be topless because legally you can be registered as a sex offender. gtfo.
men can’t wear skirts on hot days
They won’t be arrested–and as you pointed out; kilts exist.
