Dozens of French towns have started fining men for walking around with their tops off, with Narbonne, near the Mediterranean coast, joining at least 30 other municipalities in banning bare-chested wandering, swimwear, or even barefoot attire. The fine is set at €150 (£130) for those flashing excess flesh. According to France Télévision, about 15 people were fined when Narbonne first enforced its dress code last summer.
Could Such a Ban Happen in the UK?
Columnist Emma Beddington doubts it, citing the police resourcing crisis and the strong tradition in Glasgow of stripping down at the first glimpse of weak sunshine. A public-spirited website tracks whether it is 'taps-aff' or 'taps-oan' weather, with a threshold of windless, clear 17C, according to site creator Colin Waddell.
The Appeal of Public Semi-Nudity
Beddington looks forward to the annual arrival of bare-chested men, which she likens to a Japanese micro-season, coinciding with swifts screaming, overpriced strawberries, and prom photos. She celebrates the rich variety of torsos on show, noting that it would be oppressive if going topless were only for the young and buff. Instead, the range of ages, sizes, textures, and skin tones offers a corrective to homogenised aesthetics, such as the Love Island-style gym physique.
She embraces public semi-nudity, though not when the exposed bits are sunburnt, as young men are less likely to use sunscreen than women. She jokingly suggests police should spray at-risk torsos with factor 50 instead of fining them.
