[manaboutown]

This may be a clash of cultures.

About 15 years ago for the first time ever I visited the South of France one summer. I went with an American girlfriend who had been married to a Frenchman and lived in France for several years. Before our trip she shopped in Southern California for the smallest bikinis she could find. After she narrowed it down to three she modeled them for me. I was astonished at their immodesty and asked her if she was really going to wear any of them in public. She replied, just wait, I will be wearing bikinis having the most fabric you will see there. She was absolutely correct! Her suits looked frumpy compared to those of the local women. Even middle age and older totally out of shape men were wearing speedo style - but smaller than US speedo size - bathing suits.

A few years later I was dating an English woman who was an airline pilot based at LAX. She lived in a condo in Santa Monica and was furious she was not allowed to go topless in the hot tub and swimming pool at her complex. She had chosen to live in Santa Monica and thought because it was so liberal women going topless would be acceptable!

Most Europeans do not seem to have the body image issues Americans have which might be due to our Puritan history.