But nipple exposure of a man was not regulated. appears in a state of nudity commits Public Indecency.' Later in the statute, nudity is further described as an uncovered female nipple. The Erie ordinance was regulating the nipple in public as an act that is committed when a person 'knowingly or intentionally. Ī case in Erie, Pennsylvania, concerning the exposure of breasts and nipple proceeded to the US Supreme Court. The exposure of nipples is usually considered immodest and in some instances is viewed as lewd or indecent behavior. Exposing the entire breast and nipple is a form of protest for some and a crime for others. As female nipples are often perceived an intimate part, covering them might have originated under Victorian morality as with riding side saddle. The cultural tendency to hide the female nipple under clothing has existed in Western culture since the 1800s. Exposure Duplessis's portrait of Marie Thérèse Louise of Savoy baring a nipple dates from 18th-century France. Barechestedness may also be used as a display of power, or to draw attention to oneself, especially if the upper body muscles are well-developed. In several sports, such as swimming and boxing, it is encouraged or even obligatory for males to be barechested. Male barechestedness is often ascribed to practical reasons such as heat, or the ability to move the body without being restricted by an upper body garment.

Exposure of the male pectoral muscles is often considered to be far less taboo than of the female breasts, despite some considering them equally erogenous.

In most societies, male barechestedness is much more common than female toplessness, even among children. While going barechested at outdoor activities may be acceptable, it is taboo in workplaces, churches and other formal settings. However, some stores and restaurants have a 'no shirt, no service' rule to prevent barechested men from coming inside. Bare male chests are generally considered acceptable in or around the house at beaches, swimming pools and sunbathing areas when exercising outside in hot weather and in certain outdoor construction work settings. Barechestedness A barechested man running in a riverīarechestedness is the state of a man or boy wearing no clothes above the waist, exposing the upper torso. Because of this, advocates of women's legal right to uncover their breasts wherever men may go bare-chested have adopted the alternative term 'topfree', which is not perceived to have these connotations. The word 'topless' may carry sexual or exhibitionist connotations. It can also be used to describe a garment that is specifically designed to reveal the breasts, such as the 'topless swimsuit' (also known as the monokini) designed by Rudi Gernreich in the 1960s. It may indicate a designated location where one might expect to find women not wearing tops, such as a 'topless beach' or 'topless bar'. It can describe a woman who appears, poses, or performs with at least her breasts exposed, such as a 'topless model' or 'topless dancer', or to an activity undertaken while not wearing a top, such as 'topless sunbathing'. The word 'topless' usually refers to a woman who is naked above her waist or hips or, at least, whose breasts are exposed to public view, specifically including her areolas and nipples. Usage and connotations Two Tahitian Women (1899) by Paul Gauguin However, societies tend to view breast exposure unfavorably, and subject it to stringent regulations or prohibitions. At many beaches and resort destinations, especially in Europe and Australia, women are either formally or informally permitted to sunbathe topless. Toplessness may also be deemed acceptable on educational, medical, or political grounds. Throughout history, women's breasts have been featured in art and visual media, from painting and sculpture to film and photography, and such representations are generally defended on the grounds of artistic merit. Social norms around toplessness vary by context and location. In many jurisdictions, women who expose their breasts can be prosecuted for indecent exposure, although public breastfeeding is often exempted from public indecency laws. However, many countries have social norms around female modesty, often enforced by legal statutes, that require women to cover their breasts in public. The male equivalent is known as barechestedness.Įxposed breasts are normal in many indigenous societies. Toplessness refers to the state in which a woman's breasts, including her areolas and nipples, are exposed, especially in a public place or in a visual medium. Topless woman at the 2008 Oregon Country Fair For other uses, see Topless (disambiguation).

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