Beach-topless?

Celtic spirit,

thanks for posting this, truly inspiring and beautiful. 

I have not done this here in Seattle.  There is a nude beach which is where I would go if I had the urge.  Right now, it's not warm enough.  I was wearing a cashmere sweater doing a ride today with a cycling group.

This is not Europe, and a lot of people get offended at the idea of nudity.  (Hard to imagine with how little a lot of swimsuits leave to the imagination.)

I did swim nude once in the ocean.  It was off Long Island, and I was way out.  I took off my tank suit.  Nearly drowned trying to get it back on coming back into shore.

Anyway, ask around.  I am sure there must be some "unofficial" nude beaches.  That is where I would go.

And no, I don't think this is a breast surgery issue.   It's an issue of what is permitted, and of whether people will be offended.  So find the right place and go for it!!!

Diva, I love that you posted this. I want to go toppless at the beach so bad. I mean I do not have breasts anymore so why cant I go toppless? I wonder if I would get arrested. Good topic.

Julie

Oh my goodness!  I'm so glad you posted this as my DH and I had this discussion recently and I wanted to post about it but wasn't sure how it would go over.  I had a unimx so I can't go topless but my DH and I wondered if it would be "okay" for a woman with a bimx to go topless.  They don't have breasts so don't know why it would be a problem.  Anyway, interesting topic and if I'd had a bimx I love the idea of going topless since I can't find a bathing suit that will work with my breast form - I'm very frustrated!

I think the determining factor for something like this is "location" --- IMHO you'd really need to know for sure what the typical 'crowd' demographics are at a given beach location.



I have to be honest and say this isn't something I myself would ever consider doing, even if I were much much younger than I am now. Thus, I look at it from the point of view of the other beachgoers, and I know if I were a parent with a young child, or grandparent with young grandchild, at that beach, I would be very upset about the child seeing this -- more so, in fact, than if the woman was topless with breasts. THAT, I could handle explaining in a straightforward way: "That is what a grownup woman's body looks like." (if the child didn't already know) However, I really would NOT want to be suddenly put into the position of having to explain in a non-frightening and truthful way the reason WHY that lady does not have breasts, and what the scars are and are from. Yes, I know children need to learn about cancer and its possible effects BUT as a parent or grandparent I would be very unhappy about it being thrust upon the child in a totally unexpected way on what would otherwise have been a normal day on a normal ("G-rated") beach.



If I eventually have grandchildren they will of course be told why grandmama's chest isn't like every other woman's in the family BUT that knowledge will be imparted at the time of our choosing and in a manner appropriate to the grandchild's age and personality. Big difference between that and the child being suddenly confronted with it in such a graphic way on a public beach.



I am sure many will disagree with me but that's just MHO.

Sassa, you are too funny. All these posts are making me think... I want to go toppless this weekend at the beach. I have TE's and no nips...good times. I live in San Diego, if anyone wants to join..lol. This is a great post. Topless Tata are on the move.

I went topless in St. Barth's when I just had my initial DIEP flap - no nips and big ugly "football" flap inserts.  I really didn't care at that point - if someone wanted to point and look, that was their problem, not mine. But all the women were topless, and as the far end of the beach was the nude area, there were quite a few bottomless people as well.  I haven't quite gotten to that point yet! 

I can see firebird's point in one way, but you do see people with horrible scars, missing limbs, etc. on "normal" public beaches all the time.  No one questions whether children should be exposed to those people, so in a way toplessness on a woman with no recon is much the same. 

But if it is an area where toplessness on women is accepted, then I see no reason not to go topless, whether you've had no recon, a uni, or are a "work in progress" as I was.

Really do not understand this idea about protecting children. It would follow that they need to be "protected" from seeing anyone handicapped or injured?

I'd think it great for kids to see that people with all kinds of bodies can feel comfortable and happy and live their lives just like anyone else.

I once saw a kid with his arm amputed, shirtless and whipping down a street on a skateboard. It was totally inspiring to me as a woman with BMX.

Before my BMX with no reconstruction, my best friend kidded, well no you can go out topless, lol!!  With out mentioning to my bf, he was telling me I could go topless in public because all you have to do is have your nipples covered and since I have no nipples I could go out in public.  To my surprise, and the surgeons, he asked her if she knew if I could go topless in public. I could see she was stifling some kind of emotion (thinking, shock, laughter, etc...we are a very honest couple lol) she said she did not know and I would have to contact my local police station lol. He bugged me for awhile to call, but I just didn't have the guts. Now I may call. However, she did tell me that my skin maybe sensitive (I burn like crazy so I wouldnt do it even with my 50 spf lathered all over). I laughed and said yeah, my luck, i'd be bent over in the garden and neighbor fred would walk over, I stand up and there I am in all my boobless, topless glory shocking the heck out of him!! I would maybe do it in my yard or out in the boat for a very short period of time due to sunburn issues. we have a large yard of four city lots in a big square, but would think twice about running around town doing errands or at a local park, even if it was legal. I still wonder about it and think about calling the cops to see what the law is lol...

Several years ago we had a woman here (bilat mx, no recon) who was out in her fenced backyard mowing the grass topless, and her cranky neighbor looked over the fence, hollered at her about it, and went inside and called the police. A young policeman came to her door, which she answered topless. He took one look, stood there gulping and stammering and never got a word out, just turned around and left.

So I guess in that case it was legal!
Binney

Obviously people's feelings are all over the map on this topic.



I can only speak for myself and say that although my scars don't bother me, and I have no problem whatever with a medical professional of any type seeing them, I do not want ANYONE else to see them. Just like I never had any desire to go topless when I had boobs, or wear an excessively lowcut neckline or a skirt that would barely cover the... well, never mind, LOL. (I don't like tattoos either, even seeing them makes me a bit squeamish because I just can't imagine why someone would choose to do that to their skin -- I consider it "defacing" rather than "decorating" -- but again that's just me)



We're all different in our reactions. The same thing that one person thinks is natural or freeing or attractive or admirable, someone else will think is inappropriate or exhibistionistic or tasteless or offensive. And many grades of reactions in between. Especially something like this which is, you have to admit, outside the typical behavior-box.



I may be old-school but I was raised in the tradition that it's rude to deliberately do or say something that is either certain or very likely to make others feel uncomfortable, merely because it's something that you yourself feel like doing or saying and for no other reason. I would never do what Binney's neighbor did (answer the door that way) because not only would I be horribly embarassed, I would be embarassed at making the other person so embarassed! After all, the poor cop was only doing his job. As coraleliz said earlier, I am just unable to wrap my mind around why anyone would want to expose their BMX chest to "innocent bystanders".



I will take my Miss Manners book with me and go home now, LOL. ;-)

Around a couple weeks after I got the drains from my BMX removed, I had gone for a walk and saw this guy walking his dogs down the street. All he had on was a pair of shorts and sneakers. Having seen numerous shirtless men in public doing things like this over the course of my lifetime, I obviously had no problem with it. But THIS time, it gave me an idea. I mean the reason why it is usually illegal for women (in the USA) to walk around in public topless is because of their BREASTS -- so now it occurs to me, since I no longer HAVE breasts, to wonder what would happen if I tried to walk down the street wearing only a pair of shorts, jeans or a skirt. 

I haven't tried it and wouldn't at this point NOW because the incisions aren't healed "enough" yet, but I'm wondering now if I would if my incisions were fully healed. Probably not...but maybe by the time my INCISIONS are "ready," I'll be ready too. I'm MOSTLY doing OK in terms of getting used to being totally flat, but there are still those times I'm very self conscious about it. I think it's just a matter of more time, particularly since to me, having short hair is way more a source of embarrassment about my looks than the flat chest is. 

I'll let you know what I decide, if I ever decide.  

Wish I was ripped like that woman in the photos! I found myself staring at her six pack abs more than anything else. What an idea...topless breastless participants in a  walk/run in support of BC..would this drive the point home that we need a cure now?

I know what you mean Sling, maybe I'll throw some sit ups in with my training runs:) A cure yes, and even better, some solid progress towards preventing it in the first place! Either way though I think it would be a great experience to join wih others in an event like that.

I would check the laws regarding nudity in your area.  Some laws define a female showing her nipples as nudity, in which case you would be ok,  some laws define a female showing her breasts as nudity.

If it's nipples, then I say go for it!