Toplessness

Toplessness (or being topless) is a state of a woman not wearing any clothing above the waist, meaning the breasts are visible. The term used for a man is barechestedness or shirtlessness.

Female toplessness

Because the female breast is often associated with sexuality, some countries consider it all right for men to be topless in public, but not women. However many countries consider it usual for women to be topless, even due to the natural heat.

Barechestedness

Barechested means not wearing a shirt. It usually refers to men. It is very common in many societies and is also very common in sports, for a number of reasons. Some reasons include ease of movement and cooling. It is also common to go shirtless while working/doing labor. Before computerization of vehicles, it was common for young men to work on cars and trucks without a shirt.

Gallery

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  A Ukrainian woman stands topless, staring out the window.
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  Painting of two Tahitian women, by Paul Gauguin
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  Woman in Ethiopia, where it is common for women to be topless
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  A topless woman at a beach
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  Topless sunbathing
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  Topless sunbathing

Related pages

• Topfreedom