Clothed or not to be Clothed

[splitfeather]

There have been several articles in the "Bulletin" (AANR) about "clothed" persons at nudist resorts,parks,ect.. The argument is for pepole [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img] to be totally nude while attending, no clothes at all. Others argue in favor of nude as well as clothed.
It seems that at a lot of resorts, there are as many clothed persons as there are nude, some times more clothed than nude.
Now, it's understandable that during cooler weather clothed while out doors make sense, but during warm weather many are dressed and nudes are the minority.
Some have stated that if the weather was 70 or above, no clothes were allowed. Teens, if not choosing to be nude, had to remain indoors (or anyone else for that matter).

Any way, the question for debate here is, if it is to be a nudist enviroment, should it be totally nude?

Is clothing obtional a good thing?
If yes, why?
If no,why?

Do any feel that clothing obtional resorts are becoming more a clothed resort with a minority nudist population?

So lets hear some input.

Thanks

[splitfeather]

There have been several articles in the "Bulletin" (AANR) about "clothed" persons at nudist resorts,parks,ect.. The argument is for pepole [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img] to be totally nude while attending, no clothes at all. Others argue in favor of nude as well as clothed.
It seems that at a lot of resorts, there are as many clothed persons as there are nude, some times more clothed than nude.
Now, it's understandable that during cooler weather clothed while out doors make sense, but during warm weather many are dressed and nudes are the minority.
Some have stated that if the weather was 70 or above, no clothes were allowed. Teens, if not choosing to be nude, had to remain indoors (or anyone else for that matter).

Any way, the question for debate here is, if it is to be a nudist enviroment, should it be totally nude?

Is clothing obtional a good thing?
If yes, why?
If no,why?

Do any feel that clothing obtional resorts are becoming more a clothed resort with a minority nudist population?

So lets hear some input.

Thanks

[Bob S.]

Well, for me the term Clothing Optional means basically the same thing as nudist or naturist. And this may be the term of choice for the future with pornographers trying to commandeer the terms nudist and naturist.

There are many reasons why one could be clothed at a nudist park; weather too cold, "female problems," sunburns, newbies, etc. However, in most if not all of the parks, the pools/hot tubs are usually nudity only.

C/O is best when trying to attract newcomers who have never been to a nudist park or who are new to the lifestyle. this gives them the opportunity to have the option of wearing their clothes. However, if there are no other problems, people should be naked. The option to be clothed should be limited to a few reasons and a few places. At White Tail Park, you must be naked to swim and to venture in the residential area, and for the most part, the recreation hall. Teenagers, for the most part, are given the most leeway, especially those who live there.

As I have posted on another forum, the term clothing optional is only an issue when it applies to nudist parks. If it were the rule in general society, you wouldn't have any prob with it. It is only an issue because you are paying to attend a place to be naked.

Bob S.

[David77]

I really can't believe that there are nudist resorts where most all those who attend are clothed. I strongly suspect that this claim is an exaggeration by some folks who are disgusted with a very few who may wear clothing at a clothing optional resort.

Turtle Lake Nudist Resort in Union City Michigan has a clothing optional policy, but practically no one chooses to wear clothing. My local nudist club is clothing optional but only one person chooses to wear clothing on a regular basis while she helps out during the meetings. Oh yes, once a man brought his wife who remained clothed in the sauma, but if she felt more mentally comfortable that way, it is fine wih me.
We Naturists want to be granted the freedom of nudity. In turn, Naturists should uphold this freedom principle to grant others freedom to wear clothing or go nude whenever and whereever they choose.

At Turtle Lake Resort this last weekend there was a woman who stayed fully dressed all the time she was there. She wore a big floppy hat, a heavy long sleeved shirt and long pants. I have no idea why. Maybe she was new there, and maybe she had a bad sunburn. I've always noticed that the teen boys are only nude when they swim in the lagoon. Few people though wear anything there. I thought it rather humorous once when a girl in her early teens came to the lagoon with two teen boys. The boys quickly undressed and ran for the water. The girl, however, kept a towel wrapped around her while she undressed. She wore the towel to the water, removed it and jumped into the water. She was apparently new and shy, but she got nude anyway in her own way.

I don't know why or understand why some people stay dressed at a nudist resort. Why pay to get into one and stay dressed? The first thing I do once my car is parked is get undressed, and my clothes don't go back on until I have to leave.

Some people--particularly women-- have to work up the courage gradually before getting completely nude with strangers. I think men are usually more comfortable with their bodies. I saw a woman once at Turtle Lake who wore a bikini while she was there. In my opinion she would have been less noticed had she been totally nude.

I rode my bicycle nude at Turtle Lake. People spoke or nodded as I rode by even though they didn't know me and I didn't know them. You know these people are comfortable with their nudity. Being fairly new to social nudity myself as a middle-aged granddad, I'm still getting used to being nude around clothed people at the resort. It seems a little weird to be nude in front of clothed children and teens, but they don't notice or care. When society teaches you all your life that you cannot be nude in front of children for fear of being arrested for "indecent exposure" and being labeled an "exibitionist" or "pervert", it seems a little strange to be able to legally do what you've always been taught was "wrong". I hate clothes and love being nude. Be nude and have fun. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

[LarryC]

I'm new to social nudism and married to a wonderfull woman who unfortunately does not practice nudism. She does however respect my enthusiasm for it. As I have recenlty discovered, as most of my fellow veteran nudists already know, participating in social nudity at some resorts is next to impossible (I live in NW Florida) unless you are accompanied by your spouse. My wife said she would go to a clothing optional facility with me as long as she had the option of staying clothed. Such a facility is ideal for someone in my situation. And who knows, maybe once she is there for awhile, she might decide to try being nude in front of others. Unfortunately the clubs in my area are strictly nude and thats fine for them, but it doesn't help me out much. There is a website for the NW Florida Nudist Associaton, but it doesn't appear to be active, at least I can't seem to get anyone from that website to respond to my emails. Anyway, the point is, there are clubs exclusively (it seems) for couples, & nude only, so yes I think clothing optional does have it's place. I just wish I had one close to me. All the clothing optional facilities that I know of in Florida are way south of me. Maybe I should start my own Nudist Association. Okay, there's my two cents for what it's worth. Be healthy and have a nude day!
Larry

[Yooper]

I have never had the opportunity to visit a nude beach or club. Almost made it to Mezzomanie this summer but it rained the day we were in the area, and that is a nearly all day drive to get there. The same is true with the closest club or resort. So social nudity is not really something I am familiar with, but if the goal of nudists or naturists is to have places to be nude, then clothing optional fits that goal. If people are willing to pay the price to get in and behave appropriately, there should be no problem with them being clothed while others are naked. As for swim suits, they hide nothing, especially the tiny little thongs and string tops. Nude would be much more comfortable. I just wish there were places closer to me where I could be nude without offending anyone should they happen to discover me.

[Lab]

Although I have been a nudist most of my life,
I am relitivly new to the social side of this wounderfull life style.I feel that if you are going to attend a nudist friendly area you should be nude as much as possible.I also feel that having a choice as to be totaly nude or not has its advantages,when the situation is such for personal reasons,or if you are new to the life style and are not sure about it as of yet,are good times to have this choice.Being nude is all about the freedom of being yourself with no hassles,we are all equle in this respect and I have not as of yet met a nudist or naturlist that has had any thing wrong to say about any ones
defects or short comings. Nudists are the friendlies people that I have ever had the privilage to meet.So if you go to a nude beach or club,for Gods sake and your own sake be nude and enjoy it,for I belive it will be a long time before you can be nude in public with out worrie.

Lab....Right On!...I agree with your comments... The only time I think CO would become a problem would be if more than a majority were clothed.... unless of course a sudden cold front came through. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[Rik]

I certainly think it's odd that people go to a naturist venue and keep their clothes on. However....

There was a long running thread a while back entitled "If you could do it naked". There were about 80 replies and many of them were suggesting that they would like to do things which currently would be considered unaccpetable by non-nudists such as shopping, washing the car on the street, getting the mail from the mail box and so on. One contributor summed up the whole tone of the responses by saying "Actually, I would just do everything nude and not have to worry about covering up!" I guess many of us can relate to that sentiment for we believe that there is nothing shameful or embarrassing about the body and therefore no need to cover it up.

What all of these people were saying is that they want to be able to go naked in a non-naturist setting. In other words they want everywhere to be "clothing optional". In today's climate such a policy would obviously meet with vociferous opposition.

If we stand firm against people wearing clothes at naturist venues then are we not just as bad as those who demand that we cover up in the clothed world? Doesn't this attitude lead to greater segregation and consequently less understanding of naturism?

Of course the other side of the coin is that if non-naturists invade the naturists' space then there is a likelihood that those precious and hard won spaces will revert to the clothed community as, in my experience, the more clothed people there are at any one place the more likely it is that nudists will feel uncomfortable about removing their clothes. The logical conclusion is that eventually all nudists will cover up and relinquish their "right" to be nude.

So there's certainly a dilemma. In my heart I feel that all people at a naturist resort should be nude where possible but my intellect tells me that "clothing optional" actually fits better with naturist ideals.

Perhaps we should also use the term "nudity optional".

Rik