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Why be a naturist?
That is the wrong question, the real question is, why not?
What's in it for you?
  • Naturism is enjoyable, natural and fun.
  • Simple nudity is not indecent, shameful, or immoral. Everyone has a nude body.
  • Naturism encourages respect of self and others with no regards for shape, disability, size, gender, race or religion by removing false or misleading clues that are derived from clothing.
  • Everyone has the right to know what humans really look like without the false images encouraged by the fashion industry and inappropriate peer pressure.
  • Clothing accentuates social differences, either deliberately or by custom. Naturism reduces these artificial differences.
  • Naturists wear clothes when appropriate for protection, convenience, comfort and warmth. It is a sensible lifestyle not one that demands nudity.
What holds you back?
  • Embarrassment? This can be a powerful reason, but we are all the same under our clothes. Once having encountered a social nude environment, people find that any embarrassment disappears.
  • My body does not look good enough. Looks have nothing to do with naturism, people do not do it "to be seen" nor indeed to "see others". Fashion and the hunt for the perfect body only leads to dissatisfaction, but this perfection is not achievable. It is best to be yourself, and not to strive to be a poor copy of an image made for marketing.
  • Sexual offences? There are much lower rates of sex related crime in naturist communities. Sad people, intent on sexual gratification from a naturist environment, are always disappointed; they generally go elsewhere. Such people are easier to detect in a naturist environment and dealt with than elsewhere.
  • It is frowned upon by your religion. Probably not. It is the religious hierarchy that will frown upon it. Nakedness cannot be intrinsically bad, if you believe in a God, how could he/she have made something shameful? Did they make a mistake?
  • Pornography? Porn is for sad people who cannot make a good relationship or have a poor image of themselves.
  • Harm to children? Obsessive covering up harms their upbringing. Healthy attitudes to bodies helps children become sensible well balanced adults. Children do not worry about nudity, adults do so in their name.
  • Fear of a bad reaction from friends? This can be a powerful feeling but direct experience shows that quite the opposite happens, people are usually encouraging.
  • Women will feel threatened. No they do not! Some of the most energetic proponents of naturism are women, people who have found the benefits if a social situation that is more accepting of diversity that most. You may find it interesting to read what female naturists say.
  • It's illegal? In the UK is it is not illegal to be nude in public. The World Naked Bike rides in London and other UK cities are run with the support of teh police. The Crown Presecution Service publish the legal situation.


If you believe in the ideal that all humans are born equal, why cling on to clothes that are often only required to suggest social position and status, i.e. you are better than the next person. Does swimwear cover your shape and hence maintain your dignity? Really, everyone can see your shape, so what are you covering? Naturism improves your self confidence because it really really does not matter what shape or size you are.

As Mark Twain wrote in Eruption, We are discreet sheep; we wait to see how the drove is going, and then go with the drove. We have two opinions: one private, which we are afraid to express; and another one - the one we use - which we force ourselves to wear to please Mrs. Grundy until habit makes us comfortable in it, and the custom of defending it presently makes us love it, adore it, and forget how pitifully we came by it.