Should Topless Sunbathing Be Allowed? Supermodel Argues

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Supermodel Anja Rubik has something to say about nudity. While shooting a story for Paris Vogue in Miami Beach, the model encountered a rather angry woman who yelled at her for exposing her breasts (she was wearing not much else but a skirt and set of necklaces), and went so far as to call the police on her in fear that her 7-year-old son would catch a glimpse. In a story for Style.com, she describes the incident and gives a rather insightful look on how the world views nudity, and women embracing their sexuality all together.

"It makes me sad to think that one woman would look at another woman's body and think it is wrong, or bad, or—even weirder—that it should be censored," she states in her article. "The woman on the street apparently thought that if I put a shirt on, it was going to moralize the human race. Here's the news flash: Covering up our bodies isn't going to eradicate antifeminist problems or objectification, especially in the fashion world."

This article was coincidentally released on the same day that the Miami Herald let out a story on the decline of topless women on the beaches of France. The article states that today's generation of French women is more conservative, whereas the beach goers of the 60s exposed their bodies, not as a means to be distasteful, but as a way to highlight their feminine achievements. In Miami Beach, too, you come across less and less women with their bikini strings untied, and more with their stomachs covered.

The article states that some link this move towards conservative dressing as a direct effect of the financial crisis, wherein a time of uncertainty causes us to cover up more and take less risks. Elle Magazine blames it on a greater concern for our health and skin, but some might say covering up is just what's in style. Rubik, on the other hand, believes it's the effect of women being overly competitive with one another, allowing their own insecurities to get in the way of supporting others of the same gender.

So should women be free to expose their breasts in public, or would it hurt the values of modern day society? Why are we so scared to unstring and let the good times bounce? Let's hash it out in the comments below. Your opinion is welcome.
· Anja Rubik Talks Nudity, Fashion, and Art [Style.com]
· French women bid topless sunbathing 'adieu' [Miami Herald]