Nudists Are Opening Up About Their Lifestyles, And It's A Unique Perspective Not Often Heard
Reddit user WestTell2892 posed the following question to the r/AskReddit community: "Genuine question for nudists: What's it like to live a nude life or grow up in a nudist lifestyle?" The thread quickly filled with many honest and intriguing replies. Here's what people shared:
1."I grew up with hippie parents, and we were all about the nudity around the house and in the back garden and pool — not if there were reasons to wear clothes (sun, rain, periods, etc.), but otherwise, we used to go to a weekend resort for families and a nude beach. Personally, I thought it was great because it made me very accepting of all sorts of body types, and I honestly still feel most comfortable without clothes. What struck me way back then was that it was so non-sexual. It still does. If I want to feel sexy, I'll wear clothing items that highlight those areas, but I don't see being naked as a sexual thing. I suppose it depends on the context!"
"I actually used to be a naked model for outdoor lifestyle magazines — lots of swimming, running along the beach, that sort of thing. This was back in the '80s when those magazines existed, and I made enough money to fund college without having to do anything sexy."
2."I started going to beaches and resorts as an adult around five years ago, so I didn't grow up in this, but a big reason I love it is the people. Nudists tend to be pretty open, accepting, and friendly people. It's hard to put up walls when you're socializing naked with strangers! This has also been really helpful for my general body confidence, embracing and accepting that everyone has flaws, being reminded of what people actually look like (compared to everything fake we see online), and learning to love my body more for what it's capable of rather than how visually pleasing it is for others. Taking my clothes off the first time was very scary, but then it's just so COMFORTABLE. You'll never want to wear a bathing suit again after swimming in the ocean or any natural water nude. And sunbathing! Being on your phone is also typically impolite in nudist environments, so it's a great time to unplug and enjoy nature."
3."I do work for a nudist colony several times a year. Think of a really nice KOA campsite. They have pools, hot tubs, an RC plane airfield, and event buildings. The people there are just like you and me. They don't give a shit about being modest or sexy. They don't care if you are a mechanic or a CEO because, without clothes on, it's hard to tell who is worth a million bucks or who's broke. Every interaction I had with the members was pleasant and not uncomfortable at all. Look up the American Association for Nudist Recreation. As far as I see it, the people enjoying themselves here are free of all the self-conscious bullshit most of us live with every day."
4."I'm not a nudist, but my father was. I grew up around a lot of nudity and visited him once at a place just north of Houston. He and my stepmom at the time were nice enough to wear clothes around me. Some interesting things I remember: You take a towel everywhere and sit on that. Makes sense. They had a store in the area. Nobody worked there. You just wrote down what you took, and they billed you at the end of the month. Apparently, being naked makes people a LOT more honest. Even the kids were naked. While a 3-year-old isn't surprising, a 10 or 15-year-old sure was. It made me feel a bit uncomfortable, but that was 100% on me. They were all just running around having fun, and nobody cared."
"Since you don't have 'outfits,' people would decorate themselves in other ways. Tattoos, jewelry, and shapes of pubic hair shaving all added to individuality. It was rare to see somebody you *wanted* to see naked. You end up looking people in the eyes more, at least when they look at you. There was no sex allowed in public. The place was family-oriented, so that would be inappropriate.
I admire the lifestyle and see it as positive and liberating. It also pointed out my culture's failures in seeing nudity as a bad thing (not that I really did, but it REALLY opened my eyes). I wish I could do it. I love feeling the sun and breeze on my naked body when I get a chance (and nobody is looking, lol)."
5."I grew up in a heavily clothing-optional household, which meant that most summers, we only put on clothes if we went somewhere. I never thought anything about it, and I remember thinking it was weird that some of my friends were shy about anyone seeing them naked. We went to a couple of nude beaches, and they were all great. But I remember my parents being very strict about us never going anywhere alone, especially the bathrooms. We always had to have someone with us. And if an adult tried to talk to us, we were supposed to immediately go to our parents. At the time, we didn't really know why those rules were so strict. But now I do."
6."There's much less laundry, less judgment towards your own body, less judgment towards everyone else's bodies, and a realization that much of society sexualizes EVERYTHING for no damn reason. Honestly, nudism starts to change a lot about how you think about things. You wouldn't expect that deciding not to wear clothes would do that, but it does, especially if you start participating in a social nonsexual nude community."
7."I grew up with nudist parents. They weren't very into the lifestyle, but we did go to nude beaches a few times and were generally naked inside the home. I found it comfortable. Clothes are a bit of a pain. It definitely desexualized nakedness and helped me appreciate that humans come in all shapes and sizes. When people find out, they often act shocked, but I had a positive experience. Being a teenage girl in those spaces felt much safer than regular beaches."
8."Growing up in Italy, it was the norm for kids to be nude at beaches, and many women went nude or topless. I don't remember being uncomfortable about it or noticing anyone leering. When I was about 12, we moved to the States, and I had a friend with an internet connection who was very excited to show me a website with nude women. I remember how weird I thought the whole thing was. Like, okay, she's naked. So what? The fact that I had seen thousands of nude or topless women by then blew his mind."
9."Having lived at a nudist resort for the better part of a year, it's very freeing. I think a lot of stress goes away when your clothes come off. Also, everyone is very friendly and easygoing, for the most part. It really is a liberating experience. I didn't grow up a nudist but came to it in my late 20s. I no longer live at the resort, but it's only a few hours' drive from my place. It's open year-round and has many things to do like hiking, swimming, a giant hot tub, and a big clubhouse for dances and such."
10."I grew up going to a nudist resort with my parents. I started going around the age of 11 or 12. I stopped going when I was about 18 because my then-girlfriend didn't dig walking around nude. My parents continued to go to the resort for almost 40 years. The only rule was that you were required to be naked in the swimming pool."
11."I'm from the Netherlands. I grew up with 'naturist' parents in the '70s/'80s. There was a slight difference between nudists and naturists, but I can't remember what it was. We weren't naked all the time, but it was fine if you were. We went swimming naked every Sunday afternoon in the city public pool. I remember it felt totally normal for me to be naked in public and able to see all the different body shapes and quirks. Sometimes, curious people entered the pool terrace (indoors) to watch naked people for free. Nobody told them to leave, but they always did after five minutes. It's probably uncomfortable wearing clothes while everyone else isn't. Sauna spa visits are also naked here, except for the occasional 'bathing suit days' for people who can't or won't be naked but still want to enjoy the spa."
"I think more people are being shy about their naked bodies than when I was a kid. I'm still comfortable being naked around other naked (or even clothed) strangers, even though my body changed over the years (on the heavy side), and it allows me to not worry about the way I look. I reckon it's quite a task to keep up with what people think you should look like. I feel being nudist/naturist is good for being kind to yourself and the way you look."
12."I didn't grow up in a nudist household, but I spent a lot of time alone growing up and enjoyed being nude when I could. I didn't get into social nudism until my late 20s when my wife and I started going to a nude beach and really enjoyed it. Fast forward several years: I have a family and live in Florida, where it's conducive to be nude pretty much year-round. I wouldn't call our home a nudist home; it's more like clothing optional. The distinction is to wear what you want or don't want. If you want to hang out naked all day, cool. Want to be dressed? Also cool. It's largely about comfort, really, and viewing genitals as nothing more than another part of your body. We still go to beaches and resorts occasionally, and I've always appreciated how it levels the playing field. You literally are hiding nothing. We see you for all your flaws, and it's fine. Really. Everybody has them, and we just want you to be you."
"There's an old joke where nude beaches are filled with people you don't want to see naked. But the reality is you're seeing what normal people look like. What's funny is the clothing-optional places I have been, the most physically fit people don't fully undress because they're too concerned about their appearances."
13.And: "Living a nudist lifestyle is freeing and promotes body acceptance. It's not about sexuality but comfort and equality. Growing up in it feels normal, fostering confidence and a healthy view of bodies while enjoying a judgment-free community."
Are you a nudist, or do you embrace aspects of a nudist lifestyle? You can tell us your story in the comments or anonymously using this form.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
