Tanga Thoughts

As somebody who likes to wear as little clothing as possible, you'd think that a swimsuit as skimpy as this one (I tend to bring it out late in the season when there are less people at the lake, to help even out my tan) would be a satisfactory substitute for being naked. But while, as an exhibitionist, I do like wearing it, as a nudist, it doesn't capture nearly as much of the feeling of being naked as you might think.

It sounds perverted (though it's really not), but a large part of the tactile joy of nudity (at least as an anatomical male) is the sensation of your genitals swinging freely, unencumbered by the restriction of tight clothing. After all, that's the primary defining factor that separates being naked from being dressed. Therefore, a loose dress without underwear ironically feels closer to being naked than wearing a thong bikini*, despite the latter exposing much more skin and being far more restricted by society than the former. Hence the popularity among nudists of the "shirtcock" - unfortunate inasmuch as it isn't usually, in my experience, a very visually appealing fashion.

Nevertheless, the full effect of nudity can only be experienced when that feeling of freedom extends to every part of the body (including the feet), which is why "complete" or "total" nudity maintains its special status (at least in my mind), even as you'll not uncommonly encounter nudists wearing shoes, or wrapped in shawls, or what have you.

*Don't get me wrong, the thong bikini can be quite thrilling to wear, in the sense of exposing a maximum percentage of your body. But that's more of an exhibitionist thrill, and not really the same thing as the nudist sensation of being naked. Which is probably why nudists who eschew exhibitionism tend to completely overlook the virtues of skimpy swimwear (a perspective I never really could relate to).