Barechested
Encyclopedia
Barechested most commonly refers to a male wearing no clothes
above the waist
, exposing much or all of the torso
. It is also known as "stripped to the waist" or "being shirtless". The term topless is usually applied only to women.
In industrialized societies, it is much more common for men to be barechested in public than women, as exposure of the male pectoral muscles
is often considered to be far less taboo
than of the female breasts, despite some considering them equally erogenous. Both are forms of partial nudity.
s and miners
, have worked barechested. This was, and is, particularly normal in warmer climates, with the exception of very sunny climates where protection from excessive sunlight
is often more important than cooling
. But various times and places have been more strict and uneasy about the practice. During the Victorian period
, Western cultures deplored nudity of any degree, even barechested male swimmers at ocean beaches, and people took great pains to cover themselves up. In societies so affected, attitudes began to relax in the 20th century. Going barechested in public was again acceptable. It is becoming more common, and in hot days, many barechested men can be seen on the streets and even in commercial places like shops and supermarkets.
At first, the rules relaxed only for men on beach
es and swimming pool
s (in New York City
, a man could be fined for removing his shirt in Central Park
as late as 1960) but permissiveness gradually grew and crossed gender lines.
More recently, it has become quite common for women on beaches in Europe
, the Caribbean
, and Australia
to go topless, though it is by no means universal. It is still unusual on most beaches in North America
.
Throughout much of Asia, barechestedness in either men or women is generally disapproved of, and may be highly offensive, even at the beach. In many of these regions, for example South Korea
, most adults still swim almost fully clothed. Some countries, such as Thailand
, though they disapprove of toplessness among women, condone it in order to keep attracting European tourists. In some Muslim
countries, women are religiously encouraged (or required, as in the case of Iran
) to cover nearly all of the body. In Europe
and North America
, people remain who take offense at barechested men, and many shops will refuse to serve barechested people, having policies of "no shirt, no shoes, no service".
In southern India
, it is common for men to wear only a dhoti
with no shirt or chest covering. This is the typical attire of South Indian Hindu
priests (although a second cloth is wrapped around the waist over the dhoti).
Some Hindu temple
s in southern India require male devotees to remove their shirts before entering.
, Matt Pike
of High on Fire
, Zack Merrick from All Time Low
, Jared Leto
, Chris Brown and members of the bands Gyroscope
, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Basshunter
, Metro Station
, Placebo
and Apocalyptica
.
is another notable example.
Some men will attend NFL and college American football games shirtless and sometimes painted in team colors. Some men work as barechested waiters or as strippers. In fact, Jersey Shore
star Mike Sorrentino has become famous due to his barechestedness.
In many sports, barechestedness for males is the norm, especially in most water sports such as swimming, diving
, surfing
, and water polo
, and in the beach version of other sports, such as beach volleyball
and beach wrestling. This is also true of various combat sports, such as most boxing
disciplines, mud or oil wrestling
, professional wrestling
, and MMA
. Professional boxing
rules typically prohibit male boxers from wearing a shirt, and, under professional kickboxing
rules, male participants are also prohibited from wearing shoes. Additionally, almost all male bodybuilders
are barechested in competitions and exhibitions, going back to the early 1900s or earlier.
When sports are played informally outdoors or in warm gym
s, males in many locations around the world will often remove their shirts for comfort, to stay cooler, and to avoid chafing of the nipples against a shirt. Common examples are basketball
, football
, tennis
, running
, cycling
, and gymnastics
. This practice is typically more accepted than men appearing barechested in other situations, such as walking
in urban environments.
In informal sporting matches, such as a game of football
in the park or cricket
on the beach, there may not have enough shirts or bibs to sufficiently distinguish members of each team. In these situations, a common option, at least for mostly male teams, is to play Shirts versus Skins: the members of one team go barechested and are hence said to be Skins, while the other team's players keep their shirts on and are called Shirts.
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
above the waist
Waist
The waist is the part of the abdomen between the rib cage and hips. On proportionate people, the waist is the narrowest part of the torso....
, exposing much or all of the torso
Torso
Trunk or torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. The trunk includes the thorax and abdomen.-Major organs:...
. It is also known as "stripped to the waist" or "being shirtless". The term topless is usually applied only to women.
In industrialized societies, it is much more common for men to be barechested in public than women, as exposure of the male pectoral muscles
Pectoralis major muscle
The pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped muscle, situated at the chest of the body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles in the male and lies under the breast in the female...
is often considered to be far less taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
than of the female breasts, despite some considering them equally erogenous. Both are forms of partial nudity.
Cultural attitudes
Throughout history, many men, especially labourers such as farmerFarmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s and miners
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, have worked barechested. This was, and is, particularly normal in warmer climates, with the exception of very sunny climates where protection from excessive sunlight
Sunlight
Sunlight, in the broad sense, is the total frequency spectrum of electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. On Earth, sunlight is filtered through the Earth's atmosphere, and solar radiation is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon.When the direct solar radiation is not blocked...
is often more important than cooling
Thermoregulation
Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different...
. But various times and places have been more strict and uneasy about the practice. During the Victorian period
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, Western cultures deplored nudity of any degree, even barechested male swimmers at ocean beaches, and people took great pains to cover themselves up. In societies so affected, attitudes began to relax in the 20th century. Going barechested in public was again acceptable. It is becoming more common, and in hot days, many barechested men can be seen on the streets and even in commercial places like shops and supermarkets.
At first, the rules relaxed only for men on beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es and swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
s (in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, a man could be fined for removing his shirt in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
as late as 1960) but permissiveness gradually grew and crossed gender lines.
More recently, it has become quite common for women on beaches in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to go topless, though it is by no means universal. It is still unusual on most beaches in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Throughout much of Asia, barechestedness in either men or women is generally disapproved of, and may be highly offensive, even at the beach. In many of these regions, for example South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, most adults still swim almost fully clothed. Some countries, such as Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, though they disapprove of toplessness among women, condone it in order to keep attracting European tourists. In some Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
countries, women are religiously encouraged (or required, as in the case of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
) to cover nearly all of the body. In Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, people remain who take offense at barechested men, and many shops will refuse to serve barechested people, having policies of "no shirt, no shoes, no service".
In southern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, it is common for men to wear only a dhoti
Dhoti
The dhoti or pancha is the traditional men's garment in the in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A similar garment is worn in some rural areas of Punjab province in Pakistan, but the use is fast declining...
with no shirt or chest covering. This is the typical attire of South Indian Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
priests (although a second cloth is wrapped around the waist over the dhoti).
Some Hindu temple
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
s in southern India require male devotees to remove their shirts before entering.
Music
When some bands are performing live it is common for some of the members to be shirtless if they are male, especially at festivals. Some notable people who are often or always shirtless performing are Iggy PopIggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, Matt Pike
Matt Pike
Matt Pike is an American rock musician best known as the guitarist of the influential doom metal band Sleep and frontman of High on Fire. He is quite well known in the metal scene for almost never wearing a shirt during live performances....
of High on Fire
High on Fire
High on Fire is a stoner metal band from Oakland, California, that was formed in 1998. Matt Pike, the band's frontman and founder, previously played guitar for the influential stoner doom band Sleep.-History:...
, Zack Merrick from All Time Low
All Time Low
All Time Low is an American pop punk band from Baltimore, Maryland, formed in 2003.The band consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alexander Gaskarth, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Jack Barakat, bassist and backing vocalist Zachary Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson...
, Jared Leto
Jared Leto
Jared Joseph Leto is an American actor, director, producer, occasional model and musician. Leto has appeared in both big budget Hollywood films and smaller projects from independent producers and art houses. He rose to prominence for playing Jordan Catalano in the teenage drama My So-Called Life...
, Chris Brown and members of the bands Gyroscope
Gyroscope (band)
Gyroscope is an Australian rock band from Perth, Western Australia, formed in 1997. The band comprises vocalist and guitarist Daniel Sanders, guitarist and back up vocalist Zoran Trivic, bassist and back up vocalist Brad Campbell and drummer Rob Nassif....
, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Basshunter
Basshunter
Jonas Erik Altberg , better known by his stage name Basshunter, is a Swedish singer-songwriter, record producer and DJ. He is best known for his number one hits "Boten Anna", "Dota", "Now You're Gone" and "All I Ever Wanted". Basshunter has so far released a total of six albums, two of which have...
, Metro Station
Metro Station (band)
Metro Station is an American pop rock band that formed in Los Angeles by Mason Musso and Trace Cyrus. In late 2006, the band signed a recording contract with Columbia/Red Ink. They are best known for their Top 10 Billboard hit single "Shake It" from their self-titled debut album...
, Placebo
Placebo (band)
Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and...
and Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica is a band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso and drummer Mikko Sirén...
.
Advertising
Some businesses use barechested men extensively in their advertising, but do not permit customers to actually go barechested in their establishments. This is particularly common with gyms. The clothing retailer Abercrombie & FitchAbercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
is another notable example.
Sports
There are some groups advocating greater acceptance of male barechestedness. Some are aimed primarily at encouraging men to take advantage of situations where barechestedness is already widely accepted (such as running), some aim to enlarge the scope of athletic events that permit barechested participants, and others seek to make barechestedness universally acceptable. Going shirtless is considered a lifestyle by some men.Some men will attend NFL and college American football games shirtless and sometimes painted in team colors. Some men work as barechested waiters or as strippers. In fact, Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
star Mike Sorrentino has become famous due to his barechestedness.
In many sports, barechestedness for males is the norm, especially in most water sports such as swimming, diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
, and water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
, and in the beach version of other sports, such as beach volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
and beach wrestling. This is also true of various combat sports, such as most boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
disciplines, mud or oil wrestling
Mud wrestling
Mud wrestling is defined as physical confrontation that occurs in mud or a mud pit. The popular modern interpretation specifies that participants wrestle while wearing minimal clothing and usually going barefoot, with the emphasis on presenting an entertaining spectacle as opposed to physically...
, professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, and MMA
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
. Professional boxing
Professional Boxing
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, emerged in the early twentieth century as boxing gradually attained legitimacy and became a regulated, sanctioned sport. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse which is divided among the fighters and promoters as determined by contract...
rules typically prohibit male boxers from wearing a shirt, and, under professional kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
rules, male participants are also prohibited from wearing shoes. Additionally, almost all male bodybuilders
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
are barechested in competitions and exhibitions, going back to the early 1900s or earlier.
When sports are played informally outdoors or in warm gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
s, males in many locations around the world will often remove their shirts for comfort, to stay cooler, and to avoid chafing of the nipples against a shirt. Common examples are basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, football
Football
Football may refer to one of a number of team sports which all involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
, cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
, and gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
. This practice is typically more accepted than men appearing barechested in other situations, such as walking
Walking
Walking is one of the main gaits of locomotion among legged animals, and is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step...
in urban environments.
In informal sporting matches, such as a game of football
Football
Football may refer to one of a number of team sports which all involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
in the park or cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
on the beach, there may not have enough shirts or bibs to sufficiently distinguish members of each team. In these situations, a common option, at least for mostly male teams, is to play Shirts versus Skins: the members of one team go barechested and are hence said to be Skins, while the other team's players keep their shirts on and are called Shirts.