showering nude?

[NbyNW]

I remember learning to swim at a YMCA that was an old brick building. I have no idea when it was built. My impression from knowing that part of town is that it could have been pre-war. The locker rooms had open showers. I remember thinking it was really cool that you could just press a button and hot water would come out for some set period of time.

We probably showered in our bathing suits and then dried off and dressed as quickly as we can. Probably more out of parent-enforced modesty than anything we might have felt or known at that age.

My Jr. High and HS also had open showers and those were probably built in the late 50s-early 60s. Showers weren't mandated, but to be honest, we rarely sweated in gym class.

[Wahine]

So here's an interesting observation...

I'm a Canadian living in the US. I am a member of our Masters Swim team and I go to the pool at times outside of masters as well.

I would say on the whole, Canadians are a bit more European in their attitudes about nudity but not much. You'll still see lots of Canadians going through the towel change dance in the locker room.

At our pool here in the US, we have an open group showering area and 3 stalls with curtains in the same area. When we come out of masters, there is always a rush for the stalls, because they have the best nozzles, not because of privacy. In fact, no one closes the curtains so we can all make eye contact while we chat and get caught up on our lives outside of the pool. We walk around naked with towels on our heads, do hair and make-up in our underwear.

When I go to the pool at public swim times the vibe is totally different. People use private changing rooms and I almost never see anyone showering naked with the curtains open on the stalls. And I often get a bit of stink eye when I walk naked through the locker room from the shower to the dressing area, like I'm doing something wrong.

So I'd say that a there is a ton of variablility from place to place and even in one place depending on the time of day!

[PamNY]

I remember as a teen being berated by older women for being modest in situations where public changing of clothes was an issue. And honestly? That was that. I will be as modest as I damned well please and a bunch of yammering, judgmental women aren't going to stop me.

It is rude and arrogant for anyone to suggest that modesty has anything whatsoever to do with negative body image. Personally I think my body is fairly terrific -- but being forced to parade around nude to satisfy someone else's idea of what is correct? Not going to happen.

ETA: I would make an effort to be polite when traveling abroad.