Take your clothes off on a beach or at a club and you become natural. Your body parts become things that makes up a whole. You are a sum of your parts. Generally unless you purposely strut around attempting to bring attention to yourself or parts of your body, you will in fact blend into the naked community around you. A balance tends to be found when talking to or noticing someone. We our aware that people are naked, we notice their bodies in a casual sort of way, but we connect with their face. We may be showing ourselves but we are not exhibiting ourselves. Our bodies are on view as a direct result of naturism, not because we are exposing ourselves but because we are not covering ourselves up. There seems a subtle difference.

However with clothes we were items that put the stress on our buttocks or breasts, bring the eye to our cleavage, enhance our legs with heels, wear tight tops to show our broad manly chests, crop tops to show our flat stomachs. Bras that force the breasts up and out. Braless tops that distract a man from looking at your eyes and instead encourage the gaze at two other round object that seem to be staring back.  

Revealing clothes attract attention not just to what we show but also what we don't show. Bikinis that do little but cover the nipples and the carefully shaved genital region allowing maximum flesh exposure without crossing the line to nudity. Any level of buttock exposure seems acceptable now with small short, swimwear or on music videos. 

So what do you think? Are we as naturists being less exhibitionist than those that wear clothes yet expose chosen parts of the body and enhance the awareness of other parts with clothes? By being naked are we actually encouraging people to ignore our bodies?

I have added this "spin off" topic: https://www.anaturistworld.com/forums/topic/154/do-you-reveal-more-about-yourself-when-naked-or-dressed

I think so. When I enter an elevator with a mirror I always feel a bit down because I feel fat. Nevertheless, if I see myself naked in the mirror or if I see naked photos of myself, I only judge if the face is right (like, are my eyes closed or is my face out of focus?). It's just what I am, nothing more, no need to conform to any norm.

In a way, I think exhibitionism as a word also has a negative stigma because it's "too strong", like it could only apply to someone showing genitals to unwilling participants for self gratification. But, like you said, sometimes we "exhibit" ourselves with a nice dress or a fancy suit, even if it's covering more than something less "exhibiting", like shorts and a t-shirt.

Bikinis are becoming more and more tiny. It's a two-fold thing: as a naturist, my wife would prefer to be naked, but if she can't, a small bikini should feel better as it's acceptable and covers less, yet it doesn't, if feels worse because it's like it's drawing attention to parts that become instantely naughty by the need to cover them.

There was a time when I thought that nude people should have their own beach and textiles their own, but now what I really want (but can't have) is a beach where everybody can be how they want without anyone harrasing anyone.

When I'm surrounded by naked people, I don't see parts, I see the whole person, like I see any other animal (I never find myself thinking here's the dog's leg, here's the dog's behind...). Unless you are wearing a very large piercing or something, I can't describe you more than height, hair colour or general volume. You ask "how big are my nipples" and the thought that comes to my mind is "how am I supposed to know that?"

Yes my original topic title was going to use the word revealing rather than exhibitionist. Maybe it still should. Though I did think about the fact that some clothes don't reveal but do show off. I am also considering a topic about what clothes and our bodies reveal about ourselves in a personality way. And wanted to save the word revealing for that. Hmmm...Thesaurus time maybe.

I do not what you mean about mirrors, I am much harsher about myself in clothes and much less aware of my body when naked.

I think you are also right about the fact that a piercing, or for that matter a tattoo or cosmetic enhancement can divert the interest back to parts of the anatomy. Though many people would argue that that was not their intention. Primarily decorating yourself is a harmless matter of choice. 

An extreme case story. We were on a beach in Malaga once and this young woman had a six-pack implant, breast implants and buttock implants. Her buttocks in particular had become a distraction, we have armchairs with smaller seats! Our son's found them fascinating and everyone who passed by found themselves staring and doing a 180 degree turn with their head as they walked on. She was definitely wanting attention though, she would strip off, redress in another bikini or item of clothing (she changed around 6 times), she kept doing selfies on her mobile and staring at them for ages, or getting her partner (who was considerably older than her and had had some work done too) to take pictures with her mobile while she pouted, or shoved parts of her self at the screen. It was all rather harmless but very entertaining. The boys still talk about her sometimes now. She seemed to love the fact that she got attention, but of course she doesn't know what people thought when they looked. Did they see her as wonderful or ridiculous, did they envy her or were they laughing. It wasn't so much the cosmetic work but her behaviour with it. As long as she is happy then there is no harm. And she certainly was remembered. What is interesting is that when she was naked she tended to  be quite reserved, lying chatting with her partner, eating a spot of lunch, having a sunbathe. It was in her various clothing items that she seemed to enter exhibitionist mode. Standing, posing, having photos taking and drawing attention to herself. It was as if the clothes encouraged the attention seeking part of her or being dressed allowed her to considering getting attention and posing as more suitable.

I don't like piercings or tattoos myself, but to each its own. I mentioned body modifications because even if the reason isn't drawing attention to body parts it ends up doing that. I mean, no one notices a par of earrings, but if you have a lip ring it doesn't go unnoticed.

I think we end up teaching girls (particularly girls) from a young age that there are assets to cultivate - the hourglass figure - and clothes are the possible way to enhance the look. Bikinis aren't particularly different than underwear and underwear seems to serve no other purpose than to shape the body.

I think there is no doubt, that clothing does draw more attention to people, we see that in business and life every day. How many times have all of us heard the term “Dress to impress?” Business encourages power dressing.

Is being naked, attention seeking or exhibitionist? It is an interesting question, as I think all of us have that first experience of being a little excited when we stripped for the first time in public, and had those thoughts of “OMG I am naked, and People are seeing me.” In time, usually twenty minutes that goes, and after that, it is less about other people and more about how comfortable we find it.

This does pose an interesting question though, as adornments such as piercings and tattoos are I feel, designed to make people look. After all, many tattoos are small works of art, and art is meant to be admired. It is not for us, but we are happy to let others do it.

The last couple of years has been enlightening for us, as for Rin, it was her life long dream to rainbow colour her hair. As her husband, I would say it was little to do with her need to be looked at, and more to do with her joy of colour, and her desire to be colourful in herself, as an expression of her creative self. For those that know her, they would understand her quiet shy creative side, and yet surprisingly to us, she does get a lot of comments in the street, as she is different in her appearance to most other people. Young children and older ladies appear to go out of their way to stop her and express their joy of her hair, is that exhibitionist or just a consequence of her dream ambition?

I think, mainly because I know her so well, I would certainly say not exhibitionist, but I will add, it is very different to the norm, and maybe in that respect, being undressed plays a part. I do not think any true naturist intends to exhibit themselves, but it is in the it is ‘not a normal part of society,’ that maybe is the draw to others. I feel, to most people, it appears so different, that they would look or comment, because possibly for those people in their ordinary dressed life, it is something they seldom see.

I can say for my own part, I do not think about it, when I am out in the garden I am so immersed in my chosen task, I am not sure I think about it. I am comfortable and at ease, and so my thoughts do not really consider the concept. I know I am certainly aware of clothing when I work, as it is clingy and restricting. I would also add that in a situation where everyone is naked, which becomes the norm, it is not considered by anyone, in that situation, would we ask if the clothed person is an exhibitionist, because they were walking around in tight fitting or flattering clothing?

Bikinis are designed to grab attention, as it plays with the psyche of daring to the point of revelation, and the wearer would maybe be flirting with risk for some admiration? Again, I can only speak from what I know, but what I know from previous none naked relationships, is that those women, appeared to spend a vast amount of time agonising when choosing which one they would purchase. To be quite honest, I found it tiresome and boring standing waiting ages for them so I could pay and leave. I am much happier with my naked rainbow lady; it makes life for me simpler.

For us as a couple, our nudity in life is about comfort and acceptance, we do not worry too much what others may think about it, in that respect it is possibly a little selfish. We do not advertise it, but when asked, we do not deny it, which always starts a conversation. We have been asked by clothing loving people if we worry about the attention, but the truth is we don’t, we are simply being us, enjoying those moments of comfort and acceptance.

I will add finally, we have not been to a public naturist beach, it is on our to do list, we know we really want to, and we will probably really enjoy it. As to what others would think or say, we do not really worry about that, as from our point of view, it is more about how we experience it, and how others do, is their own affair. WE would never offend anyone, and would always stick within the limits of a naked place, and in doing that, we would hope, it is just normal for that situation.