Two bikini gals walking up O'Brien St, just past intersection with Glenayr Ave
Well summer is slowly settling in (very slowly this year) and the body parading in Bondi will soon be at its peak. OK, so in a beach suburb it is normal to wear and to be around people wearing very light and minimal clothing such as shorts with bikini tops (for women) and just shorts (for men). This is quite acceptable in a beach area such as Bondi and the streets, shops and cafes are often filled with people walking around in only their togs, budgie smugglers, bikinis, bathing costumes, swimmers and whatever else we might call our beach and swimming gear.
Whenever I visit other beaches both in Australia and overseas, the same applies.
BUT, (forgetting wetsuits and rashys), I have often wondered just how far away from the beach can you get away with walking around in just a bikini? And are there certain criteria which make it OK and not OK? For example, is it acceptable for a young woman of 15 or younger to walk around in a bikini several blocks away from the beach but not a woman of say 30 or older? Or is the acceptability dependent upon how many blocks away from the beach we’re talking about?
Just to be clear, I’m not referring to a woman who is wearing a bikini top with a towel wrapped around the waist (as I often tend to head home in!). I’m talking about wearing just a bikini and nothing else.
I don’t recall ever seeing someone walking around Bondi Junction in only a bikini so I’m assuming that somehow there is an understood rule that the Junction is too far for bikini-wearing to be acceptable. And fair enough too, since it is a good 20 minutes walk at least to the Junction from the beach. So if we’re talking distance, does anyone have any ideas what the general rule is on this?
I’m really curious for your thoughts on bikini wearing beyond the beach…how far is OK and far is not OK? and how is the acceptability factor measured?
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Well, from the perspective of a 40 yr old man, I say there should be no limits as to where bikinis should be worn …unless its my daughter of course 😉
Ha ha ha. Of course Jason, I understand. But the questions is, Is there an acceptable and unacceptable limit? not Does wearing a bikini make for good eye candy. That’s a given – depending on the wearer – I guess! 🙂
I read in the SMH about a man who wore a budgie smuggler bathers and walked to the junction and then thru centenail park and down to central he was arrested in the city. so evidently its ok prob at the junction as he was also spotted there . he may have drawn attention to himself not just by wearing only the speedos but he was weird as well acting strange. I keep my self on the beach and thats where the line is . mayby a coffee at the pavilion but use a towel or somthing.
there is no where to hide in a budgie smuggler . I have fallen asleep on my back at found a group of girls have inadvertantly camped all around me and I am revealing more of a package than possibly is decent. they took pics and giggled whispered murmuring and hushed tones little eyes staring. but a quick dip soon brings things back to normal . the only question on their lips is where did the budgie go ha ha
Yes, the caution of falling asleep on the beach in budgie smugglers! Bondi’s water is often fresh so that would help hide the budgie I’m sure!
Well thanks for sharing that Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) story Mick. I genuinely value this bit of information as a contribution to this post, since it is a question that I think many of us have had fleeting through our minds in summertime, and nobody really, really tries it out (except the guy in the SMH story!)
So… at least we have now established that the Jungo is still a “go-zone”, but perhaps beyond the Jungo is “no-go-zone”?
Wearing just swimmers or bikinis on Campbell Pde used to be very common-place but maybe not so as much now? But the photo I included in this post (of the two girls walking in bikinis) was taken on O’Brien St as they were heading towards Barracluff Avenue, away from the beach, beyond where Cafe Bondi now sits.
Thanks for joining in the banter Mick 🙂