France is on a mission to stamp out topless men this summer, with towns across the country issuing £130 fines to those not fully clothed. From Les Sables-d’Olonne to Cassis, and across an increasing number of seaside destinations, local councils are implementing regulations prohibiting bare-chested men from walking through public areas.
Uniformed officers have reportedly received orders to uphold these restrictions, issuing stern warnings and €150 (£130) fines. Warning signs have been put up at beach locations to ensure all tourists are aware of the new rules. Most regulations also prohibit women in bikini tops from entering shops and walking through streets. Yannick Moreau, the mayor of Sables d’Olonne on the coast of western France, said: “It’s a question of respect. Sablais don’t want people wandering around half-naked.
“If you want to show off your pectorals and your best swimming trunks, 11km of beaches are there for you.”
Similar restrictions have been enforced across numerous holiday destinations, including Arcachon in the south-west, Narbonne on the Mediterranean, Palavas-les-Flots and La Grande-Motte, near Montpellier.
Nice, Cannes and Saint-Tropez also all maintain dress code requirements, while notices in La Grande-Motte read: En ville, je m’habille (in town, I put my clothes on).
Stéphan Rossignol, La Grande-Motte mayor, explained that the ban was brought in following complaints of scantily-clad tourists in restaurants. “It wasn’t hygienic or respectful,” he said.
In Cassis, a Riviera destination near Marseilles, a notice in French The sign reads ‘Tenue correcte exigée’, with a rough English translation beneath it stating: “Downtown well dress required”.
To ensure the message is clear, the sign features images of a man in shorts and a woman in a bikini, both crossed out in red, next to pictures of a couple dressed in shorts and T-shirts without the cross.
While there’s no nationwide law on “decent” attire in France, local councils have the authority to enact by-laws, and most resorts have only handed out a small number of fines.