Women's Stories

My journey only really began in the Summer of 2019.  During the worst of my menopause, I was experiencing terrible hot flushes and the only way for me to find comfort was by taking my clothes off.  This was most unusual for me, having had something of a body hatred for most of my life.  I have managed to hide myself away, and my body especially, right from the time I gave birth to my son - he is now 31!  The comfort my nakedness brought me forced a reconsideration of how I feel about myself and

I make my living as a life model for drawing classes and photographers, meaning that I am well accustomed to nudity, but also very familiar with how cruel and judgmental people can be. I would describe my appearance as average; average weight, average height, the sort of person who blends into the crowd. Like everybody, there are a few things about my appearance I believe could be better, but I’m fairly happy with how I look and strongly believe that being satisfied with yourself is essential to

Like many people, I discovered naturism almost by accident. We went on holiday to what is now Croatia (it was still Yugoslavia at the time) and we knew there were naturist beaches in the area but not exactly where. Turned out they were near our hotel, so we gave it a try. At the time I was quite body conscious (being on the larger size) so I was a bit reluctant to go to the public beach area, but there were also some little coves that were like private beaches and I was happy there. I am now muc

The first time it really hit me that I wasn't in Kansas anymore, or rather, as far from my conservative Asian roots as I could get, was when I asked my then-three-year-old daughter to choose where to sit on a Portuguese beach. She promptly plonked her bum down next to a topless sunbather, something you'd be arrested for attempting in Asia. I spent the next several minutes waiting with bated breath for someone to tell the poor lady off or to leer at her. I don't remember when I finally relaxed bu

Many years ago on holiday in France we wandered down a path to the beach, and a notice informed us that "textiles" went to the right and "Naturists" to the left. "Strange", we thought and headed to the right. Later, on the inflatable bobbing around on the waves being pushed along by my husband, we realised we had strayed into the "naturist" section, shock horror! What to do? People were looking at us! So, off came the swimwear, well, we didn't want people staring at us! We came to this beac

We are new members to BN and are really enjoying all the things that go along with our membership, the Magazine, various classes and friendly online banter.  What surprised me as a female was the ratio of girls to boys within the ranks, so I am writing this to hopefully encourage more of you girls who may be either dithering or downright scared stiff of baring all! Firstly, please don't think I have no body issues, of course I do but I don't let it stop me.  I have a belly (the middle-aged

Okay, hands up all those who were brought up to always try the food on their plate and not take one look at it and declare, “I don’t like it”? My Mum always told me to try it before deciding because I might well discover that I DO like it! Apply this to everything new you encounter and you could lead a full and interesting life! How many of you, particularly the women reading this, have never actually tried Naturism but are stubbornly declaring it is not for you and you won’t like it?! My e

I was lucky enough to grow up in a household where my parents were not shy about their bodies.  As far as I know, they weren't active naturists, but they often walked around the house half clothed or completely naked - more to do with getting distracted while dressing or undressing than any deliberate choice to be naked for a period of time, so they've said.  Although at the time I sometimes felt embarrassed; "What if the neighbours saw?", "What if they absent-mindedly walked out of their bedroo

A month after my 47th birthday I found myself for the first time living completely on my own. I had a little apartment above a shop in a little village and in a “light bulb” moment I realised that I was my own boss, I could do anything I want to. Unfortunately, 6 months later I was made redundant from the job I really loved, that of an ambulance driver and crew. Now what was I going to do? At 48 I went back to college to study for a qualification in complementary therapies, one year on enro

I got into Naturism about 8 years ago. I met a guy (just a friend) who had been a Naturist for over 30 years. He had a garden that was not overlooked and spent most of his time there naked. He also had a hot tub in a shed in his back garden that we used, but to start with I went in topless. After a few months he persuaded me to strip off in his garden, so I hid behind his shed and disrobed…..well, I could not believe how fresh and invigorating it felt! Needless to say, I went from being a s

As I write this article on 23rd of March 2020, I have been a Naturist for just two months. However, it has been a life transforming two months and what follows is the story of how, in just a few short weeks Naturism has taken me on a journey from absolutely hating my own body - to the point of not even looking at myself in the mirror getting out of the bath - to a feeling of complete acceptance of myself, lumps, bumps, wobbly bits, and all. On January 14th I went on a dat

I’m sitting here on my bed in the middle of the high heat of the day keeping cool in Costa Rica. I am stuck not knowing how to share my story and then I close my eyes. Tears start to form on the inside of my eyelids and I take myself back to a world before Body Freedom International (BFI) and way back before I even had body freedom. I am both moved by where I have come from, and upset at the pain, hatred and anger that I once was. There are a couple of days that stand out the most to me. On

I was 18 and had been dating this girl for a few months, not long but long enough for it to move away from just being a fling.On a lovely sunny bank holiday day we'd been to the Severnside Bird Santuary and were heading home, shortly after lunch.  Just in conversation, with no ulterior motive, I mentioned that for some while during the previous summer, I'd visited a naturist club not that far away and had been a member, was still, of their youth group.Needless to say there was a laughing respons

I have always been a big girl with rock bottom body image. A shy kid and a bit of a geek who had few friends and never really fitted in, I reinvented myself at university. The first person I met on my first day at work was the man who would become my husband. We spent a day at Studland beach and I mentioned I had been there as a teenager and stumbled by accident onto the naturist section - it was clear my husband wanted to try it! He stripped off and ran down to the sea. Later, he pers

With two small children living in Germany I found myself on a well earned ladies night out to the local spa. Thursday was ladies night, a group of us took our costumes along only to find costumes were not allowed and it was naked only, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, not sure that I thought it was anything but normal then. Back in England I found myself home alone when my girls had gone off to Uni, flicking through the TV channels I came across a tv programme called ‘Going to Work Naked’, I fo

‘I completed the Swimathon in April as part of my local Naturist Group's regular swim session. I think I may be the only person to have done the Swimathon naked!’ writes Leann   Standing on the poolside wearing my purple Swimathon hat but no swimsuit, it occurs to me this is the opposite look to my regular public class -  where I sport a range of costumes but rarely need a hat to control my short hair (I figure it will give me a boost if I ever have to race!) – The fully uniformed lifegu

This year marks a personal milestone. I will be celebrating my fortieth! Birthday? No, that has long passed! This year is my fortieth anniversary of becoming a Naturist! I did not want this celebration to pass unrecognised, so I asked my husband if we could retrace my steps and go to where I first stripped off and ran into the sea, so I could do it all over again. But as an older lady, I must admit, I did not run as fast as last time! Four decades ago, I was a staff member on a seconda

My first Naturist experience was in June 2017 when I persuaded my hubby to come to Studland beach with me. I had never been before and wanted to see what it was like. I had also never been fully naked outside or swam naked before. I had only sunbathed topless while on holiday or in the back garden (which is quite overlooked by apartments!) and each time I did, I found myself wondering whether I’d ever be brave enough to go completely naked. Studland was amazing for my first time thought. Th

I was born and raised in the Middle East, from a Muslim background family. For Muslims, nudity is a giant taboo, and your life may be in danger if you were caught practicing Nudism. Islam treats nudity as a major sinful act and can be considered as breaking the family honor code - unless nakedness is necessary, such as using the bathroom or medical need. There are even restrictions on nudity (and sex) between spouses. Intentionally being nude is considered a satanic act and is treated as an adul

My first experience of public nudity was around twenty years ago when I attended a Five Rhythm dance workshop on the Isle of Mull. I was dancing on the beach to my own internal music in the pouring rain and it just felt right to throw my clothes off and dance naked before swimming in the sea. Being an extremely shy person I was amazed at how liberated I felt. However it was only ten years later when I met my partner that I realised that Naturism was a way of life for some people and that th

When I was a little girl, my doctor told my Mum that she dressed me in far too many clothes! As an adult, I used to be embarrassed taking all my clothes off to get into the bath! How things have changed! When my husband and I got together about 20 years ago, he loved being naked around the house. I soon enjoyed the experience myself. Hugh had always wanted to be naked outside the house. One day, whilst on holiday in Cornwall, we walked along the beach at Carlyon Bay and came to a sign which

“Oh my goodness, there is a naked man coming towards us!” I looked towards my husband Philip and saw the biggest grin you can imagine. I can’t even blame him for turning up to our first Naturist campsite, which happened to be the only one in Slovakia, as I had chosen it. I hadn’t realised until this point after 40 years of marriage, how much Philip had wanted to camp as a Naturist. So, as I wasn’t prepared to try to find another campsite, I bit the bullet and within 10 minutes I was walking nake

Talking to a gym buddy the other week, she asked me where I go to swim and I told her it was at the Naturist Club in our village. She looked at me with amused interest whilst inadvertently covering her clothed chest with both arms in a protective way. This is often the reaction I see when telling another woman. It is as though she believes the very mention of naked swimming makes her clothes see-through and indicates an instinctive vulnerability. Many say, ‘I couldn’t do that’. I understand

When I was a little girl, my doctor told my Mum that she dressed me in far too many clothes! As an adult, I used to be embarrassed taking all my clothes off to get into the bath! How things have changed! When my husband and I got together about 20 years ago, he loved being naked around the house. I soon enjoyed the experience myself. Hugh had always wanted to be naked outside the house. One day, whilst on holiday in Cornwall, we walked along the beach at Carlyon Bay and came to a sign which