Mon Dieu! Topless Sunbathing Is Passe in France

The Italians are debating topless sunbathing, so it might come as no surprise that the French seem to be turning conservative. A generation ago, it was oh-so-chic when French women pioneered the movement, but now 88% of the French describe themselves as pudique (prudish.) Says one 23-year-old, "Mostly 50-year-old women do it."

Modern health concerns aside, notes the Los Angeles Times in a look at the weighty issue, the change may be less about prudishness and more about fashion: "The French are aesthetically minded. Tan breasts used to be pretty, and now they are not, especially on an older body." (More topless beaches stories.)