When it comes to clothing advice for women, the “rules” are endless. They range from sizeist – “avoid horizontal stripes if you have a wider frame”, to ageist – “don’t wear a crop top over 50”. Now Australia is weighing in. A council in Greater Sydney has banned thong and g-string bikinis at its public swimming pools causing outrage among pool users and stirring a wider debate about the policing of women’s bodies.
In a now-deleted post on Facebook clarifying its swim-attire rules, Blue Mountains leisure centres stated that skimpy swimwear was “inappropriate” at its facilities. The guidelines were posted after pool users queried posters at centres warning that “revealing swimwear/thongs” were not to be worn.
