Topless sunbathing becomes 'passe' in France

According to French Elle magazine women in France no longer prefer topless sunbathing because of health concerns and the "pornified" perception.

The increased awareness about skin cancer and other damages from UV rays on skin and scandals hitting front pages including 'Duchess Kate was shot topless in the privacy of her holiday apartment' were the reasons that made sunbathers conscious, the Independent reported.

According to some, topless sun bathing was a fashion, for some it was about nipples where they would feel vulnerable, but for Marselle Fisher, 33, it was more about self confidence where women doesn't feel confident about herself to go topless.

Gail Hawkes, Sexuality expert at the University of New England in Australia, said that maybe this was a form of protecting one's body virginity, where one keeps her nipple private for her lover, not the public.

This reluctance to bare the breast might be surprising in the wake of feminist activism which has sought to promote women's rights through going topless, like Femen uses their naked breasts to attract attention to various causes, from breaking into fashion shows, to jumping on top of politicians' vehicles.