Show Us Some Skin
Sunday
Before “in the buff” meant naked, it meant wearing a buff coat. This leather tunic worn by English soldiers through the 17th century was a beige color known as buff. Since this was a similar color to the skin of many English folks, “in the buff” came to mean nude.
Monday
Before it was the name of the skimpy swimsuit, the coral islands known as Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific were the target of several 1946 atomic bomb tests by the US military. Four days later, French swimsuit designer Louis Réard also dubbed his new scant piece of ladies’ swimwear the “bikini,” declaring that it would be just as explosive as those nuclear tests. To distinguish it from a competitor’s slightly more modest design, Réard said only a real bikini could be pulled through a wedding ring. Réard initially had trouble finding women willing to model the swimsuit, and it was forbidden in many places after its introduction.
Tuesday
“Mooning,” as the act of deliberately showing your bare butt, entered the lexicon in the 1960’s when it became popular in American universities, though a bare bottom has been called a “moon” since at least the 18th century. Whatever you call it, the practice has roots much further back. Among the older moons, Byzantines mooned fleeing European foes in 1203 during the Fourth Crusade, Brits mooned Scots on 13th century battlefields, and Native Americans mooned Italian explorers in the 1500s. Across all these times and places, though, the gesture remained an insult and mockery.
Wednesday
Humans are sometimes called “the naked ape” because we’re the only known primates not totally covered in hair. This was also the title of a 1967 book by Desmond Morris.
Thursday
Historically, swimming naked was the norm for so long it never needed a special name. After swimsuits were the norm, though, it did, and the term “skinny dipping” arose in the 1950s. Notably, this practice has been popular with many US presidents.
Friday
Operating since 1929, Sky Farm, located in Liberty City, New Jersey, is the oldest “clothing optional” resort in the United States.
Saturday
The modern Mardi Gras tradition of women flashing in exchange for beads goes back to an uncertain date, but was most likely started in the range between 1969 and 1976, according to historians on the topic.