Will men be able to walk without a shirt? In Europe, cities one after another impose bans against "naked torsos"

With the onset of the summer heat, it seems natural for many men to take off their excess clothes when strolling through the city streets. However, in recent years European resorts and metropolises have launched a large-scale offensive against the habit of walking with a naked torso, turning it from a matter of personal comfort into a subject of serious litigation and hefty fines.

Geography of bans and the price of the issue

The trend towards tightening the rules of the "dress code" in public places is most clearly manifested in the Mediterranean. Spain has become a leader in this struggle. In popular cities such as Marbella, Malaga, Alicante and on the island Mallorca, for walking without a shirt or in one swimsuit outside the beach area, you can now get a fine from €300 to €750.

Particular attention is focused on Barcelona. From February 2026 Here the updated rules of civil conduct come into force. City officials have closed a legal loophole that has prevented police from punishing violators for a decade. Now the law clearly states: Being in a public space without clothes covering the torso is prohibited, except for places for sports. Fines for the absence of a T-shirt will range from €120 to €300, and for complete nudity - up to EUR 500.

Not far behind France. About 20 coastal cities, including Deauville, Narbonne and La Grande Motte, introduced similar restrictions. In Deauville, the fine for appearing bare-chested in the city center or shops has recently increased several times - from 17 to 150 EUR.

Why do cities choose rigidity?

Municipalities explain their actions not by "puritanism", but by the need to protect public order, hygiene and respect for local residents.

The main arguments of the authorities include that visitors without clothes in cafes and restaurants often scare away other customers and create embarrassing situations.

The authorities are also seeking to blur the line between a "beach resort" and a "functioning city" where people live and work. And according to the authorities, city streets, public transport and cultural sites require compliance with other norms of behavior than the coastline.

The right to nudity against the public interest

The struggle for the right to walk without clothes reached the highest courts. In 2023 Superior Court of Valencia sided with Alejandro Colomar, who walked naked, arguing that he was "ideological freedom". The court decided that since there was no law prohibiting nudity in a particular municipality, the fines were illegal.

However, Supreme Court of Spain in its latest decisions (for example, in 2024 and 2026), it takes a tougher stance. The judges emphasize that Nudity is not an absolute right, which can be practiced anywhere. According to the court's position, being naked in places such as police stations or central squares violates the rights of other citizens to peace and dignity.

At the pan-European level European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the Stephen Gough case (known as the "naked tramp") held that while nudity may be a form of expression (Article 10 of the Convention), States have wide freedom of action for the protection of public order. The Court recognized that anti-social behaviour imposed on others cannot be justified by human rights.

The future of men's fashion on the streets of Europe

Gradually, a consensus is forming in Europe: Human freedom ends where it begins to interfere with the comfort of the majority. Despite criticism from advocates of personal freedoms, who consider such measures to be excessive interference with privacy, the majority of residents and business owners support restrictions.

For tourists and locals, the conclusion is obvious: going from the beach to the city for ice cream or to a museum, Men are better off wearing a T-shirt. Otherwise, "sunbathing" in the center of Barcelona or Malaga can cost the price of a full-fledged air ticket.