In The Buff

Yes, there are some places in the world where taking off all your clothes isn’t restricted to nudist resorts.

“You don’t know how you’re going to feel before you try it,” says Nick De Corte. “After all, you’ve never seen so many naked people in one place at a time. You start offthinking that this is all very weird. You start wondering if you’ve let yourself in for some kind of giant orgy. But then you soon forget that you’re naked at all. And then you start connecting with people. You’re relieved of the idea of hiding because, you know, there’s nowhere to hide when you’re naked.”

De Corte is, with his partner Lins Van Wambeke, a Belgian traveller and naturist, recounting his experiences on his blog Naked Wanderings. In his mid-30s, he somewhat cuts against the stereotype of those who choose to spend their leisure time at designated beaches and resorts without a stitch on: the portly 50-something German, bronzed all over, naked bar his Birkenstocks. “And they all seem to play petanque,” laughs De Corte.

But then naturism—also known as nudism, and, for the sake of art fans everywhere, not to be confused with naturalism—has seen a seismic shift over the last decade. Naturist events are popping up both in cultures where it has no real history—in South America, in Asia—and in cities too, where it has also not traditionally been found.

“Acceptance of naturism has a lot to do with the local culture, of course,” says De Corte, “and it’s very new to some parts of the world, but that’s what is allowing it to attract the attention of younger people, that and its association with environmentalism too. We were cautious in the beginning and kept our interest in naturism private. But it turns out that while, for some of our friends, it’s a bit of a joke, most just don’t care. Some have even joined us.”