Express Yourself

Picture this, you’re walking on a sandy beach on a beautiful picturesque day. The sun is in your hair and you feel the finely grated sand between your toes. There’s a brisk breeze coming in from the ocean and you have the sudden urge to take off your pants… your underwear… but keep your shirt on. Does this not describe you? Think it can’t be done? Think again, its called “Shirt Cocking”.

Shirt Cocking usually takes place on a nude beach and is the action of wearing a shirt and nothing else, just like it sounds. The phenomenon isn't new and earliest accounts of this style date back to the late 15th century. Shirt Cocking was first refereed to as Blouse Maypolling by European explorers who discovered the Americas. Having come from a very strict and conservative culture, it is said that one of their main joys was strolling up and down the beaches of the new world wearing nothing but a blouse.

The tradition of shirt cocking has been carried forward to contemporary society by aging hippies, transients, and the young. Shirt cockers of today can be seen wearing anything from a simple t-shirt to a long sleeved shirt, sun glasses, hiking boots, and a fanny pack. To some, it is the ultimate perverted move, by being partially clothed only to showcase an area that need not be highlighted. To the shirt cockers, it is an expression of freedom, and pride. With so many men of today being attacked for traditional male habits, it is the one time where they can say, “here I am… this is me…. I am man… and I am not ashamed… now look at my genitals.” It’s one thing to be fully naked on a nude beach, it’s something completely different to have your torso covered only to be showing off your “dangle”.

John Vosper