The topic about beaches. I don't think it's necessary to close down the beaches. When it's hot, people want to wear light clothing and go bathing in the sea. I think it's enough to start with the propaganda of modesty. Not to show sex and nudity obsessed TV shows. Not to sell magazines that make people obsessed with sex and nudity. The whole atmosphere of licentiousness, the worship of the body, etc., should be made to go away. The virtues of modesty and true respect of the opposite sex should be taught at school. I think that if these values are taught, if overly revealing clothes meet with societal disapproval, then people will automatically dress more modestly when they go to the beach. There are situations when it's important that people are lightly dressed - such as when they do sports or go to the beach. We should not follow the path of muslim countries and make these activities gender-separate. I think that if the moral atmosphere in the society is healthy, then these few instances of minimal clothing will not cause problems.
I disagree with Chaim in the way he presents this issue, namely that men get too excited looking at women. The truth is that women get just as excited looking at men. They are equally sexual beings. If you just present this from the male point of view, you objectify women, and I don't like it. This is a mutual issue. Men and women should be dressed with equal degree of modesty. As to what is modest - I guess it could be argued. I personally think that during a hot weather, it is acceptible for men and women to wear sleavless tops, and shorts and skirts could be knee-length. The tops should not be too low-necked to show cleavage. As for swimming suits, the type of one-piece swimming suits (for men and women) they wore at the turn of the 20th century would be appropriate, in my opinion. Men wore these one piece suits also, and I think it would be appropriate to bring them back for beach wear.
I've posted previously on this forum that one-piece bathing suits are more healthy for women than two-piece because the latter exposes more skin to the sun.
You mention shorts. Why wouldn't they be allowed? They're not considered sexually revealing.
"Just to add one more thing about modesty. I think a good criterion of modesty is to separate the functional from something specifically designed to titillate. I think that a one-piece sleeveless suit is functional for swimming and gymnastics, as something that is not too hot and doesn't constrict the movements of the body. A bikini or something that overly emphasizes the lines of the body is designed to titillate.
Here is another example of something that is functional in my eyes. "
I agree. Isn't the reason that some people wear a bikini because they intentionally want people to pay a lot of attention to their bodies?