United States
In the United States, clothing-related laws are set by state and local governments. A variety of different offenses, such as "indecent exposure", "public lewdness", "public indecency", "disorderly conduct" and so on, may require exposure of a specific body part (genitals, buttocks, anus, nipples on women), a specific intention or effect (being sexually suggestive, offending or annoying observers). In some cases, a member of the opposite sex must be present. In Florida, designated nudity areas are given an explicit exception. There are also some specific prohibitions against sexual acts, such as having sexual intercourse in public, or publicly caressing someone in a sexual way. In Indiana and Tennessee, there are specific prohibitions against showing a noticeably erect penis through clothing, or other sensitive areas through semi-transparent clothing. In some states, indecent conduct can also occur on private property, depending on the intent or effect of the act. In some cases there are exceptions for spouses, breastfeeding, and in New York, theatre performances. In most states, there is a governing state statute which defines the offense; in Maryland and Massachusetts, indecency is defined by case law. Some local (county and municipal) governments also regulate personal exposure, as well as commercial activities such as strip clubs.
Case law in general governs the interpretation of the statutory definition, and in some cases allows for additional exceptions.
In general, exposure of the head, upper chest, and limbs is legal and considered socially acceptable (except among certain religious communities).
Federal, state, and local regulations for certain occupations require various pieces of protective clothing for the safety of the wearer or the public. Such items include hard hats, safety vests, life jackets, aprons, hairnets, and steel-toe boots.
In the 2000s, there was some controversy in some southern U.S. states over the wearing of pants (trousers) so low as to expose the underwear (sagging), and successful attempts to ban the practice.
Some states and towns have no or loose regulation for requiring clothing. See :Brattleboro#Public_nudity.
Read more about this topic: Clothing Laws By Country
Famous quotes related to united states:
“To the United States the Third World often takes the form of a black woman who has been made pregnant in a moment of passion and who shows up one day in the reception room on the forty-ninth floor threatening to make a scene. The lawyers pay the woman off; sometimes uniformed guards accompany her to the elevators.”
—Lewis H. Lapham (b. 1935)
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—Herbert Hoover (1874–1964)
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Prior to the meeting, there was a prayer. In general, in the United States there was always praying.”
—Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)
“In a moment when criticism shows a singular dearth of direction every man has to be a law unto himself in matters of theatre, writing, and painting. While the American Mercury and the new Ford continue to spread a thin varnish of Ritz over the whole United States there is a certain virtue in being unfashionable.”
—John Dos Passos (1896–1970)