The New Wave Of Nudism Could You Bare It All ?

If your mind goes straight to seedy beaches filled with overzealous European tourists, think again. As Cosmo’s Joshua Joynes discovers, nudism is making a comeback – and for good reason

- Joshua Joynes

Nudism or ‘naturism’ isn’t a new trend. In fact, millions of years ago it was a way of life! However, since then, we’ve covered up. So much so, that Australians are spending $28 billion a year on fashion (think of the savings, people!). But just like every ’80s sitcom, we’ve got ourselves a comeback, and leading the way is Aussie Jessa O’Brien aka @thenudeblogger.

The Nude Blogger

With more than 80K followers, Jessa’s Instagram is filled with strong body positivity, mindfulness and wellbeing messages. But her nude images don’t always get a double tap. Instagram deactivated her account last year on the grounds of ‘violating’ their terms, and the story went viral, prompting her account to be restored three weeks later. ‘This is a HUGE win for body positivity, and most definitely a step in the right direction for Instagram, social media and society,’ she wrote on her blog Thenudeblogger.com. ‘I started topless sunbaking over 10 years ago, but only started going completely nude six years ago. I’d always been hesitant, but it was absolutely liberating when I did it,’ she says.

After an unexpected relationship breakdown and losing her job overnight, Jessa packed up and booked a oneway ticket across the world, backpacking for seven months. ‘I didn’t intend on travelling with that whole “I’m going to go and find myself and do some soulsearching” mentality,’ she writes on her blog. ‘I was going purely for the adventure! But as cliché  as it sounds, I rediscovered my soul and my passions on that trip. On my travels, I became free. I freed my mind from the constraints of the ego.’