Clothes have protective and insulative properties. Their purpose is not always solely to hide physical appearance.

If you ask a stranger in a warm room to fully undress, their main objection will typically be privacy/shame concerns. (At least that's how I'd react, and most people I know).

If the room is full of other naked people, that person will feel weird if they don't undress. (At least that's how I'd react, and most people I know).

Bathing suits don't, but they're still widely worn.

Bathing suits don't have protective or insulative properties? What?

Personally, I've tried nudist bathing, and I much prefer having a layer of protection between my crotch and rocks, sharp shells, and the sun.

You're missing the forest. The point is that people choose to cover certain parts of themselves, even if they are just laying on a towel sunbathing.

Do you really want some of the most sensitive parts of your body directly (minus some atmospheric particles) exposed to the sun's harsh photons?

> You're missing the forest.

Maybe. I can't read the French language, so I don't know what the article claims.

However, unless the article is making some absurd metaphor, the points above stand.

Less so in France!