In the battle between flip-flops and formality, this French beach town has drawn its line in the sand.
In the coastal town of Les Sables-d’Olonne, the sight of bikini babes and shirtless men wandering from the beach to the bakery may soon become a thing of the past.
The town, nestled along the Vendée coast on France’s Atlantic side, has introduced a new measure aimed at banning “half-naked” people wandering around town.
Tourists caught walking through the streets in swimsuits or without shirts will now face fines of up to €150 ($175), according to a Facebook post by the town’s mayor, Yannick Moreau.
“This is indecent behavior that has a vicious tendency to develop summer after summer,” he wrote.
“So it’s time to remind clearly: it’s forbidden to walk around naked or in a swimsuit at Sables d’Olonne. A little outfit, please!”
The regulation has sparked both praise and debate in a country where tensions over public order are growing.
“It’s a question of respect for locals who don’t want people wandering around their town half-naked,” wrote Moreau. “It’s also a rule for basic hygiene in our markets, our shops and our streets.”
The fine was announced with a disapproving slogan: “In Les Sables d’Olonne, respect doesn’t go on holiday.”
The campaign reminds visitors that there are 7 miles of sandy beach available for sunbathing and swimwear — but the town itself, Moreau insists, demands a basic level of decorum.
The initiative has been broadly welcomed by locals. “Thank you, Mayor. I find this completely intolerable,” one resident, Dominique Camio-Martial, commented on the mayor’s post.
Claire Gourlaouen shared similar sentiments: “My parents are shopkeepers; sometimes they ask people to get dressed.”
And Les Sables-d’Olonne isn’t the only one implementing a dress code.
Similar measures have been introduced in Arcachon and La Grande-Motte, where fines for beachwear beyond designated areas are now also €150.
In Cassis, a town along the Mediterranean, local authorities say the crackdown is part of preserving “the elegance of the town.” The slogan there is equally pointed: “When going from the beach to the town, we get dressed again.”
France is not the only country pushing back against what it sees as unruly or disrespectful tourism.
Last year, in Malaga, Spain, authorities introduced a €750 ($870) fine for tourists walking around town in underwear or less, accompanied by a public awareness campaign urging visitors to behave appropriately in public.
Back in Les Sables-d’Olonne, police have already begun patrolling to enforce the new dress code. Uniformed officers are reportedly stopping tourists, issuing fines, and handing out warnings to those who aren’t fully clothed.
While the campaign to rein in bare buns has received support, some residents have pointed out the glaring contrast between the state’s swift action on shirtless tourists and its slow response to more pressing concerns like rising violent crime.
Across France, towns are reporting increasing levels of gang-related violence, knife attacks, and drug trafficking, with some areas becoming no-go zones for police without reinforcements.
Critics argue that the government’s focus on clothing infractions, while hard crime worsens, reflects a broader issue of chaos.
Still, for Mayor Moreau and his supporters, the swimwear ban is about maintaining public decency and the town’s identity. “We are not nudists,” he declared.
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