Barely Polite

During Henry’s business trip to Amsterdam, Dutch associates invite him to relax in the hotel’s spa. When he enters the steam room wearing a bathing suit, the Dutch men insist that Henry completely disrobe. Later, when women arrive to use the steam room, also naked, only Henry is startled.

What does it mean?

Modesty rules vary greatly, and most Americans are surprised at how much more free European men and women are about exposing their bodies. For example, a discount New York dress shop, with limited dressing rooms, has discovered that their European customers readily disrobe to their underwear to try on clothes on the sales floor. When asked by sales personnel to cover up, they frequently become indignant and sometimes pretend they don’t understand English.

Similarly, a recent Czech immigrant was warned by local Czechs not to wear the bikini-type swim trunks worn in Europe because here they would be considered “too skimpy.” They also advised him to buy swim trunks for his 3-year-old son. In the Czech Republic, children up to five years generally run naked while bathing at a river or the seashore.

In contrast, while drying off in the changing room at a Saudi Arabian squash club, Herb was reprimanded by the manager for exposing his “private parts.” Only then did Herb notice that the men always wore towels around themselves when bare. Although he knew about female Arabic modesty customs, Herb had been unaware of those for men.