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Knokke tells beach-goers to dress properly around town
The posh Belgian seaside resort of Knokke is taking a tough stance against visitors wandering around town in their swimwear.
Signs have been painted on 20 pavements with a line marked "dress code". On the beach side of the white line, bikinis, swimming shorts and flip-flops are welcome.
On the other side, visitors should be covered up with a shirt or dress and wearing proper shoes.
Town councillor Anthony Wittesaele told De Standaard: "Some people have obviously not been educated enough to understand that you do not parade around Lippenslaan [the main street] with no shirt on, in a swimsuit and flip-flops."
No one will be stopped by police or fined for ignoring the guidelines - but they might attract some odd looks. "It's not compulsory," Witteseaele said. "Knokke is not elitist, but we want to maintain standards."
Photo courtesy Guido Van De Ven/De Standaard
Comments
Quite right too! I am always shocked to see skimpily-clad tourists in towns such as Lisbon and Venice... It is inappropriate for sightseeing etc. I don't think of myself as a prude, and remember being shouted at by old ladies in the Moscow underground in 1969 for wearing a miniskirt. But hotpants in the Brussels metro this summer look tacky and must offend Muslim passengers... Knokke has a snobby reputation to maintain!
It seems you go dangerously off topic shirley.foxcastle. This article does not speak about Muslim dress codes. And it also does not advocate Muslim dress codes in Knokke.
And I can tell you Muslims (not only in Brussels) are already offended?!? (I thought tolerance is a common value advocated in Europe) by women's (and only women's) Western dress style, aka the high heels and dress you see in Knokke pavement paintings. Strangely adoptig Western men's dress style is not a problem and adopting it neither.
Sorry for expanding on dress codes in towns. I found your objections confused and poorly expressed.