Aside from men being horny in the 1800s, and this being a holdover since that time, is there any actual reason why this hasn’t changed?
If society was dominated by women, would this be more likely to change?
I was sweating my ass off hiking in the hot sun, and the question has been bothering me all day after my top soaked through with sweat.
A matter of social acceptability in general. Some societies, moreso before Western norms became widespread, don’t view the breasts in a sexual way and a woman going topless would be completely unremarkable.
Other than the breasts, some societies see the legs as very sexual, so they always cover the legs in public.
I think it would be more likely to change in a female-dominant society, but they could just as well not change it for no obvious reason. I’m sure there’s some nuance I’m glossing over, but even though it’s legal for me to go out in my underwear as a man in a male-dominated society, I wouldn’t do so voluntarily, regardless of the temperature.