‘We should be proud of our bodies’

Debbie Clarke, 47, is a healthcare assistant and lives in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, with her children Jasmine, 19, and Kieran, 17.

My mother always sunbathed topless in the garden in front of us kids so it was something I perceived as normal. It wasn’t until my first holiday with friends in the south of France at 18 that I whipped my boobs out. It was liberating and it meant I didn’t have to worry about tan lines. As a young woman, I was proud of my figure, but after having two children I became self-conscious of my changing body. For years, I avoided stripping off, only daring to go topless on secluded beaches or in my own garden. But as the years passed, I settled into my new size 20 body and found my confidence again. Now, my teenagers are used to seeing me topless at home or on holiday – and don’t bat an eyelid. Unless that is, Kieran has friends coming over, when he’ll ask me to cover up! this summer, Jasmine will in be working as a holiday rep Greece, and says she might follow my example. I’ll be proud whatever her choice, but it’s tough for young women now. Bombarded by models and reality tv stars flaunting pictureperfect bodies online, it must be so hard to feel confident. I respect women who choose to keep their tops on, but for me, it feels completely natural to bare all. We should be proud of our bodies.