A French women has been banned from wearing her Australian-designed Burqini in a Parisian swimming pool. The Australians and French certainly have different views on fashion – it would be fair to say that the average French woman probably does out do the average Aussie Shelia in this department. But now the Australians are somewhat upset after a French women – wearing an Australian-designed Burqini – was asked to leave a French swimming pool!

I may need to backup a bit here and explain to my gentle readers exactly what a burqini is. Its basically an Islamic swimsuit which was designed by Sydney based Aheda Zanetti who designed the burqini initially to allow local Muslim women to participate is such Australian institutions as surf life saving.

In fact – the burqini is a very practical item of clothing for a country which has the world’s highest skin cancer rates. The vast majority of Australians would now go to the beach in long sleeves rather than a mini-bikini – maybe that’s where the French with the attitude to modest swimming costumes are a little behind the times?

In fact the burqini is a very practical piece of clothing – no women goes surfing in a tiny bikini- nude bathing is illegal on most Australian beachs – and thats exactly the state you will be in if you go into the Aussie surf with a tiny bikini!

At the other extreme though – the burqa – traditionally in cotton- is potentially lethal on surf beaches – the lose heavy fabric can pull you under and make it very difficult to swim.

The cleverness of the burqini is the use of modern fabrics which shed water and are lightweight means that you a woman can safely swim and surf while fully covered.

But its all too much for the French. The same country which has already banned religious head dress from schools has now banned a French women who attempted to swim at her local Paris pool wearing a burqini. Local officials claim that wearing so much fabric is a “health hazard” – maybe we should all swim nude would that be better?

Ironically here in Australia there have been cases of Muslim women being refused entry to swimming pools because they were wearing clothes not swim suits.

Really whether you are wearing a bikini, a swim suite or a burqini – so long as you have a shower before entering the pool whats the big difference? We still allow toddlers in pools without diapers don’t we?