It's widely understood that Muslim women don't don the latest from the Victoria's Secret swimwear line. In fact, prior to the conception of the "burqini," which is described as a wetsuit with a hood, there were no water-apropo outfits for Muslim women at all. The burqini isn't even an Islam-approved outfit: it's just a way for Muslim women to feel comfortable enough to go swimming by preventing them from exposing their bodies. It seemed like a way to keep everyone happy.

Well, everyone but the French government.

A Muslim woman was denied entrance to a public pool in France because she was "too clothed." And I'm having a hard time understanding any of the logic behind that.

The burqini: a problem for the French public pool system because, according to every online news source ever, it's not hygienic. The reasons behind this are a bit scattered: Some say it's because the burqini has no specific component to cover the genital area, which does make sense, especially since it's assumed that the pools ban swimming shorts with the same excuse. Others say the burqini isn't hygienic because it can be used as an everyday outfit and be worn in public, which could carry bacteria into the pool. I have a hard time accepting that as a reason since my own 18-year-old sister has a habit of wandering into gas station convenience stores to pick up bottles of Gatorade prior to beach trips in nothing but her bikini and flip-flops. Either way, the implementation of this rule is standard at public pools in France, not just a one-time scenario.

But I'm still not buying it, because since when is it okay for the democratic government to dictate what kind of bathing suit I wear?

France has been anti-burqa for a while, wanting to free Muslim women from the cotton-poly-blend oppression of their religion. But all the country is really doing is putting apparel restrictions on Muslim women, forbidding them from wearing what is most comfortable. I just hope Carla Bruni, the wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, doesn't have a "fat" day anytime soon, because she'd be screwed.

What do you think: Is the burqini issue all about hygiene? Is it another act of religious discrimination? Or is it just another example of the fashionable French telling us how to dress? Let me know. For now, I'll be cooling off in my parents' backyard in my bikini. Feel free to join--we have no dress code here.

--Remy Braun