Sliema local councillors spent some time debating how best to tackle the issue of dressing indecently in the streets.“What is decent for you?” councillors asked when trying to figure out how to word public signs.Public complaints of youngsters dressing inappropriately – including by wearing thongs in supermarkets – have risen in tandem with the temperature. During a meeting last week, councillors spent some 12 minutes debating the best wording for a sign to discourage this behaviour. The overall meeting lasted over two hours.Mayor John Pillow stated that signs set to be erected along the Sliema promenade and on beaches were ordered with the words “Please wear decent clothing”. However, some argued that this wording was vague and too subjective. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lovin Malta (@lovinmalta)Councillor Ryan Borg floated the idea of a yellow sticker at beach exits reading: “You are leaving the swimming area. Please dress decently.” But others wanted clearer wording. Kevin Wain suggested a more direct message targeting swimwear specifically, such as: “Swimwear is not allowed in this area.”As the debate unfolded, councillors raised concerns about grey areas. John Dougall questioned whether see-through tops qualified as decent. Vivian Galea Pace asked whether men going shirtless or wearing unbuttoned shirts should be discouraged.Council secretary Pierre Portelli noted the subjective nature of the term and suggested using a T-shirt icon on signage to visually convey the message – “If there’s a picture of a T-shirt, it means wear one.”That sparked some laughter. Wallace Baldacchino quipped, “What does that mean for women?” while Galea Pace voiced frustration over specific incidents, including one where a woman entered a supermarket wearing only a thong. She noted that most complaints from residents focus on women’s revealing swimwear in public spaces.Emmanuel Borg added that even a T-shirt could be seen as inappropriate, depending on its design. Portelli agreed but cautioned against veering into censorship: “We’re not trying to police people’s outfits.”Some councillors proposed distributing “No swimwear in public” stickers to local businesses to use at their discretion. Yet despite the lengthy discussion, the council may not have the authority to change the signage wording at all – something Portelli said would depend on the supplier’s terms.Malta’s Criminal Code states that exposing oneself naked or being “indecently dressed” in public, including beaches and harbours, constitutes a public order offence. So far this year, 29 people have been fined under the law. However, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri clarified that while enforcement exists, police officers “should not become morality police.”Do you think people should dress more decently in public?•