It sounds like the ultimate contradiction in terms. But a new clothing range has just been launched – for nudists.

The body representing the UK’s naturist community has started selling garments for its members with jokey references to nudism, including T-shirts with slogans such as ‘Nothing’s Better’ and ‘I’ve Got Nothing On Later’.

Acknowledging the apparent inconsistency of selling clothes to people who prefer to be naked, the range is marketed under the ‘Ironic’ label.

Last night Mark Bass, president of British Naturism, which has 9,000 members across the UK, said: ‘We’ve launched our new merchandise store, Ironic Clothing. 

‘It might sound bizarre but the point is that we’re still naturists, even in situations where we’re reluctantly forced to wear clothes.’

Other products include vital accessories for naked get-togethers like beach-towels and sun-hats.

The British Naturism website declares: ‘A clothing line for people who don’t like wearing clothes? That has to be the purest form of irony. Sometimes life insists you put something on. That doesn’t mean turning your back on your principles.

It sounds like the ultimate contradiction in terms. But a new clothing range has just been launched – for nudists

‘Ironic Clothing is an ethically sourced brand for people who believe in the freedom to wear what they want – and to be exactly who they are.’

A white cotton T-shirt with a cartoon of a naked bearded man in a hammock between two trees, alongside the slogan ‘I’ve got nothing on later’ costs £20, while a ‘Nothing’s Better’ hoodie will set you back £45.