AITAH for telling my brother to “s**ew off” after he complained about my wife wearing revealing clothing at home?

A Reddit user (30sM) shares a situation where he told his brother to “screw off” after his brother complained about his wife wearing revealing clothing around the house. The couple runs a sex-positive, body-confidence household, and the wife sometimes wears outfits like booty shorts, which the user sees as perfectly fine in their own home.

When his brother criticized her attire and said it was inappropriate for their teenage boys, the user defended his wife and got frustrated when his brother continued to push the issue. Now, his brother is upset, and family members are weighing in, suggesting the user could have handled it differently. Read the original story below for more details.

‘ AITAH for telling my brother to “s**ew off” after he complained about my wife wearing revealing clothing at home?’

My wife and I are somewhat recently married, and we’re a blended family with three teenage boys—two hers and one mine. We’ve created a s**-positive household where body confidence and self-expression are valued. My wife is very comfortable in her own skin and sometimes wears revealing clothing around the house—like booty shorts or similar outfits. It’s something we’re both okay with and aligns with how we want to live in our home.

Recently, my brother came over unannounced and made a comment about how “inappropriate” my wife’s attire was. He said it made him uncomfortable and suggested that, with three teenage boys in the house, she should be more mindful of what she wears. I told him this is our home, not his, and that if he has a problem with what she wears, he doesn’t need to come over. When he doubled down, I got frustrated and told him to “s**ew off.”

Now he’s upset and accusing me of being disrespectful to him, saying I’m prioritizing my wife’s choices over “basic decency” for guests and setting a bad example for the kids. Some family members have chimed in, saying I could’ve handled it better or that maybe my brother has a point about how it could affect the boys.

From my perspective, my wife isn’t doing anything wrong. The boys are being raised to respect boundaries and understand body positivity. If my brother doesn’t like it, I feel like that’s his problem—not ours.

So, AITAH for defending my wife and telling my brother to s**ew off instead of addressing his concerns more calmly?

Update: Definitely not fake—Just my first Reddit post and didn’t know how the operating system worked (hence the double post). My brothers and I were raised in a jacked up house with a religious nut job of a Mom. It was so ridiculous that we were not even allowed to go swimming at the pool. We were taught that ANYTHING s**ual not related to procreation with your spouse was wrong. The funniest s**t ever was when she would see a woman showing cleavage.

Here’s the feedback from the Reddit community:

Sharticus123 −  NTA. The man thinks you’re being disrespectful when he came into your house to tell you how he thinks your wife should dress?!? That’s disrespectful not your wife’s booty shorts.

spspsptaylor −  Booty shorts *in your own house?* The horror!!!!. If it was lingerie or a sheer top with no bra, that would be inappropriate imo. But if it’s just booty shorts and maybe a crop top/sports bra, tell your brother to pound sand. I would have gone on a rant instead of just saying “s**ew off.”. NTA. (Btw, good on you and your wife for teaching your teenagers about boundaries! That’s far more important than what your wife wears.)

Itchy-Witch −  NTA. He sounds like the kinda guy who would blame a rape victim because of what she was wearing. You’re teaching your boys not to sexualize every woman. Good job!

Turmeric_Ping −  NTA. ‘S**ew off’ is too mild. You were indeed being disrespectful, as was appropriate in the circumstances. Your brother being uncomfortable at having to hide the fact he was getting turned on around your wife (and that ***is*** what this is about) is his problem.

NadiaCutee −  NTA. It’s your home, and your wife has every right to dress how she feels comfortable. Your brother’s unannounced visit doesn’t give him the right to dictate what’s “appropriate” in your household. You defended your wife and your values—he’s the one overstepping

askingaqesitonw −  So he thinks your sons will want to f**k their mom/stepmother… P*rn has scrambled your brothers brain. NTA.

SilentJoe1986 −  It’s better for your boys to respect a woman’s right to wear what she wants instead of being like your brother who thinks his inappropriate feelings toward your wife are her problem to manage. If that’s normal for the house then I bet they don’t f**king care she wears boots shorts. Also guests are invited. He decided to intrude. NTA.

I dated a woman who’s mom was a hippy and had no issue walking around without a top on. It was awkward as f**k for me at first because I like boobs, a lot. It didn’t take long for it to be no big deal because boobs in a sexy situation and free range titties are two different things. If your brother stopped sexualizing your wife it would be the same for him. He should also stop insinuating something s**ual going on between her and the kids.

Mommybuggy01 −  Tell your brother his reaction is the exact reason you guys are choosing to raise your boys differently. He came to your house unannounced and is telling you how your wife should dress so HE doesn’t feel uncomfortable. And then when you disagree, he gets upset!!. Yep! This is exactly it. NTAH!! I applaud you and your wife.

DotRat77 −  Tell your brother to s**t in his hands and clap.

DesperateLobster69 −  NTA s**ew off was mild! He’s sexualizing your wife & her relationship with your children like wtf??!?!? She’s in the privacy of her own home *and he dropped by uninvited*!!!! I dare someone to come to my house & try to tell me how to dress!!! FOH with that b**lshit.