Pale or Tan?

[Edward]

.
I think that it reversed itself when people stopped generally working outside (factories, service industry, office grunt etc). So, if one is of the leisured class, one can take part in outdoor recreational activities and beach/tropical vacations

That's very true, at least over this side of the Atlantic. Of course, I'm sure it was never taken to the sort of modern extremes where some of the wealthier classes (I see a lot of it in London, especially in Kensington) look like their skin is elephant hide by the time they are thirty. (Always shocks me in this day and age that anyone would for any reason lie for hours in the Sun, but then I've always been one to avoid it as much as possible myself, so).

The effect of the arrival of colour film also cannot be discounted. It's amazing how many elements of our contemporary beauty myths are coincidental to entertainment technologies. Black underwear on ladies, for example, became perceived as "sexy" because that's what they all wore in the early girly photographs. The reason they wore black was, of course, simply because with B&W photography, especially in the lower resolution, early days, the contrast made it show up better against the (predominantly white) models' skin.

As another FLer mentioned, there was some calculated "Golden Age" tanning (no pun implied), at least among actresses and models, likely due to the increased use of color film. In addition, "farm girls" like my dad's Pennsylvania cousins would also naturally pick up some color during the summer, due to their lifestyle. So I think that a woman today could be tanned and not be considered "less vintage." As applies to "ordinary" city girls, though, I don't believe that trying to get a tan during that time period was a goal. As an example, I've got scores of photographs of my (Sicilian) grandmother, mother, and aunt taken in NYC from the 1910s to the 1950s, and in none of them do they have anything that resembles a tan (of course, they wore hats a lot, too). To this day, my mother is against even going out in the sun to tend a garden, and has instilled the same attitude in my sister...So as applies to vintage, speaking of tanned vs. pale, I think that a case could be made for the inclusion of both.

Of course. What the Hollywood classes and the rich did and how they lived bore no resemblance to the average person. To think otherwise we're into the same territory as those who believe that vintage men always wore a suit, even to the supermarket. (Mind you, my grandmother would have told you that much before the Sixties a man would never have entered a supermarket, unless he were the owner. Son't know how widespread outside of Ireland that sort of attitude was, though.)

Carey, being a native southern Californian, I think that Stray Cat's comment has some validity. It's my experience that some girls do lay out in the sun because they know that a lot of guys find tanned skin attractive.


"The west coast has the sunshine,
And the girls all get so tanned..."

(California Girls by The Beach Boys)

The first hot day this year, I saw photos in the press of some sixteen year old girls sunbathing in one of the London parks. When interviewed they boasted of how they had covered themselves in baby oil to get a tan. There was no real indication that they were doing this for male approval rather than their own satisfaction, but to be honest if a girl that age today is stupid enough to risk her health like that, she's probably also dim enough to fins her self-worth in what some boy thinks. Where are the parents? Etc....

 

[Stray Cat]

Edward,
Since you are already here.. any thoughts on tanning and men??

 

[chanteuseCarey]

I'm freckled too! My dd (she just turned 17) is very pale and freckled, and does not tan. I never did either at her age. Being able to tan without trying really has really only been that last few years. Its the swimming that has done it. Otherwise I avoid the sun, and have for many years even gone so far as to keep an old shirt or sweater in my car to be able to cover up my arms and upper chest when driving. I'm big on large brimmed sun/garden hats!

I've always wished that I was tan, but I'm pale and freckled. My skin is really interesting, however.
I have pink AND olive undertones, and whether I tan or burn is a 50/50 chance.
Guess I just have to get lucky haha

(Edit to add that I have Southern Italian roots that I wish were more apparent. ha)

 

[chanteuseCarey]

I am an all freckled monster.

I tend to get sun freckles.
I'm going on a holiday at seaside (LOOOOOOooong holiday)
Is there a way to save myself from becoming all-freckled-monster?!
(SPF 1000, I know that.. but something else?) :ban:

 

[Stray Cat]

I am an all freckled monster.

Welcome to the club. lol
(I came back, my freckles are looking great.. all over my face, my body..)

 

[chanteuseCarey]

I love my freckles. I've always said that freckles were kisses from God, and not everyone gets to have them, just us really special people Here is tan, freckled me (pic taken May 2010, at age almost 52):

Welcome to the club. lol
(I came back, my freckles are looking great.. all over my face, my body..)

 

[chanteuseCarey]

Well I ain't Edward, but I'll chime in a a little bit bout tanning and men. In my own case; my Mr. recently picked up some tan this summer from his working on the maintaining of the property of his second house. And yeah, he has an outdoor pool that he's in quite often as he can be as soon as its warm enough there. Okay so wow, he looks even more handsome with a bit of tan on his face, neck, chest and back. A little healthy color from a day's work on the garden can be a nice thing on a man.. He is very dedicated about wearing sunscreen and gets checked every year by his dermatologist to make sure there are no skin issues happening from sun exposure.

Edward,
Since you are already here.. any thoughts on tanning and men??

 

[sheeplady]

I love my freckles. I've always said that freckles were kisses from God, and not everyone gets to have them, just us really special people Here is tan, freckled me (pic taken May 2010, at age almost 52

Looking good! I too love my freckles. I am going to have them forever (seriously, I'll be the freckled lady in the nursing home someday)- as I would have them with no sun exposure. I don't wear foundation, because I want to see them!

I can't believe the number of people who come up and compliment me on them, normally followed by "I wish I had freckles! You're so lucky!"

 

[C-dot]

Freckles are one of those traits that I like on other people, but not me. I never used to see them much except on my face, but with militant sunblock application, those have *thankfully* faded. I hate them the most on my face because they elicit the usual "ooh, you're such a little sweetie pie" comments, and then I don't get taken seriously.

Now that I'm older, if I'm not careful, they show up on my shoulders, arms, etc. By the end of the long winter they usually fade, but my left shoulder is still covered from a burn I got in summer 2010!

 

[Tomasso]

As applies to "ordinary" city girls, though, I don't believe that trying to get a tan during that time period was a goal. As an example, I've got scores of photographs of my (Sicilian) grandmother, mother, and aunt taken in NYC from the 1910s to the 1950s, and in none of them do they have anything that resembles a tan .

So I guess they were sitting inside while all their neighbors were at the beach.

Of course. What the Hollywood classes and the rich did and how they lived bore no resemblance to the average person.

Seriously, getting a tan was part and parcel of going to the beach, no matter ones socioeconomic level.

 

[sheeplady]

Now that I'm older, if I'm not careful, they show up on my shoulders, arms, etc. By the end of the long winter they usually fade, but my left shoulder is still covered from a burn I got in summer 2010!

Yeah, I am permanently freckled. I have them all over at the end of the winter- arms legs, shoulders, face, etc. Wearing subblock for me actually makes my freckles show more. I no longer ask why.

No one else in my entire family is freckled like this, although both my parents had a few freckles as kids. Apparently it makes me look Irish to some people (I am not, unless there is a "rouge" Irishman/woman in my family tree I don't know about). After many years I finally realized why people are so excited to show me their St. Patricks day gear. The freckles!

 

[rue]

Yeah, I am permanently freckled. I have them all over at the end of the winter- arms legs, shoulders, face, etc. Wearing subblock for me actually makes my freckles show more. I no longer ask why.

No one else in my entire family is freckled like this, although both my parents had a few freckles as kids. Apparently it makes me look Irish to some people (I am not, unless there is a "rouge" Irishman/woman in my family tree I don't know about). After many years I finally realized why people are so excited to show me their St. Patricks day gear. The freckles!

Yep me too. I have them everywhere and I've had them forever. It must be the Irish in me, even though it's such a small part. The weirdest thing is that I have almost black hair and although I'm very pale in the winter I tan very easily. My Optometrist said, according to my eyes, I should have blond hair [huh]

 

[strathspeychick]

so I'm not sure if I should be posting here or in a new thread but I was looking for some feedback as to looking vintage with a tan, someone earlier in the thread posted a pic of Liz Taylor tanned and then of course the ones of Marilyn who both look vintage to me but I sometimes feel like I look less vintage because I'm so tan in thesummer and fall.

as for the original thread question, I like both a tan and nice healthy pallor so long as it looks natural and not forced.

 

[Tomasso]

Ftfy.

[font=verdana, arial, tahoma, calibri, geneva, sans-serif]soi'm not sure if i should be posting here or in a new thread but i waslooking for some feedback as to looking vintage with a tan, someoneearlier in the thread posted a pic of liz taylor tanned and then ofcourse the ones of marilyn who both look vintage to me but isometimes feel like i look less vintage because i'm so tan in thesummer and fall.

As for the original thread question, i likeboth a tan and nice healthy pallor so long as it looks natural andnot forced.[/font]

 

[Barbigirl]

Pale.
I try to wear 70 suncreen and try to avoid getting any sun on my skin both for health reason and I just like how it looks. I hate farmer tans on me.
The other day I had to go outside before I was suncreed prepared. Someone told me, "Oh you got a little color in your face, looks good." It kind of hurt my feelings.

 

[Widebrim]

So I guess they were sitting inside while all their neighbors were at the beach.

Seriously, getting a tan was part and parcel of going to the beach, no matter ones socioeconomic level.

That is a great photograph. (Anyone else notice the man in the lower right corner wearing a bathing suit and a fedora?) But honestly, going to the beach was not a regular practice of my mother's family. (My father, a Pennsylvanian transplant to NYC, used to tell me about all the people from the Bronx he met who had never even been out of their own neighborhood.) As the photograph shows, many people obviously did go to the beach, but it's another matter as to how often, for what purpose, and if a summer-long tan was the result. And how about those who were landlocked, which was the majority of the population? What I wrote was that I didn't believe that purposefully getting a tan was the goal of the average city girl then, something which seems to have to changed to the point that many women go the beach, tanning salons, their own backyards, etc., with the express purpose of getting tanned.

 

[C-dot]

The other day I had to go outside before I was suncreed prepared. Someone told me, "Oh you got a little color in your face, looks good." It kind of hurt my feelings.

I know how you feel, I hate it when people tell me to "go out in the sun," because I "look like a ghost." Usually I tell them I'm Boo Radley's sister, but they never know what I mean.

 

[MissMeraRose]

People used to tease me for being "glow in the dark."
I still get rude comments, but I'd rather be healthy and wrinkle-free than momentarily tan.

 

[Stray Cat]

I "look like a ghost." .

I had a LOT of those. People.. they just do not want to understand that frying is for turkey, and pale skin can (and is) lovely.
(spoken like a real rebel.. now not so pale rebel..)

People used to tease me for being "glow in the dark."
I still get rude comments, but I'd rather be healthy and wrinkle-free than momentarily tan.

And I agree.
Just today I got the "Oh, you aren't sick any more?!".. and a pat on a shoulder.
WTF?! I was never sick.. my skin was pale because I wanted it that way. Hardly sustained myself from ripping the "patting hand" from its owner's shoulder. I said to my self "Dalai Lama" and moved away with as much grace this tanned skin of mine could show.

 

[C-dot]

I said to my self "Dalai Lama" and moved away with as much grace this tanned skin of mine could show.

Good girl. I've been hearing these comments since I started going to school - The years of teasing desensitized me a bit. What really gets me is the gall some people have! What makes them think its appropriate to comment on someone's skin colour?

I rather enjoy thinking of comebacks (if I know the person well enough )