Ever wonder why having a tan is so popular, despite it being damaging to the skin?

Blame it on designer Coco Chanel for popularizing the tan.

Up until the 1920s, pale and untanned skin was the standard for beauty, until Chanel went on a cruise. When the cruise ended and she stepped off the yacht, her once pale skin was a golden brown. Being a fashion magnate, Chanel’s bronzed skin set a trend that equated tanning with a lifestyle of leisure and privilege, as well as of being a necessary fashion accessory.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 at 7:55 am and is filed under Make Up and Beauty. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.