Tuesday Tanlines

At Elle Australia, Tan Lines Are Back – But What Is Beauty Really Romanticising? |It's not the only bad-for-us aesthetic trend that's on the rise."

When I visited Copenhagen and London recently, I was scandalised to note proudly displayed tan lines on the shoulders of chic girls everywhere. Whether it was outside the Baum und Pferdgarten front row or on Portobello Road, a deep bronze tan was offset by stark bikini outlines emerging from tank tops worn without bras (paired with jorts and Salomons) and strapless tops.

I’ve worked in the beauty industry for ten years, and within it, catching a sunburn is often equated with a kind of moral failing. The industry has become so diligent about communicating the message of sun safety that we scold those who don’t comply in a way we’d never dream of shaming someone who says they don’t apply retinol every night.

The Wombat has Rule Five Sunday: Laundry Day up and at 'm at The Other McCain.