Royal Ascot, the horse race at the center of Britain's social calendar, has banned fake-tan lines from its strict dress code.
The tan has taken on many shades of social status throughout history, BBC explains. During Victorian times tanned skin meant low class, because it implied that one did outdoor manual labor. More recently, a tan shows that the bronzed have the time and money to go on vacation.
But now the desirability of sun-kissed skin may be fading. Since you can get a tan from a bottle, its status is more complicated. Bronzed skin says little about a person's social status, if everyone can buy an affordable tan at the drug store. Even so, the apparent standard seems to be: subtle is better.
Will a fake tan ever be accepted by the snobs of the world? Which is classier: a fake tan or a hat inspired by a bathroom interior (being worn by a Royal Ascot attendee above)?
Graham and Green
This is ridiculous and hilarious.
1I wonder how many people will be banned. Those are great pics above.
2Guess I should unpack.
3How funny is that! Pretty silly though. Maybe it is a precautionary measure, just in case Paris comes to town.
4Oh man, this is my favorite story of the day!
5why can't people just be happy with the color they have naturally???
6Thank you esk!! I am basically albino! But unfortunately I fried myself during my early teen years and have already had two tumors removed from my skin. So, sunscreen sunscreen sunscreen! I am like an ex-smoker with tanning. Drive my friends crazy! My poor daughter has to put on sunscreen to go to the window!
7Why do people dye their hair? Curl it when it's straight, straighten it when it's curly? Wear colored contacts, etc. You like a certain look... sometimes you want to play. Personally, I love my jergens buildable tan lotion. It's wonderful!
8Moos - It's because the grass is always greener on the other side. Personally, I don't change my eyes, hair color, etc...
9How will they check if it's fake?
10I used to tan occasionally when I was a teen, but heard stern words from my Mom about it the whole time. She works in the medical field, and she used to come across melagnant skin cancer cases in young people and report back. She even found it in a 23 year old once! After tanning for a dance at school she called me "Little Miss Melanoma", in an effort to get me to stop.
I stopped tanning completely when I was about 20...and have been ghostly pale ever since. I feel like I might have fewer wrinkles for it in the long run, so I am happy with my choice.
11"So, sunscreen sunscreen sunscreen!"
So true!
12My sis had skin cancer at 25, and breast cancer at 30. She fake baked as a teen during the winter, and tanned all summer. I have learned from her "tanning abuses", but still enjoy being out in the sun without sunscreen...
13well, I'd approve a tan from a bottle any day over a tan from a tanning bed.
just don't go overboard with that tanner, ok?
14I'm very pale as well. I don't sunbathe anymore, which is nice because it must be the most boring activity ever. But my mother still gawk at the sun whenever she has the time(she works full time, so it's not that often). It's pretty nasty if you ask me. I wish she had thought me about skin safety, but she doesn't follow it herself. Also, my sister tries to tan as much as possible too, but as me she only gets pink so I don't get her point. Pink/white, pink/white? Crazy.
15Dave I got skin cancer in my early twenties and just had a tumor the size of two grapefruits removed that had grown on my diaphragm, ribs and abdomanal wall. So, like your sister, I too have learned the error of my ways. I hope all is well with her?
16I dislike tans regardless if they are fake or not. I found a lot of the people I know who were fair before they tanned a lot more attractive without it. But, I suppose that is my personal preference. A face tan beats a real tan any day. At least, fake tanners won't encounter premature wrinkles and possible skin cancer.
17That silly hat is just foolish.
18GS - she is ok, and has a better appreciation for the effects of the sun on human bodies...
19Yeah...I don't tan so there is really no point. I burn...and then I tan a little but not enough to make it worth it AT ALL. So I'm white. I'm okay with it. I like to call my skin porcelain. The other thing is I'm 30 and I look younger. My mother didn't start getting any wrinkles until she was 45. There are definitely advantages to not being in the sun. So yeah...that girl with the WHITE legs...that's me.
20I love the sun. But you guys are convincing me to give it up.
21White legs, here here!
22What an adorable picture, HF. You're such a cutie.
Don't give up the sun, just wear sunscreen....
23"why can't people just be happy with the color they have naturally???"
I agree with this statement but then again I hate fake tanners and find that some of the people who don't think they look good pale look perfectly fine without a tan and people overdo it and walk around with obviously orange skin that makes them look ridiculous (I'm looking at you, Christina Aguilera). I prefer the silly hat.
24
Me too! Silly hats for everyone!! 
25That is amazing GS. Wow.
26My excellent use of emoticons? Why thank you!
27This is the dumbest article I have ever read on this site.
28Go check out some of the Obama ones!! I kid, I kid!!
29I presume they just mean that you can't turn up with florescent orange skin, I mean there's no practical way to actually ban fake tan!
I think I remember them cracking down on short skirts and overly revealing clothes last year in a bid to stop people turning up to such a formal (and previously very upper class) event looking like "chavs" (ie, cheap, nasty, ostentatious, footballers wives kind of thing for anyone who doesn't know). Since chavs also have a tendency to embrace the head to toe orange look I take it this is a further step in their efforts to eliminate them.
30I see a lot of tan girls and sometimes feel like I would look much better, leaner, etc if I were tan but the consequences aren't worth it to me. I love the sun and love to be outside but I can't do the whole baking thing, especially tanning beds [horrible for my tattoos, too.] As well my husband never complains about my paleness [not that he could, he's super pale himself lol] and truthfully his opinion and my own are the only ones that really matter to me when it comes to how I look!
31Oh and I love the tacky hats!! :]
32Passes Mandee her silly hat!
33I either tan from a bottle or I go to a tanning salon and get a professional spray tan. Even with a tan I wear TONS of sunscreen. I hate wrinkles, but I like having slightly darker skin, so sunless tanning is perfect for me.
34Your emoticon usage is impressive, but I was talking about your grapefruit sized tumor.
Not everyone gets to live through something like that, I am sure it was a really powerful influence on your life.
35lol, I got it Jill, just being silly! Yes, it has changed my whole outlook. It is my third tumor. I am blessed, blessed, blessed. With a wonderful family, husband and daughter and my health. It changed just about how I look at everything. I am a grizzly bear protecting her precious cubs.
36Aw....thanks tres!
37actually some of the bottle tanners look really good IF you follow the directions.
38But why would you follow the directions. Men know the first thing you are supposed to do is throw away the directions. Oh wait, that may be the problem.
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