Tan line

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A woman at the Iowa State Fair wears a backless dress revealing her swimsuit tan lines Tan lines (6044269492).jpg
A woman at the Iowa State Fair wears a backless dress revealing her swimsuit tan lines

A tan line is a visually clear division on the human skin between an area of pronounced comparative paleness relative to other areas that have been suntanned by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation or by sunless tanning. The source of the radiation may be the sun or artificial UV sources such as tanning lamps. Tan lines are usually an unintentional result of a work environment or recreational activities, but are sometimes intentional. Many people seek to avoid tan lines that will be visible when regular clothes are worn.

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Farmer's tan

A farmer's tan Male torso.jpg
A farmer's tan

A "farmer's tan" (also called "golfer's tan", "sailor's tan" , "twat tan" or "tennis tan") refers to the typical tan lines developed by regular outdoor activity when wearing a short sleeve shirt. [1] The farmer's tan usually starts with a suntan covering the exposed parts of the arms and neck. It is distinct in that the shoulders, chest, and back remain unaffected by the sun. Tennis and golf additionally cause recognizable tans on the middle section of the legs due to the wearing of shorts and socks for prolonged hours in the sun. [2]

The "Texas tan" is similar, with the exception that the shoulders are also affected by the sun, caused by working outdoors while wearing a sleeveless shirt.

Some of the common tan lines associated with a farmer's tan include:

Driver's tan

A "driver's tan" (or similar terms such as "trucker's tan" or "taxi driver's arm") is a tanning pattern where one arm from the sleeve downward is tanned significantly more than the other arm due to extensive driving of a motor vehicle with the window down.

A close-up photograph of a man's right foot. The foot is tanned, with clear tan lines visible where the sandal straps have been. The toes and the top of the foot are darker than the areas covered by the sandal straps, creating a distinct pattern. Sandal Tan.png
A close-up photograph of a man's right foot. The foot is tanned, with clear tan lines visible where the sandal straps have been. The toes and the top of the foot are darker than the areas covered by the sandal straps, creating a distinct pattern.

Sandal tan

A "sandal tan" is a set of distinctive tan lines on the feet, resulting from the straps of sandals worn throughout the summer by such different professions as lifeguards and monks.

Bikini tan

Tan lines created by a bikini Tan lines on human female chest.jpg
Tan lines created by a bikini

Wearing a bikini in the sun results in the uncovered skin becoming suntanned and creates a "bikini tan". These tan lines separate pale breasts, crotch, and buttocks from otherwise tanned skin. [3] "Racing stripes" may refer to the portion of a bikini tan line exposed when wearing one-piece swimwear.

Biker's tan

A "biker's tan" is a tan line three-quarters up each leg, where lycra bike shorts would generally begin to cover. Depending on the activity, the inner side of the arms may be paler than the outer side. Unless the biker uses cycling gloves made to allow tanning, the area on the back of each hand will usually not be tanned.

Goggle tan

Raccoon-like tan lines can emerge around the eyes after wearing goggles, common among industrial workers (wearing safety glasses), skiers, snowboarders, and swimmers. [4]

Golfers tan

A golfers tan is typically a tan on the back of a shaved or bald head that forms when a baseball cap is worn. There is a semicircle-shaped tan that forms from the strap, which adjusts the hat's size. With between 3 and 5 hours spent out on the course in direct sunlight, sunburn, poor tan lines, and heat exhaustion are regular occurrences for the unprepared golfer.

Intentional tan lines

Sunscreen on back under normal and UV light Sunscreen on back under normal and UV light.jpg
Sunscreen on back under normal and UV light

One of the common uses for tanning beds is the option of tanning entirely nude to reduce the appearance of tan lines. In contrast, some people prefer to have tan lines and will wear undergarments or swimwear with the deliberate purpose of creating a sharply defined tan line.

Additionally, "tanning stickers" that attach to the skin while tanning can be purchased. Common designs are a heart, Playboy bunny, and dolphins, but many designs exist. These are typically sold on a roll of 500 to 1000 as single-use, disposable stickers. People can place the sticker on the same area each time they tan (indoors or outdoors), leaving the covered area pale while the rest of their skin tans normally. This allows individuals to see their tanning progress and others to see if the "tan tattoo" is in an exposed area. [5]

It is also possible to use sunscreen to create intentional tan lines that form patterns or words, to make a statement, or to create a design.

Avoiding tan lines

Wearing clothes while tanning results in the creation of tan lines, which many people regard as un-aesthetic. Many people want to avoid tan lines on those body parts that will be visible when they are fully clothed. Some people try to achieve an all-over tan or to maximize their tan coverage. To achieve an all-over tan, tanners need to dispense with clothing and to maximize coverage; they need to minimize the amount of clothing they wear while tanning. For women who cannot dispense with a swimsuit, they sometimes tan with the back strap undone while lying on the front or remove shoulder straps, besides wearing swimsuits covering less area than their normal clothing. Any exposure is subject to local community standards and personal choice. Some people tan in the privacy of their backyard where they can at times tan without clothes, and some countries have set aside clothing-optional swimming areas (popularly known as nude beaches), where people can tan and swim clothes-free. The naturist movement provides completly nude clothes free sunbathing opportunities in most countries.Some people tan topless, and others wear very brief swimwear, such as a microkini or thong.

A 1969 innovation is tan-through swimwear, which uses fabric perforated with thousands of micro holes that are nearly invisible to the naked eye, but which transmit enough sunlight to approach an all-over tan, especially if the fabric is stretched taut. Tan-through swimwear typically allows more than one-third of UV rays to pass through (equivalent to SPF 3 or less), and an application of sunscreen even to the covered area is recommended but not for all types of tan through fabric. There is fabric that exists that requires no sunscreen underneath as it has built in SPF. [3] [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bikini</span> Two-piece swimwear

A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features one piece on top that covers the breasts, and a second piece on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but usually exposing the navel, and the back generally covering the intergluteal cleft and some or all of the buttocks. The size of the top and bottom can vary, from bikinis that offer full coverage of the breasts, pelvis, and buttocks, to more revealing designs with a thong or G-string bottom that covers only the mons pubis, but exposes the buttocks, and a top that covers only the areolae. Bikini bottoms covering about half the buttocks may be described as "Brazilian-cut".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swimsuit</span> Clothing worn for swimming

A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Different types may be worn by men, women, and children. A swimsuit can be described by various names, some of which are used only in particular locations or for particular types of suit, including swimwear, bathing suit, bathing attire, swimming costume, bathing costume, swimming suit, swimmers, swimming togs, bathers, cossie, or swimming trunks, besides others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun tanning</span> Darkening of skin in response to ultraviolet light

Sun tanning or tanning is the process whereby skin color is darkened or tanned. It is most often a result of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or from artificial sources, such as a tanning lamp found in indoor tanning beds. People who deliberately tan their skin by exposure to the sun engage in a passive recreational activity of sun bathing. Some people use chemical products that can produce a tanning effect without exposure to ultraviolet radiation, known as sunless tanning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nightwear</span> Garments worn at night, especially to sleep in

Nightwear – also called sleepwear, or nightclothes – is clothing designed to be worn while sleeping. The style of nightwear worn may vary with the seasons, with warmer styles being worn in colder conditions and vice versa. Some styles or materials are selected to be visually appealing or erotic in addition to their functional purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leggings</span> Several types of leg coverings

Leggings are several types of leg attire that have varied through the years. Modern usage from the 1960s onwards has come to refer to elastic close-fitting high-rise garments worn over the legs typically by women, such as leg warmers or tights. Usage from the 18th century refers to men's wear usually made of cloth or leather that is wrapped around the leg down to the ankle. In the 19th century, leggings usually referred to infants' leg clothing that were matched with a jacket, as well as leg-wrappings made of leather or wool and worn by soldiers and trappers. Leggings prominently returned to women's fashion in the 1960s, drawing from the form-fitting clothing of dancers. With the widespread adoption of the synthetic fibre Lycra and the rise in popularity of aerobics, leggings came to further prominence in the 1970s and 1980s, and eventually made their way into streetwear. Leggings are a part of the late 2010s into the 2020s athleisure fashion trend of wearing activewear outside sporting activities and in casual settings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Competitive swimwear</span> Swimsuit, clothing, equipment and accessories used in the aquatic competitive sports

Competitive swimwear refers to the swimsuit, clothing, equipment, and accessories used in the aquatic sports of swimming, diving, artistic swimming, triathlon, and water polo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rash guard</span> Stretch garment for protection from abrasion, UV and stings

A rash guard, also known as rash vest or rashie, is an athletic shirt made of spandex and nylon or polyester. The name rash guard reflects the fact that the shirt protects the wearer against rashes caused by abrasion, or by sunburn from extended exposure to the sun, as sun protective clothing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pasties</span> Adhesive patches worn to cover the nipples and areolae

Pasties are patches that cover a person's nipples and areolae, typically self-adhesive or affixed with adhesive. They are usually worn in pairs. They originated as part of burlesque shows, allowing dancers to perform fully topless without exposing the nipples in order to provide a commercial form of bare-breasted entertainment. Pasties are also, at times, used while sunbathing, worn by strippers and showgirls, or as a form of protest during women's rights events such as Go Topless Day. In some cases this is to avoid potential prosecution under indecency laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halterneck</span> Womens clothing strap that runs from the front of the garment around the back of the neck

Halterneck is a style of women's clothing strap that runs from the front of the garment around the back of the neck, generally leaving the upper back uncovered. The name comes from livestock halters. The word "halter" derives from the Germanic words meaning "that by which anything is held". Halter is part of the German word for bra, Büstenhalter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling shorts</span> Shorts for bicycle riding

Cycling shorts are short, skin-tight garments designed to improve comfort and efficiency while cycling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Physical training uniform</span> Military/organizational uniform

A physical training uniform is a military or organizational uniform used during exercise, calisthenics, drills, and in some cases, very casual periods of time. Most militaries, especially the United States Armed Forces and their auxiliaries require use of a physical training (PT) uniform during unit exercise. All items worn by military personnel conducting PT as a group are subject to uniformity, at commander discretions, however, some U.S. military units produce unique T-shirts with their unit insignia and motto, and for special events, this shirt is part of the uniform. Occasionally, exercise will also be conducted in that branch's utility uniforms, normally with the blouse removed and the undershirt exposed. For unit runs, esprit de corps or special occasions, commanders may have personnel wear unique T-shirts with the distinctive unit insignia and unit colors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheerleading uniform</span> A type of clothing worn by cheerleaders

A cheerleading uniform is a standardized outfit worn by cheerleaders during games and other events. These uniforms typically include the official colors and mascots of the school or team and are designed to make the wearer appear physically attractive. Early cheerleading outfits had pants or long dresses, but as cheerleading stunts became more complex, cheerleader uniforms have adapted to allow better range of motion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clothing fetish</span> Sexual fetish relating to particular type of clothing

Clothing fetishism or garment fetishism is a sexual fetish that revolves around a fixation upon a particular article or type of clothing, a particular fashion or uniform, or a person dressed in such a style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backless dress</span> Type of dress

A backless dress is a style of women's clothing designed to expose the wearer's back. The back may be either partially exposed with a low cut or fully exposed with the use of strings. A backless dress is most commonly worn on formal occasions or as evening wear or as wedding dresses and can be of any length, from a miniskirt-length to floor-length. Other backless styles include backless swimsuits and tops, such as a halter top.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunburn</span> Burning of the skin by the suns radiation

Sunburn is a form of radiation burn that affects living tissue, such as skin, that results from an overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, usually from the Sun. Common symptoms in humans and other animals include red or reddish skin that is hot to the touch or painful, general fatigue, and mild dizziness. Other symptoms include blistering, peeling skin, swelling, itching, and nausea. Excessive UV radiation is the leading cause of (primarily) non-malignant skin tumors, which in extreme cases can be life-threatening. Sunburn is an inflammatory response in the tissue triggered by direct DNA damage by UV radiation. When the cells' DNA is overly damaged by UV radiation, type I cell-death is triggered and the tissue is replaced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bikini variants</span> Swimsuits based on or influenced by the bikini

Many stylistic variations of the bikini have been created. A regular bikini is a two-piece swimsuit that together covers the wearer's crotch, buttocks, and breasts. Some bikini designs cover larger portions of the wearer's body while other designs provide minimal coverage. Topless variants are still sometimes considered bikinis, although they are technically not a two-piece swimsuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the bikini</span>

Evidence of bikini-style women's clothing has been found as early as 5600 BC, and the history of the bikini can be traced back to that era. Illustrations of women wearing bikini-like garments during competitive athletic events in the Roman era have been found in several locations, the most famous of which is at Villa Romana del Casale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thong</span> Garment worn as underwear or as part of a swimsuit

The thong is a garment generally used as either underwear or in some countries, as a swimsuit. It may also be worn for traditional ceremonies or competitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traditional clothing of Kosovo</span>

Traditional clothing is one of the factors that has differentiated this nation from neighboring countries, dating back as far as the Illyrian era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of swimwear</span>

The history of swimwear traces the changes in the styles of men's and women's swimwear over time and between cultures, and touches on the social, religious and legal attitudes to swimming and swimwear.

References

  1. "Definitions for farmers tan". definitions.net. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  2. "The Farmers' Guide to the Farmer's Tan". MEL Magazine. 22 May 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  3. 1 2 Taylor, Angela (October 17, 1969). "Tan-Through Fabric Lets Sun Shine In". The New York Times . p. 55. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  4. Krichko, Kade (November 8, 2013). "Goggle Tans Are All The Rage". Powder. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  5. "How to Get a Tan Tattoo". wikiHow. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
  6. "Scorecard: No nudes is good news". Sports Illustrated . September 1, 1969. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. permits 40% of the sun's ultraviolet rays{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)