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Changes in skin tanning attitudes. Fashion articles and advertisements in the early 20th century. Am J Public Health 2009 Dec;99(12):2140-6

Date

10/23/2009

Pubmed ID

19846688

Pubmed Central ID

PMC2775759

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2008.144352

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-72249086848 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   35 Citations

Abstract

Historical reviews suggest that tanning first became fashionable in the 1920s or 1930s. To quantitatively and qualitatively examine changes in tanning attitudes portrayed in the popular women's press during the early 20th century, we reviewed summer issues of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar for the years 1920, 1927, 1928, and 1929. We examined these issues for articles and advertisements promoting skin tanning or skin bleaching and protection. We found that articles and advertisements promoting the fashionable aspects of tanned skin were more numerous in 1928 and 1929 than in 1927 and 1920, whereas those promoting pale skin (by bleaching or protection) were less numerous. These findings demonstrate a clear shift in attitudes toward tanned skin during this period.

Author List

Martin JM, Ghaferi JM, Cummins DL, Mamelak AJ, Schmults CD, Parikh M, Speyer LA, Chuang A, Richardson HV, Stein D, LiƩgeois NJ

Author

Jessica Ghaferi MD Assistant Professor in the Dermatology department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Attitude
Female
History, 20th Century
Humans
Periodicals as Topic
Suntan
United States