about pale skin?

[Thurlow]

I'm down south, so it's going to be baking today. I'm not wearing tights, which is perfectly acceptable in our office.

Now I'm as pale as they come, especially my legs. I just don't tan at all.

I have had TWO comments already today from people - "blimey, you're brave, getting your legs out when they are so white!" Both from colleagues who were wearing dresses with no tights themselves, so it wasn't even a subtle dig at that. One then started a conversation about whether or not I'd considered fake tan.

Why is pale skin seen as so bad? Why shouldn't pale people wear skirts and dresses the same? Why should we go through all the faff and cost of fake tanning?

First world problem, I know, but it's really irritated me not already grumpy with the heat and crappy air conditioning

No idea, my legs glow in the dark as they're rarely exposed.

I'm like you my legs don't tan, they don't burn they just stay how they are. Which I'm perfectly fine with.
I don't understand it either, to me pale legs look fine.

Eh, I LOVE pale skin and don't see why tan is seen as so brilliant.
I get so many comments about trying fake tan its unreal, probably doesn't help that i look like a bottle of milk all year round I'm quite happy looking like a descendant of Dracula I don't know why A- its so offensive to the human eye and B- why it needs to be commented on

My legs are glowing white too as I don't like being in the sun any more...unlike when I was younger and lived for the Summer.

But a nice tan beats pale skin every time imo.

Perhaps they meant you're brave for fear of sun burn? Though I doubt it or why mention fake tan.

Pale legs on show here too. I find it very odd when people comment. I like my pale skin, it's what's natural for me. Imagine if you said to a black woman, wow your legs are really dark. You just would never do it (well I blooming well hope not). People just don't have a filter sometimes.

I know what you mean, Worra, I certainly wouldn't be complaining if I wasn't naturally this pale.

But buggered if I'm sweating in trousers or tights just because I'm several skin tones paler than milk!

My legs haven't seen the light of day since my last P.E lesson in 1989

I'm pale, my DH calls it 'death white', problem is though I just don't change colour anyway. I had a slight tan once on the top of my feet but thats about it.
I do have vitiligo on my arms and a couple of small patches on my cheeks so I tend to stay out of it anyway. I'm firmly in the pale and interesting camp.

YANBU. I'm very pale and hot weather puts me in a bad mood. People can make comments about the natural and normal colour of my skin at their own risk. Twats.

in Asia pale skin is seen as gorgeous.

respond to these comments with the professional equivalent of 'get lost'.

YANBU. Look at Catrionia Balfe in Outlander. She looks lovely in her 1940s dresses with her pale Irish skin. I don't see why white skin should be something to be ashamed of or cover up (beyond for sun protection reasons obviously).

I have extremely pale skin, people always tell me I look healthier with a bit of color

I actually really like the way I look.

That's it, it's seen as healthier, isn't it? Lord knows why.

My legs are pale too. I wish the rest of me was! I love pale skin.

Magic I think thats what it is. If I see someone pale I just feel they look sickly. It's none of my business so I wouldn't say anything.

I have glow in the dark legs too and they are rarely exposed but that's not due to their lackof colour.

I find it hilarious that it's not ok to say anything about a black persons skin colour but people can say what they like about pale skin!!!!

I also laugh at people who say 'you need a healthy tan' or 'I have a healthy tan'. No. There's NO such thing. You've cooked your skin, it is NOT healthy.

White and proud!

"Pale is chic" mine and my friends mantra from secondary school.

I have milky blue skin and get the same digs. I stay pale because I think fake tan looks dirty on the majority of people but I don't say it out loud, where are people's filters.

It's just because tanned skin is fashionable at the moment in the UK, hence the proliferation of fake tan stuff available. Years ago it wasn't, people went to great lengths to stay pale as it meant they were wealthy/upper class and didn't have to toil in the fields.

SistersofPercy I get a little bit of a tan on my arms,chest and face BUT my version of a tan is something that is leaning a bit more towards 'normal' skin colour so most people don't realise I'm tanned at all, unless I show them the striking white skin under my hair line

I'm very pale but I've also covered the majority of my legs with brightly coloured old-school tattoos and they look better with a pale background. I don't tan naturally and people do comment on how white my legs are but I don't care, I look odd with fake tan on.

I can usually tell I've got my equivalent of a tan by resting my forearms on my belly. They're currently a whole shade darker with a few freckles!

Agree with this totally. I'd love to know when did pale skin became such a terrible thing? it's only applicable to women too, men don't get told to go and put fake tan on. It's all part of the peculiar expectations society has for women's appearance.

Dita Von Teese hasn't exactly been held back by her gorgeous pale skin either

Tans can look a bit grim. I now embrace pale. I genuinely think it looks lovely.

I find it hilarious that it's not ok to say anything about a black persons skin colour but people can say what they like about pale skin!!!!

Of course it's ok to say something about a black person's skin colour when you're talking about sunshine

Lots of black people I know are just as worried about the hot sun as I am.

I think the tide has turned against fake tan, pale skin is definitely back in fashion. Just look at any red carpet these days, pale beauties abound.