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

CoolAs your look sounds cool as! enjoy the breeze on your moisturized pins

Yay! I'm glad we're all embracing the paleness together. It's like the new MN scarf, we'll just look out for other milky white tightless people swanning around confidently

Gorgeous pale skin is one thing . ..But on elderley me it looks horrible .
Did (judgey) informal survey while eating outside in pub yesterday and middle aged, (mostly) plump (this was up North, UK) women with bare white-as opposed to pale- legs do not look good. Sorry .
I am very fair skinned but do go a pale gold, with care and Factor 50 .I use Dove moisturiser with faint fake tan until I 'turn' . It's quite convincing . It conceals any (faint) varicose veins, blotches etc I have quite nice legs for my age (I expose below knee only)-DD2 expressed surprise the other day that I'm 'quite toned ' (!)

My pale legs are partly on show today, wearing a maxi skirt but with splits to above the knee. I'm in Scotland so almost certainly not the only one to be flashing this much white flesh. It's never phased me showing my legs when abroad but when I'm home I'm a bit more reluctant. Perhaps because of society's assumption that you should fake tan everything. I'm 28 weeks pregnant so right now I don't care what anyone thinks!

Also in the pale and interesting camp. I used to love the sun when I was young but I just get bored these days sitting out in it! My legs are super pale and I don't show them off! Not because they are pale but because, even in summer I tend to feel cold! I know, it's crazy! I have short trousers on today so I'm currently exposing my lily white ankles! I hate fake tan and would be offended if someone suggested it! Plus it usually looks blotchy. Funny how people think it's ok to comment on this when they would never dream of pointing out other things they may see as flaws. For example some concealer for spots or wearing their hair a different way, etc. Damn cheek!

Also very pale and in Scotland. I finally gave in to getting my legs out as I was boiling yesterday. At lunchtime the sun disappeared, it turned misty, windy, and flaming cold . Think that's our summer finished.

I'll swap you for 35 degrees in London today!

What do you all wear in Summer? I'm wanting to embrace the pale but still nervous about shorts etc. a nice dress just above the knee would be ok but can't find any.

London is horrendous in the heat. I nearly fainted on the tube once.

Sorry that doesn't help you Thurlow but you have my sympathy.

"What do you all wear in Summer?"

Motorbike leathers and a crash helmet if I'm at home indoors.

Wagglebee, I'm currently in a simple navy white company jersey knee length dress.

I've just ordered this uniqlo cotton dress but it hasn't arrived yet so can't recommend until I've tried it on.

To be honest I don't think it really matters what I wear in this weather, I will still be sweating.

Made Sounds airy.

AWimba Thanks, I like the look of that. I'm half way through a Uniqlo order so I might add that.

39 degrees here in Paris today! Public transport was fun, and I've had to do a lot of walking to places in the last couple of days so had some sun exposure.

I've been wearing long lightweight floaty trousers and tank tops, with hair up in bun. Trousers good as means don't have to smother legs in sticky, sweaty suncream, and I avoid that uncomfortable bare-legs-sticking-together feeling.

My forearms and shoulders have gone a sort of pinkish-beige colour interspersed with freckles. Not burnt really, definitely not tanned but not white either. Cant say it's much of an improvement on white, but it makes a change!

I'm living in the twist front dresses (dorothy Perkins tall section)

I've been wearing just below the knee cotton joggers, today - pale grey as opposed to my usual black. Top half has been my thinnest, floatiest most cottony t-shirts. Next actually have a few nice ones, this year, but my favourite finds have been some from white stuff - I have one in a glorious poppy red and today's was a lovely cornflower blue. It's not often I find something summery that's so flattering to both my colouring and lumpiness shape.
www.whitestuff.com/womens/tops-tees/muted-cranberry-alice-tee/

I'm off out into the civilised world beyond my village to get my hair cut, tomorrow, so will be wearing some cropped jeans. They're not my usual skinny shape, but are much less sweaty and I don't care if some people see that length as "frumpy" because noting looks as frumpy as a sweaty lump and I trip over long wide legged trousers - which just look like pyjamas on me, anyhow!

"middle aged, (mostly) plump (this was up North, UK) women with bare white-as opposed to pale- legs do not look good. Sorry ."

I don't really mind whether they look good or not. So long as they're comfortable and happy with themselves; appearance is not the be all and end all.

In this weather I usually wear cotton or linen and anything relatively loose fitting that covers my arms, to stop them burning. Quite happy to bare my legs and mid riff, as they don't burn and leaving them bare keeps me cool.

I would love to know what relevance being up North has to either plumpness or the age of the women, to be honest. Are there no middle age, plump women down South, then? Do women down South succeed in being a nicer shade of pale than those of us up North?

It's too bloody hot for judgy pants. They'd be soaked through in minutes.

They sound a bit thick, unfortunately. Give them the side eye.

Nothing wrong with your legs, your colleagues on the other hand are a problem

Another milky white and proud person here! :)

I'd wondered similarly about pale, plump women from the north, ouryve. Why people are repelled by such things is beyond me.

I suppose they ought to slap on a bit of fake tan or cover up entirely!

I agree! lots of my friends fake tan for nights out (nothing extreme, just a subtle tan) and they always mention that I should fake tan. I don't for several reasons... 1. I have sensitive skin. 2. I have olive skin anyway so am never pale and 3. why the fuck should it matter? it is just a tan! I don't understand it either op. YANBU.

It's too bloody hot for judgy pants. They'd be soaked through in minutes

Fake tan doesn't necessarily look better anyway. On some people, yes, on others I think it looks far worse than their own pale skin.