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Tantastic UK Not So Fantastic

July 30, 2008 9:30 AM

By Emily Wither, ABC News London

There was a time back in the 19th century when it was actually desirable to be pale.

It was a sign of class; only the poor peasants who worked in the fields caught the sun, while the bourgeois stayed in the shade and maintained their English rose complexion.

Fast-forward 100 plus years, and the British are falling over themselves to look like they’ve been out in the sun. This is not an easy task in a country notorious for washed-out summers. As a result, frantic men and women are left with no other choice than to hit the bottle, as "Tanorexia" sweeps the nation.

It’s been reported that John Lewis, a popular department store in Britain, claimed a 51 percent increase this year in sales of tanning products such as St. Tropez and Fake Bake.

This could possibly be a back-lash to the credit crunch as hard-up Brits forgo their annual summer holiday to warmer climes to obtain their much-treasured tans. 

But not everyone is happy.

A British school has decided to crack down on their pupils "faking it" and has written to students’ parents asking them to go easy on the tan.

The letter sent by Carol Robinson, principal at Baines High School in Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire, England recognized that while using fake tan was better for her pupils than sunbathing, parents should ensure that it isn’t “over the top.”

The Blackpool Gazette quoted the letter as saying "The current trend for fake/spray tans does little to enhance the appearance of our young ladies… we ask for your support in ensuring that girls do not come to school looking varying shades of orange."

That’s just the problem. "Faking it" is a risky business, as anyone who has tried fake tan will know.

It can give you unsightly orange palms, streaks or you might wind up looking like you’ve picked up some tropical skin disease.

Brits are being warned that such tanning disasters could find them being turned away from some of the most high-profile events on the summer social calendar. It was reported that Royal Ascot, the yearly horse racing event, has decided to tighten its dress code this year, rewriting the rules to “strongly discourage” those attending from attempting to "fake it."

Although for the foreseeable future it looks like tanning is "in," this new shade of orange may portend a "Code Orange" when it comes to fake tanning.

July 30, 2008 in Emily Wither | Permalink | User Comments (1)

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Posted by: Karen | Jul 30, 2008 10:41:26 PM

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