Some readers might see the subject of this column as premature. After all, it was about 50 degrees outside on Monday, and with the fierce winds, going out even in bare legs was cautioned against. And while Sunday gave us a searing sun (whip out the sunglasses, everyone) it was still windy enough to give those sunbathers a slight chill.
True, this late March/early April weather is teasing us, but people are already talking about Spring Fair and if you ask me, even the sun is getting a bit impatient for its permanent return to Baltimore.
And it is better, I think, for us to talk about the issue of tanning before the opportunity (or threat) even arises.
Let's not address skin cancer right now. We are young, and therefore obviously invincible. We are talking pure aesthetics here.
There is something to be said for both being tan and being pale. The slight tan is healthy, hearty, glowing. Then there is the baked to brown look, which I happen to also enjoy.
Over Spring Break I was in Florida, and I saw many women trotting around with skin just about the color of a potato. I truly find it an amusing choice, the same way I'm strangely attracted to giant tacky costume jewelry.
Now, whether or not a tan looks good on someone depends on the individual's skin. A tan can look good with any hair color and any eye color, but some people's skin is just not made to tan.
There are the unearthly pale people, with their porcelain doll skin, who cannot achieve a golden hue. No matter how much they try, they can only burn to a light pink or worse, a painful looking (and feeling) red.
This season, I'd like to feature those porcelain models as icons of skin fashion. Think of Karen Elson, the British model, with her white skin and reddish-orange hair. Consider also the British pop singer Nicola Roberts, whose skin borders on translucence. There's also Cate Blanchett, whose light blonde hair practically matches her skin color, and Tilda Swinton.
These women are recognized beauties and are admired for their pale skin. Several hail from the United Kingdom, which makes sense as the Emerald Isle is notorious for their cloudy weather. But these women are profiting from their time under the clouds. Their beauty is definitely enhanced by the fact that they are pale.
Paleness allows a person's features to take full attention, whereas a tan draws attention away from other features and to itself. Take for instance, Blanchett. When looking at her face, her light blue eyes pop; they are complimented by her light skin, but not upstaged by it.
Jennifer Connelly is another example of a beautiful actress known for her light skin (and she's an American!). The contrast between her nearly black hair and her very light skin draws attention and admiration to her.
Just like a tan, paleness works for many different colorings, but it best complements those with light blonde, red or dark brown hair.
So this year, instead of running out to the beach in your bikini to sun-worship for several hours, consider a new approach to skin care. Slap on some sun block. Paleness suggests elegance.
In the March issue of Vogue, the designer Nicolas Ghesqui??re said Connelly was "one of the most striking and radiant women I know." "Striking" and "radiant" are definitely words that describe the allure of the pale. It is not a beauty that simply sits on display - it slaps you in the face and demands to be noticed.
Ghesqui??re continued, "She exudes intelligence and is both incredibly classically beautiful and endlessly interesting and mysterious."
"Intelligence" is not always the first word that comes to mind when discussing beauty, but it suggests an extra power within someone's features - and paleness can lend just that.
Instead of baking out on the Beach, the pale girl seeks to further her mind by visiting a museum or studying her books, preserving her skin along the way.
We should all be pale after this long winter, though. Especially since we've been studying in the library like good students all semester long, haven't we?
