The tan line is back. And this time it isn’t the aftermath of a too-long afternoon nap: It’s intentional. Once dismissed, then desired, later condemned, now in demand, the visible contrast in skin tone caused by sun exposure has come full circle, tantalizing across TikTok’s For You Page, Instagram dumps, beauty campaigns, and more.
Starting with Coco Chanel on the Riviera to Gen Z’s fascination with tattoo methods, tan lines have a rich cultural history shaped by class dynamics and evolving beauty standards throughout time. But before we talk about 2025, where did the trend begin?
During the early 20th century, the Industrial Revolution led to the concentration of working-class jobs in factories and warehouses. That limited exposure to sunlight resulted in pale skin as a by-product of labor. In reaction, spending time outside became a luxury. Suddenly, a tan was viewed as a sign of privilege—creating the cultural pivot point in the 1920s that brought tan lines into fashion. “Coco Chanel often gets credit, thanks to her famous Riviera sunburn,” says Einav Rabinovitch-Fox, a historian at Case Western Reserve University. “But the shift had already begun with changing working conditions, Hollywood’s move from New York to sunny California, and a growing appetite for aspirational outdoor lifestyles.”
Their desirability, however, fluctuated in the years following. During times of strife—such as the Great Depression, WW II, and even until the 1950s—tan lines were airbrushed away or hidden, as beauty was meant to look effortless and not be the focal point of life. “You weren’t supposed to show the process during these eras,” Rabinovitch-Fox explains. “It was like seeing the man behind the curtain in The Wizard of Oz.” Preliminary versions of faux tan even existed in the form of tea bags.
As California cool took center stage in the ’60s and ’70s, the tan became synonymous with youth, freedom, and sex appeal. Think Slim Aarons’s iconic poolside photography: outside, carefree, and tanned to perfection. “In the 1960s and ’70s, tan lines resulting from skimpy bikinis or crocheted bra tops were sexually suggestive,” says art and fashion historian Elizabeth L. Block. Advertising leaned into that allure, but not always in a manner that was appropriate. “Unfortunately, the Coppertone baby ads from that time have had a lasting effect,” Block notes. The brand’s logo—a cartoon of a dog tugging down the swimsuit bottom of a little girl to reveal her tan line—was widely accepted at the time but now reads as deeply unsettling in hindsight. Still, the cultural obsession with bronzed skin persisted.
By the 1980s, beach culture was thriving and tanning had become a full-blown phenomenon. People found their own (now beyond-the-pale) methods for achieving a tan line from their trending high-cut swimsuits by slathering on baby oil, dousing themselves in Coca-Cola, and lying in the sun for hours.
After decades of beach-day baking using harmful methods, SPF awareness grew in the ’90s, driven by public-health campaigns, breakthroughs in skin-cancer awareness and dermatological research, and a shift in beauty ideals that began to prioritize skin safety over deep tans. Since then, sunscreen brands have evolved into everyday essentials. “Education around sun safety is key,” says Riley Armand, senior marketing director at Sun Bum. “For us, SPF comes first. Any glow that follows is secondary.” Enter: self-tanner.
The early 2000s were all about DIY tanning methods in general, encompassing not only self-tanners but also visits to tanning salons. These deep, DIY tans could coax a Paris Hilton “that’s hot” from even the most sun-averse. Magazines and beauty campaigns promoted flawless tans with no streaks, no borders, no mistakes. Once again, the trend was to keep imperfections on bronzed, glowy skin hidden, meaning tan lines were not hot. In an image-obsessed era, they were rarely featured in campaigns, on the red carpet, or in paparazzi shots and were considered a break in the illusion of perfection. And that illusion, like so many beauty standards, was centered on whiteness.
Noelle Cantarano, VP of global marketing at Isle of Paradise, Tan-Luxe, and Tanologist, points out that the aesthetic wasn’t exactly inclusive. “Tan skin was aspirational,” she says, “but it was also coded with exclusivity and often felt unattainable—not to mention the fact that the entire category was one-size-fits-all.” Whether achieved by sun, salon, or self-tanner, the ideal look was narrowly defined, and it remains deeply tied to whiteness, even today.
“Tan lines and tanning culture are, at their core, privileges tied to white bodies,” says Rabinovitch-Fox. While pale skin once signaled status, white women eventually gained the freedom to tan—and to return to that paleness when the trend passed. For Black and brown bodies, that flexibility has never existed. “You can’t opt out of your skin,” she says.
Instagram content
Today, with the rise of Gen Z, tan lines are so back. You can scroll past your FYP on TikTok and find creators showing off tan lines from bikini straps and heart-shaped stickers. Rhinestone outlines creating intentional imprints on skin are summer’s must-have accessory. It’s even made it into nail art. Tutorials on how to “tan safely but leave a mark” rack up millions of views while influencers flaunt their exaggerated tan lines on Instagram and GRWM videos. “For some, tan lines are an aesthetic marker of a summer or vacation well lived,” says Cantarano. “For others, they disrupt an even tan. Our role isn’t to dictate one ideal but to embrace either.”
Fashion, of course, is leading—and meeting—the movement. Almost two years into her tenure at Chloé, designer Chemena Kamali is reinventing the bohemian It girl, with tan lines peeking out of her frilled collar.
It’s trickled into shopping too. “Anything strapless, especially linen bandeau tops and matching sets we’re seeing everywhere right now, really accentuates the tan line,” says Jordanna Sharp, a private stylist and in-house stylist at Four Seasons Hotel New York. “Even a strapless midi-dress where the entire chest is exposed can accentuate the contrast in a way that feels effortless and intentional.” She notes that tan lines tend to complement summer silhouettes that reveal more skin—but in an intentional way, not accidentally.
Once a faux pas, now a flex, tan lines are no longer seen as imperfections but as curated souvenirs of leisure. And if it happens to look great in your vacation dump? Even better. Just remember to reapply that SPF: Skin damage isn’t as cyclical.