A dark tan was not always considered desirable. Before the industrial revolution tanned bodies were a sign of manual labour. They were thought of as a sign of the poor and working class who had to work in the Sun. The elite were not exposed to the Sun and remained covered. Women had parasols and bathing suits covered large portions of the body. In these days pale skin was in fashion.

Tanning only became a status symbol in the early 20^th century when because of increased ease of travelling people were able to go and spend their holidays by the sea side. Transforming from being a sign of the working class a tan now became a sign of financial strength. In fact it was observed that with the coming of machines the workers spent less time in the Sun and thus became paler while the rich with more leasure time spent extra time in the Sun resulting in a change from before.

By the early 1920's "Sun therapy" was very popular and was prescribed as a cure for everything from simple fatigue to tuberculosis.

However it was not until the 1920s that the French fashion designer Coco Chanel popularized the suntan as a high fashion statement and soon people started persuing a perfect tan. This has continued over the years and even now a dark tan is considered by some as something that makes you look healthier and younger.

However recent studies have shown that a tan is, in fact, harmful to ones skin and leads to wrinkles, reduces life expectancy, and can lead to skin cancer. Thus steps have now been taken to educate the population about the harmful effects of tanning and promoting a safer Sun culture among everyone.