suntanphysiology

• influence on fashion dress

  The acceptance of less cumbersome costumes for sports affected swimwear, too, and, once the designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel made suntans the rage, exposure of the female form became almost total. Sunbathing suits revealed more of the female anatomy than any costume in history since antiquity. (Whereas in the past ladies had gone to great lengths to avoid being browned by the sun,...

effect of

• melanin content ( in coloration: Melanins )

  ...or outermost layer of the skin, contains little of the pigment; in the dark-skinned races epidermal deposits of melanin are heavy. On exposure to sunlight, human epidermis undergoes gradual tanning with increases in the melanin content, which helps to protect underlying tissues from injurious sun rays.

  in coloration: Physiological functions )

  A widespread response to increased light levels is the addition of melanin, or darkening of the body—for example, tanning in humans. Such melanic shielding protects the tissues of the organism from potentially dangerous levels of ultraviolet radiation. Since the ultraviolet shield need protect only easily damaged cells in the nervous and reproductive systems, it does not necessarily have...

• ultraviolet radiation ultraviolet radiation

  ...swelling, seepage of fluid, and sloughing of the outer skin. The blood capillaries (minute vessels) in the skin dilate with aggregations of red and white blood cells to produce the red coloration. Tanning is a natural body defense relying on melanin to help protect the skin from further injury. Melanin is a chemical pigment in the skin that absorbs ultraviolet radiation and limits its...

• history of dress ( in dress: Male display )

  ...has led to a great variety of additional adornments such as boars’ tusks, animal skins, animal teeth, claws, feathers, shells, metal pieces, bamboo, and the use of paint. In general, the more naked a society is, the more body paint is employed to denote the warriors and the chiefs, with each rank having its individual pattern. In addition, in many societies, only after an individual has...

  in dress: Female display )

  ...and ’30s required a suntan to display and in cut were practically bathing costumes with skirts. The 1950s launched the bikini, which provided minimal coverage for women, and since then even total nudity became acceptable on some beaches.

• history of fashion dress

  The acceptance of less cumbersome costumes for sports affected swimwear, too, and, once the designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel made suntans the rage, exposure of the female form became almost total. Sunbathing suits revealed more of the female anatomy than any costume in history since antiquity. (Whereas in the past ladies had gone to great lengths to avoid being browned by the sun,...

• physical culture physical culture

  ...Kellerman epitomized the physical culture ideal. In 1905 Kellerman swam from Dover to Ramsgate, England, a distance of 20 miles (32 km), in 4 hours and 28 minutes. She also introduced the one-piece bathing suit (see photograph) at a beach near Boston, Massachusetts. Although she was arrested for indecent exposure, her promotion eventually liberated women from the cumbersome multilayer garb...

• history of dress ( in dress: Ancient Egypt )

  ...greater number were worn either in combination with or on top of one another. During the Old Kingdom (its capital at Memphis), which lasted until about 2130 bc, dress was simple. Men wore a short skirt tied at the waist or held there by a belt. As time passed, the skirt became pleated or gathered. Important people wore in addition a decorative coloured pendant hanging in front from the waist...

  in dress: Female display )

  ...warned against, with doctors stressing the dangers of skin cancer.) The backless evening dresses of the 1920s and ’30s required a suntan to display and in cut were practically bathing costumes with skirts. The 1950s launched the bikini, which provided minimal coverage for women, and since then even total nudity became acceptable on some beaches.