Posted by Fiona Dunne
on July 30, 2025
The Tan LINE is back.
From daring bikini lines to cheeky crop tops, tan lines have long danced the line between taboo and trend. Once seen as a beauty blunder to be covered up, tan lines are now making a comeback, especially during summer. No longer just as nostalgic nods to summers past, but as playful beauty statements in their own right.
At GlowDry, we’re obsessed with all things self tanning, but we’re also fascinated by how self tanning has evolved. And no part of it is more culturally charged than the history of the tan line, Let's dive in!
🤍 The Pre-Tan Era: Pale and Protected
Before bronzed skin was even a thing, the ideal complexion was porcelain pale. In ancient Rome and through the Victorian era, pale skin was a sign of privilege and proof you didn’t have to toil under the sun. Women even used lead-based powders and parasols to preserve that white alabaster glow. Oh how times have changed.
🤎 The Coco Chanel Moment
Enter: 1923. Fashion icon Coco Chanel accidentally caught too much sun while sailing along the French Riviera. She returned to Paris sun-kissed and just like that, bronzed skin became a symbol of affluence and leisure. Being tanned meant you had the luxury of beach holidays and yacht days, not laborious field work.
By the 1930s, tan lines were born and they were bold. The advent of two-piece swimsuits and bandeau tops created stark sun-kissed contrasts that screamed summer seduction.
👙The Bikini Revolution
The 1960s and 70s brought liberation in every sense, sexual, political, and sartorial. The bikini exploded in popularity, shrinking every season and turning the tan line into a kind of flirty souvenir. Whether from beach trips or backyard sunbathing, tan lines were society's subtle proof of time well spent under the sun.
Magazines flaunted models with obvious strap marks. Brigitte Bardot made tan lines sultry. And surfers and sun-chasers in Australia, California, and the Mediterranean wore theirs with pride.
🚫☀️The Rise of the Fake Tan
Fast forward to the 90s and early 2000s, we meet a major cultural shift: the rise of fake tan. The health risks of sunbathing were becoming clear (hello, SPF!), and spray tans were finally shedding their orange reputation.
Self tanning has evolved so much and for many users its a deep rooted weekly self-care practice . At GlowDry, we believe you shouldn’t have to choose between glowing skin and healthy skin. Our Australian-made self-tan range is designed for a sunless, streak-free glow—with all the radiance, none of the UV damage.
Today’s Tan Lines: Playful, Personal, and Powered by Choice
Now? We’re in the era of choice. Some love a barely-there bronze, others want contour-worthy depth. And tan lines? They’re still around—but now they’re intentional, stylised, and fake tan friendly (which we love).
Watch our video here on how we do tan lines with self tan. ITs easy, use an old bikini, apply it, apply your tan over it and set and dry it with GlowDry so its does budge. You really have to make sure the bikini is well places and the straps don't move.
While researching for this article I did see these fun Adhesive Bikinis - they would be great for getting a tan line spray tan!
〰 So, are Tan Lines for you?
I tanned this way during the summer once and it was kinda cute, wouldn't go out of my way to do it all the time and I'm definitely sun baking to achieve these lines either. While it's trending its worth a try for sure! That’s the beauty of modern tanning: it’s all about self-expression either way. Whether you're blending, bronzing, or boldly showing off those strap marks, a tan should feel empowering—not prescriptive.
And with GlowDry’s fast-drying, vegan self-tan range, you can skip the UV exposure and create your own summer tan lines and all.
Will you be creating tan lines this winter? or next summer?
Hope you enjoyed this blog article, see you in the next one!