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I'm Drew Breunig and I obsess about technology, media, language, and culture. I live in New York, studied anthropology, and work in advertising technology.Twitter

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Wearing full face masks at Chinese beaches is currently in vogue: For legions of middle-class Chinese women — and for those who aspire to their ranks — solar protection is practically a fetish, complete with its own gear. This booming industry caters to a culture that prizes a pallid complexion as a traditional sign of feminine beauty unscathed by the indignities of manual labor. There is even an idiom, which women young and old know by heart: “Fair skin conceals a thousand flaws.” With the pursuit of that age-old aesthetic ideal at odds with the fast-growing interest in beachgoing and other outdoor activities, Chinese women have come up with a variety of ways to reconcile the two. Face masks like Ms. Yao’s have taken this popular beach town by storm. And: “A woman should always have fair skin,” she said proudly. “Otherwise people will think you’re a peasant.” (Via NYT)

Wearing full face masks at Chinese beaches is currently in vogue:

For legions of middle-class Chinese women — and for those who aspire to their ranks — solar protection is practically a fetish, complete with its own gear. This booming industry caters to a culture that prizes a pallid complexion as a traditional sign of feminine beauty unscathed by the indignities of manual labor. There is even an idiom, which women young and old know by heart: “Fair skin conceals a thousand flaws.”

With the pursuit of that age-old aesthetic ideal at odds with the fast-growing interest in beachgoing and other outdoor activities, Chinese women have come up with a variety of ways to reconcile the two. Face masks like Ms. Yao’s have taken this popular beach town by storm.

And:

“A woman should always have fair skin,” she said proudly. “Otherwise people will think you’re a peasant.”

(Via NYT)

Source: The New York Times

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  1. thenbrent reblogged this from dbreunig
  2. durango3000 said: When I lived in Japan guys would wear gloves at the beach. Accentuate your golfers tan.
  3. ii-cc reblogged this from dbreunig
  4. thespaceracer reblogged this from dbreunig and added:
    WTF?!
  5. dbreunig posted this