Friday, August 22, 2008

Tan Lines

I’ve always considered tan lines on a man to be incredibly sexy. And by tan lines I mean those areas of flesh left paler than the rest of the body as the result of the wearing of speedos or some other type of swim wear in the sun.

I’m obviously not the only gay man to appreciate and enjoy tan lines.
About a Boy and His Briefs, for instance, writes: “Personally, I like a little pale skin hiding beneath my [swim]suit. There is something about the contrast between light and dark flesh that I find exciting . . . intriguing.”

I also think that seeing a naked male body with tan lines can be especially arousing. Think about it: the sight of untanned skin reminds us that what is being revealed are regions of the body that are of special value, beauty, and vulnerability. The presence of tan lines brings all this to consciousness, and signals to us that we’re gazing upon beauty usually hidden, even forbidden, from view.

Tan lines, for me at least, are also a wonderful reminder of summer by the sea – of the sound of tumbling waves, the smell of brine and salt air, the heat of the sun, the promise of desire and fun, and the refreshing enjoyment of a naked afternoon nap in the shaded coolness of a breeze- (or fan-)caressed room.



For these and other reasons, The Leveret is happy to launch a new series of posts celebrating tan lines! Do you have some images you’d like to share? Send them to theleveret2007@gmail.com for consideration. (Believe it or not, good images of guys sporting tan lines are hard to find on the Internet!)



Images 1 and 3: Raphael Laus (DNA, August 22, 2008).
Image 2: jldc8.


Recommended Off-site Link:
Male Tan Lines

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm a sucker for tans, but then I am a sucker for Latin and Black men, so maybe it is the deeper pigment that is attractive.

Unfortunately, tanning may "look" healthy (heaven knows I think so), but it is not. It may "look" sexy (and it is), but many of the men in photos live in San Francisco, where the sun is a luxury few people can capture long enough to tan.

Also, I am a committed "boxer" wearer, and find the boxer totally sexy, while the Jockey Brief looks too effeminate for me (except on Beloved, who finds boxers "uncomfortable"). On the other hand, no man should be caught wearing anything other than a "Speedo" style swimwear (maturer men may need to yield to boxer cut as form fills out), but never those knee-cap length swimmers' wear.

Tanned, with white buttocks and thighs, well, that's not tasteful. However, your "illustrations" are perfect. And factually, if men cover their necks UP with SPF 15 sunscreen daily (where most skin cancer occurs), and tans slowly with tanning lotions over the other parts of the body (SPF 10 down to no less than 4) produces a creamy tan with safety.

On second thought, screw all the above. Go live. However you enjoy it.