One of the things I miss now that we can usually not refer to the colour of someones skin, except in political terms, is the loss of great numbers of words to describe someones complexion.
When I was a child police appeals for wanted men always included a fairly complete description of the complexion. Ruddy, pale, florid, purple, pasty, swarthy, olive.
You immediately knew a woman was good if she was described as having a peaches & cream complexion. Tanned or leathery was a bit too independent & able to take care of herself for many tastes.
Langston Hughes could be very lyrical about the characters in his novels with their honey, mustard, milky coffee, ebony or caramel skins
Of course such words smuggled all sorts of hierarchical or moral judgements. Unspoken approval for brown-skin girl. Red, black, high yaller?
Not to mention all those wheaten prospective brides in Indian marriage adverts
