Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the mainstream idea of the “perfect body shape” for women has shifted almost as often as fashion trends. In some cases, the contrast of the perfect women idea between decades is shocking, and speak volumes to public attitudes at the time – the beauty standards, basically, depended on whether or not people thought it was okay for women to have curves.
Countless diets, pills, and celebrity icons later, we’re still going wrong in 2017 by encouraging women and girls to constantly compare themselves to others, rather than loving the female body in their own right. At the very least, however, we’ve come farther than using such beauty trends as cigarettes and Wonder Bread to slim down.
Take a walk back in time with us, and marvel at the varyingly ridiculous expectations of the female figure over the years.
More info: (h/t: Vintage Everyday, DM)
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Camille Clifford
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Alice Joyce
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Jean Harlow
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Elizabeth Taylor
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Twiggy
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Farrah Fawcett
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Elle MacPherson
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Kate Moss
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Christina Aguilera
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It would be interesting if someone made a post about the "perfect" male body through the decades. There seems to be a lot more posts and information about the female body. Could it be because females are constantly being objectified and scrutinised more closely than males?
The look for men just hasn't changed much over the course of time. All you have to do is look at Greek statuary to see that. We saw an uptick in men with heavier musculature in the '90s, and there is a slight trend now towards skinny gits with neck beards, but these are not the mainstream.
Nah, the skinny guys vs muscular guys and all that changing from year to year has been very mainstream. I remember coming across an article a few years ago about women preferring men who aren't particularly masculine, then there was a whole craze about beards. The same sort of things happen for men, there's just less of a media push to fit into the preferred type.
There was a time when "the sexiest man in the world" was Woody Allen, and we all know what kind of looks he's got for a decades now. Small, skinny, nerdy guy with the biggest pair of glasses. That was strange.
But Woody had his and Mia Farrow's family vote and it negated everybody else's vote. Sheer numbers.
"But then I married a big, hairy guy who's built like a Bulgarian power lifter" ~ what a poetic way of saying your hubby is a fat ass
Not true as historically men have defined their own ideals of the perfect physique. Look at ancient statues and pay attention to what society deemed the perfect member compared to today's standards - where women have a much greater influence on how men aspire to look and what's happened to the ideal member (it's grown somewhat)
@Markus...Yeah, I never did get the whole nonsense about women liking "non-masculine" men. But then I married a big, hairy guy who's built like a Bulgarian power lifter (genetically - he's no power lifter), so what the heck do I know?
maybe because most male doesn't care. I Watch He-man all my youth and never want to look like him
Good for you, Ma'am.
unfortunately, these exist and men are experiencing increased, and soaring rates of anorexia and depression as a result. This is not equality. We need, all genders, to stop being bombarded with impossible ideals. We all know anyway that kind of physical attraction fades with time--we fall in love with the person.
Thank you for saying this! True connection between 2 souls transcends all this nonsense! To me anyway, it truly is about personality.
Not true at all, it's again gender stereotypes. You've got in french some books about it and virility, I find this on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPAOPWIJt2k For french readers: Alain Cordbin, histoire de la virilité (3 volumes)
Men should NOT be criticized in our patriarchal society...they are father's, gods etc.🤮
The alleged ideal male body HAS changed. Sean Connery as 007 in the 60s was tall, not over muscled with body hair. The 80s was about bulging muscles. The 00s saw a leaner and well defined musculature. Now dudes are shaving their body hair which is pathetic
Possibly...Item of interest re the male body. Plans were made several years ago to remake the film of "The Heiress", the original of which had starred Olivia de Havilland and Montgomery Cliff. The project was abandoned because the build of men at the time the film was set was slender - and the Hollywood male stars proposed at the time of the re-make were all too beefy for the role!
Well, the reason theirs nothing like this for man is because no one ever gave a shit. I wish they didn't care about a woman's figure either.
Was your girlfriend standing over you when you typed that?
Yes! And it's boring
Kim Kardashian is here as a joke? Famous becouse of sextape. O tempora o mores! BTW, ugly face, ugly body.
fake body*
...more plastic than a Tupperware party...
Aunt Messy-- at least Tupperware his class to it!!
Ooops *has class
You forgot the most important ugly aspect of her....her personality! :)
It doesnt really matter, in relation to this post, how she got famous nor how real/not real her body parts are. No matter what our opinion of her is, she _has_ changed current beauty standards towards the curvier and bigger butt-ed. There are plenty of plastic surgery statistics and "beauty aid" statistics to back this up.
shes famous for having a reality tv show and her father being the lawyer of o.j. simpson back in the 90s
I agree with you completely.
Dude, women are supposed to be together and be as one. We are supposed to uplift people, not put them down. It doesn't matter how famous she is, if she saw your comment, she might put herself down more than you have.
It is hard to stand together with a women who has drug womanhood down into the gutter.
I guess I"m in the small minority that goes for hearts not parts. I can appreciate a nice body, but someone kind hearted is sexy imo
Agreed. I never really found people's looks/bodies attractive, I mostly find their personality attractive.
I agree, also, too lazy to care, your name fits perfectly with this comment train lol
Agreed. You may look like a drop dead gorgeous woman, but if you 're an a**hole, you're not worth the time.
Definetely!
It would be interesting if someone made a post about the "perfect" male body through the decades. There seems to be a lot more posts and information about the female body. Could it be because females are constantly being objectified and scrutinised more closely than males?
The look for men just hasn't changed much over the course of time. All you have to do is look at Greek statuary to see that. We saw an uptick in men with heavier musculature in the '90s, and there is a slight trend now towards skinny gits with neck beards, but these are not the mainstream.
Nah, the skinny guys vs muscular guys and all that changing from year to year has been very mainstream. I remember coming across an article a few years ago about women preferring men who aren't particularly masculine, then there was a whole craze about beards. The same sort of things happen for men, there's just less of a media push to fit into the preferred type.
There was a time when "the sexiest man in the world" was Woody Allen, and we all know what kind of looks he's got for a decades now. Small, skinny, nerdy guy with the biggest pair of glasses. That was strange.
But Woody had his and Mia Farrow's family vote and it negated everybody else's vote. Sheer numbers.
"But then I married a big, hairy guy who's built like a Bulgarian power lifter" ~ what a poetic way of saying your hubby is a fat ass
Not true as historically men have defined their own ideals of the perfect physique. Look at ancient statues and pay attention to what society deemed the perfect member compared to today's standards - where women have a much greater influence on how men aspire to look and what's happened to the ideal member (it's grown somewhat)
@Markus...Yeah, I never did get the whole nonsense about women liking "non-masculine" men. But then I married a big, hairy guy who's built like a Bulgarian power lifter (genetically - he's no power lifter), so what the heck do I know?
maybe because most male doesn't care. I Watch He-man all my youth and never want to look like him
Good for you, Ma'am.
unfortunately, these exist and men are experiencing increased, and soaring rates of anorexia and depression as a result. This is not equality. We need, all genders, to stop being bombarded with impossible ideals. We all know anyway that kind of physical attraction fades with time--we fall in love with the person.
Thank you for saying this! True connection between 2 souls transcends all this nonsense! To me anyway, it truly is about personality.
Not true at all, it's again gender stereotypes. You've got in french some books about it and virility, I find this on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPAOPWIJt2k For french readers: Alain Cordbin, histoire de la virilité (3 volumes)
Men should NOT be criticized in our patriarchal society...they are father's, gods etc.🤮
The alleged ideal male body HAS changed. Sean Connery as 007 in the 60s was tall, not over muscled with body hair. The 80s was about bulging muscles. The 00s saw a leaner and well defined musculature. Now dudes are shaving their body hair which is pathetic
Possibly...Item of interest re the male body. Plans were made several years ago to remake the film of "The Heiress", the original of which had starred Olivia de Havilland and Montgomery Cliff. The project was abandoned because the build of men at the time the film was set was slender - and the Hollywood male stars proposed at the time of the re-make were all too beefy for the role!
Well, the reason theirs nothing like this for man is because no one ever gave a shit. I wish they didn't care about a woman's figure either.
Was your girlfriend standing over you when you typed that?
Yes! And it's boring
Kim Kardashian is here as a joke? Famous becouse of sextape. O tempora o mores! BTW, ugly face, ugly body.
fake body*
...more plastic than a Tupperware party...
Aunt Messy-- at least Tupperware his class to it!!
Ooops *has class
You forgot the most important ugly aspect of her....her personality! :)
It doesnt really matter, in relation to this post, how she got famous nor how real/not real her body parts are. No matter what our opinion of her is, she _has_ changed current beauty standards towards the curvier and bigger butt-ed. There are plenty of plastic surgery statistics and "beauty aid" statistics to back this up.
shes famous for having a reality tv show and her father being the lawyer of o.j. simpson back in the 90s
I agree with you completely.
Dude, women are supposed to be together and be as one. We are supposed to uplift people, not put them down. It doesn't matter how famous she is, if she saw your comment, she might put herself down more than you have.
It is hard to stand together with a women who has drug womanhood down into the gutter.
I guess I"m in the small minority that goes for hearts not parts. I can appreciate a nice body, but someone kind hearted is sexy imo
Agreed. I never really found people's looks/bodies attractive, I mostly find their personality attractive.
I agree, also, too lazy to care, your name fits perfectly with this comment train lol
Agreed. You may look like a drop dead gorgeous woman, but if you 're an a**hole, you're not worth the time.
Definetely!