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Globalization hasn’t only changed the way we do business: it’s had an impact on what we consider to be beautiful, too. Just as many lament the McDonald's and Starbucks on every corner, where once there might have been a local restaurant, so too has what people wear become homogenized in our Global Village.
Love Levi’s? Buy them practically anywhere. Want a pair of New Balance shoes in Eastern Europe? There’s a specialty shop for that.
Before mass communication, and television in particular, there was quite a difference in what we thought was attractive, as this list of postcards from 1900-1910, collected by user PostMan on Flickr, shows.
Which photo is the most surprising? Vote on the photos below, or if you have any vintage shots of ladies’ fashion, post them!
More info: Flickr (h/t: designyoutrust)
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Luzon Woman From The Philippines
MaraMadlangbayan 9 years ago
Among the pictures, i find her the prettiest and classy-no need to show some skin. :)
June Pixeld 8 years ago
So rare to see stunning pictures that photoshop has nothing to do with
RELATED:
#2
Japan Female-warrior
Final score:
237points
ChristopherBurroughs 9 years ago
This picture is Not of a man: "[...] Recent research indicates that Japanese women participated in battles quite a lot more often than history books admit. When remains from the site of the Battle of Senbon Matsubaru in 1580 were DNA-tested, 35 out of 105 bodies were female. Research on other sites has yielded similar results." http://listverse.com/2013/08/06/10-fascinating-facts-about-the-samurai/
RadicalMusoka 9 years ago
this is PROBABLY a guy... read the link !! i quote "This is the second time this photo has gone around, and it is still not an image of an Onna Bugeisha, but rather was a photograph from a set of photos of Kabuki actors and Geisha in costume. " in this link http://asianhistory.tumblr.com/post/49455931014/choosechoice-deactivated2014081-the-picture
#3
Gypsy Girl With Mandolin
EsmeWild 9 years ago
Romani are Gypsies mate, it's where the word comes from- Romanis telling Europians they were Egyptian exiles. No shame in either word unless you put it there, as a proud Romani I accept all parts of my heritage. Especially the clever lies that stopped us being enslaved and slaughtered on sight.
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SusannaVesna 9 years ago
The minute I read the title of this photo, I knew there will be a bunch of idiots arguing about the words, ethnicity and what not! Just SHUT THE F**K UP and enjoy the beauty and fashion of this girl! Whoever and whatever she is! Neither of you can convince the other OVER THE Internet! So chill out!
#4
Anna May Wong Was The First Chinese American Movie Star, And The First Asian American Actress To Gain International Recognition
HeatherOgden 9 years ago
my grandma was named after her :) but I never saw her picture till this she is so beautiful
Adelaide McAllister 7 years ago
Its because she has 'white' features..sad, but true..had this woman looked 'more' Asian..things would have been different.
#5
Young Algerian Girls
MariusJan 9 years ago
No. It's Lauryn Hill, who looks like the girl on the left...
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MaxGabrieli 9 years ago
The Algerian girl on the left and the first photo are the only beautiful women here.
#6
Lily Elsie, English Actress And Singer
MariusJan 9 years ago
No. Actually it's Rachel Weisz, who looks like her.
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#7
Berberian Girl
#8
Anna Pavlovna Was A Russian Prima Ballerina
OlgaSokolova 9 years ago
She's also Pavlovna (fathers name), but her surname is Pavlova, you're right
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CataGarzaLecea 9 years ago
Can you see the influence of fashion on Padme/Queen Amidala's wardrobe???
Abby Bezuidenhout 9 years ago
It is the first thing I thought when I saw this photo
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#9
Rita Martin
Abby Bezuidenhout 9 years ago
When women where still woman. Soft and feminine. Today life is hard and stressful. It stopped in the 70's sadly. So loving in the wrong era
Abby Bezuidenhout 9 years ago
Stupid predtive/autocorrect. Kindly excuse the bad grammer
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#10
Unknown Lady With Book
Risto Tiilikainen 3 years ago
She has a ladder in left stocking. Ladies don't tolerate ladders. Ladies are sitting straiht on the chair when reading. Not like ho. in brothel
SusannaVesna 9 years ago
How sad to see the similarity between the "men's magazines of 1910s" and normal magazines now!
Katrina Hunt 9 years ago
Oh shut the f**k up. F*****g feminism b******t makes me sick
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Abby Bezuidenhout 9 years ago
You right.. Back in those days it would have been extremely scandalous. This picture may even gotten banned
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#11
Nepaly Lady
AngelaJones 9 years ago
I think they just used what was in the lower left corner.
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PhilipAtkins 9 years ago
Such confidence and poise, and such beautifully expressive eyes. She truely deserves to be on this list
JanisTotham-Davies 9 years ago
That must have been an awful lot of weight with all the jewelry on her!
#12
Unknown Young Lady In Traditional Dress
#13
Queen Mary Of Romania
Final score:
118points
Alexandra (Submission author) 9 years ago
Guys better enjoy the photo! That guy doesn't deserve your attention.
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GabrielCiprianBalmus 9 years ago
https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regina_Maria_a_României Alex grab and read article, you stupid f**k!
MonicaPorumb 9 years ago
AlexSteel, do not choose to be an ignorant. You've got some research to do before making such allegations...
AlexSaran 9 years ago
Actually, ignorant is an adjective, which is indeed a word, though not a noun. Before ungraciously correcting others...
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AndreeaJovi 9 years ago
She was actually Queen Victoria's granddaughter and she had both english and russian origins. She was a great woman appreciated by many ìmportant politicians of those times. But I am pretty sure you had no idea of this, seeing that you didn't know that romanian people are simply romanian people and gypsis are a nation originaly from India. Good luck being rude with people on the internet
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#14
Unknown Lady
PhilipAtkins 9 years ago
What a beautiful young woman, she appears so comfortable in her own skin
ShannonWatrous 9 years ago
She reminds me of that lady from Supernatural who was like a waitress or whatever when Sam and Dean had to go back in time to get those pheonix ashes
#15
Agnes Ayres Was An American Actress Who Rose To Fame During The Silent Film Era
PhilipAtkins 9 years ago
Again, such a beautifully expressive face, no wonder she rose to prominence!
#16
Unknown Lady With Book
JerieRagsac 9 years ago
it's a pin up photo from a vintage adult men's magazine.. That's how they make porn photos before: fully dressed *collector XD*
#17
Unknown Japanese Woman With Umbrella
#18
Gabrielle Ray Was An English Stage Actress, Dancer And Singer
#19
Unknown Lady With Book
ValentinaSiimer 9 years ago
They sure did like to read, didn't they? And I mean, that's what I usually do when I get my hands on a good book - I put on my heels, find a really uncomfortable position and show my underwear.
RobertMarkham 9 years ago
It looks ans though that the smoke from the cigarette was faked with cotton and wire. Smoke will trail off and is transparent and smooth. That is rough and just stops mid air.
#20
Louise Derval
ClaudiaGoyzueta 9 years ago
I don´t know what´s more shocking... the tiny little waist or the dead bird on the hat!
GypsVittaikkarar 9 years ago
It's not even in a good position.. it kinda' looks like the bird crashed into her right when the picture was taken.
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MariannTausch 9 years ago
Actually, it probably is a real, albeit dead, bird on her hat. I recall reading not long ago, that some species of birds were becoming endangered during these times. I'm not sure who the socialite was, but she managed to convince her social circle to shun hats like these. A big deal when it was the height of fashion. :)
PhilipAtkins 9 years ago
The things people endured so as to appear "attractive". I wonder if one day our society will view plastic surgery the same way
#21
Sisters From The Philippines In The 20's.
Final score:
80points
#22
Unknown Japanese Lady With Long Hair
Jude 9 years ago
I agree. Most people who aren't the same ethnicity can't see differences - or similarities.
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#23
Carolina “la Belle” Otéro Was A Spanish-born Dancer, Actress And Courtesan
#24
Young Vietnamese Woman With Sword
PhilipAtkins 9 years ago
Bare footed and armed, she looks powerful and capable. A functional and real beauty
#26
Unknown Tonkin Lady With Big Hat
NguyenLinh 9 years ago
It's a traditinal vietnammese hat call "non quai thao", use only for "quan ho" singer, a kind of Vietnam old music, sorry for my bad English.
#27
Princess Viktoria Luise Von Preußen
#28
Unknown Lady With Long Hair
Valerie Drake 9 years ago
It has to be her hair, my hair looks like that when it's air dryed , kind of hard to tame.
SusannaVesna 9 years ago
This is getting too sexy now! hahaha What's happening with her hair exactly? I assume it's not all real, is it?
CataGarzaLecea 9 years ago
Women didn't wear hair extensions back then, it was short or long, no substitutions! you can bet it's hers!!!
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M. Thermonde
Paul Granger 6 years ago
Not a dress for walking. One for standing in the receiving line, I suppose.
TammyChapman 9 years ago
I don't know how they kept their waist so tiny (other than painful corsets). Were they allowed to eat? Nowadays in the US everyone seems heavy. And to see someone like this today we would probably presume they were anorexic. She is beautiful though, they are all beautiful.
#30
Tamil Girl
SusannaVesna 9 years ago
Indians are the only people who didn't entirely give up their folk dressing style! Bravo! (well some Africans too, but that's cz they are not very connected to civilization)
KimberleyLeaman 9 years ago
I am African and I am very much connected to civilization. Us as Africans are still connected to our traditional roots, do not generalize Africans because of what is depicted to you. Ignorant much ?
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#31
Unknown Gypsy Girl
CarolBradstreet 9 years ago
It may have been fashion, but I can't imagine the harmful effects on health that would have caused.
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TammyChapman 9 years ago
The internal organs must have been really screwed up by all those corsets.
Jude 9 years ago
Polaire. She was reputed to have one of the tiniest waists back when most younger women had tiny waists from tight lacing. At one time when she was an adult woman, her waist was supposed to be 16-17 inches! She was also a singer and how she could sing with such tight lacing is beyond me. Perhaps that's why most women singers had such reedy thin voices.
#32
Unknown Japanese Woman With Umbrella
MáriaDusová 9 years ago
I imagine what colour was that kimono because even on this picture it looks amazing
#33
Two Pretty Young Ladies
#34
Beduinin
#35
Beautiful Geisha
Lulik 9 years ago
...becouse she probably was then a child. Perhaps she was a maiko - "student in geisha school"
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ClarissaWarren 9 years ago
Although some started training to become Geisha as young as 3-5yrs old....this girl is not wearing Maiko or Geisha attire...she is simply wearing traditional Japanese clothing. So you can't say for certain that she is a Geisha, which at such a young age is highly doubtful anyways.
Adelaide McAllister 7 years ago
I just don't see any beauty in this woman.. She looks harsh, unhappy and just..well not attractive at all.
#36
Cambodian Girl
Laverne Swanson 9 years ago
Healthy feet. Spead out toes as should be. A natural!
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Unknown Lady, Vintage Erotica
Laverne Swanson 9 years ago
Bet my grandma flirted with my grandpa like that. She was born in 1896. Died at 103.
#38
Unknown Lady With Big Hat
YikaRiley-Smith 9 years ago
From her look I'm betting that wasn't the first photo attempt balancing that hat--the dress is so beautiful it just detracts from it.
Brooke Eldridge 4 years ago
Does anyone know where I can find more information on who this woman might be or where this was taken? Everyone was sending this photo to me a few years ago thinking either she is a direct ancestor or that I have somehow figured out time travel.
#39
Margaretha Geertruida Macleod Better Known By The Stage Name Mata Hari
#40
Vesta Tilley Was A Star Of The English Music Hall Circuit For More Than Four Decades
#41
Unknown Lady With Flowers
Angel Reeves 9 years ago
It looks like she is cross-eyed that's why. Her right eye is angled wrong.
#42
Two Unknown Young Ladies
Jude 9 years ago
Look at their elbow length gloves! I guess a proper lady wore gloves in public then.
YikaRiley-Smith 9 years ago
And white ones to boot! How did they ever keep them clean?!
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Unknown Lady With Cigarette
#45
Unknown Lady In Nice Dress
YikaRiley-Smith 9 years ago
Couldn't help but wonder how many animals went into making up that entire outfit.
#46
Unknown Lady With Big Hat And Umbrella
Jude 9 years ago
Not an umbrella, maybe a crop instead? Wonder if those were considered riding pants then for serious horse women?
JennEtherton 9 years ago
Perhaps it was when bicycles became popular with ladies.
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Matilda Alice Powles, An English Music Hall Performer
KarenLombardo 9 years ago
It says "Miss Vesta Tilley" on the picture....not Matilda Alice Powels
ThanhNguyễn 9 years ago
Actually, Miss Vesta Tilley is Matilda Alice Powels
Load More Replies... KirstenBlackburn 9 years ago
I think it's just how it's pinned to her hair lol but it does look like it's falling XD
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French Show Girl Backstage
YikaRiley-Smith 9 years ago
I read that in the 1920's 95% of women IN THE WORLD wore their hair in a bob.
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Russian Opera Singer Makarova
#50
Young Japanese Lady
#52
Unknown Lady
Risto Tiilikainen 3 years ago
That's right. Ladies don't sit on antique tables
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#53
Georgette Delmare
#55
Unknown Lady
#56
Vintage Erotica
#57
Unknown Geisha
CataGarzaLecea 9 years ago
Just because of the garments?? Ok let me go get my Eskimo suit so I can be called an Inuit!!!
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ClarissaWarren 9 years ago
Not a Geisha!!! not even close...there are very very few caucasian women to ever become real Geisha, this woman isn't Japanese and even if she were , shes dressed more like a prostitute in a bathrobe...there aren't nearly enough layers in her clothing to call that a kimono and a Geisha would never sully her reputation by showing so much skin. Its Stuff like this that gives the ongoing misconception that geisha were prostitutes.
SakuraDragon 9 years ago
Definitely not a geisha. Aside from the fact that she's caucasian and the total lack of underclothes (which, by the way, also serve the very important function of protecting the kimono fabric from sweat and natural skin oils), there are more things wrong with this picture. First, she's put her arms through the armpit holes rather than the proper arm holes (as evidenced from how the sleeves are hanging). Second, the kimono is layered wrong. The proper way is left over right. Right over left is only ever done on corpses (this is a fun way to see if Hollywood has done proper research when they show women wearing kimonos). Clarissa, the literal meaning of the term 'kimono' is 'something you wear', so this technically qualifies, but even yukata (the most informal kind, used mostly as sleepwear or bathrobe) requires some form of underwear (probably even more so back when this picture was taken).
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What do you think ?
AmandaPanda 9 years ago
The woman in #9 looks super uncomfortable, which is kind of indicative of many women in all time periods, placing aesthetic beauty before comfort. EFF that ... also the woman in #8 creeps me out ... I think its her teeth... I can't.
DianaMeza 9 years ago
Great collection of photos... The girl on the right in #7 is the same as the girl in #11
Tricia rosepetals 9 years ago
Just awesome beauty. Loved is the appreciation of aesthetics as higher expressions of feminine. Women then and even today who really enjoy being vessels of light and feminine
Aswini 9 years ago
Vintage photo, 1865: A Nepalese woman in Darjeeling, a Himalayan city in the Indian state of West Bengal. 3fde3cead5...f5d851.jpg 
AmandaPanda 9 years ago
The woman in #9 looks super uncomfortable, which is kind of indicative of many women in all time periods, placing aesthetic beauty before comfort. EFF that ... also the woman in #8 creeps me out ... I think its her teeth... I can't.
DianaMeza 9 years ago
Great collection of photos... The girl on the right in #7 is the same as the girl in #11
Tricia rosepetals 9 years ago
Just awesome beauty. Loved is the appreciation of aesthetics as higher expressions of feminine. Women then and even today who really enjoy being vessels of light and feminine
Aswini 9 years ago
Vintage photo, 1865: A Nepalese woman in Darjeeling, a Himalayan city in the Indian state of West Bengal. 3fde3cead5...f5d851.jpg
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