Ideal Body Types Have Changed Dramatically Throughout The Years
The Gibson Girl Of The 1910s
During the 1910’s, it was quite expensive to publish photos in magazines, so many times companies would hire illustrators to advertise their products instead. A famous illustrator of the time was Charles Dana Gibson, who was known for his illustrations of women wearing corsets and dresses, giving them this hourglass figure and a very straight posture.
The Gibson Girl Of The 1910s
Camille Clifford
Camille Clifford was an actress and model who was best known as one of the most famous Gibson Girl illustrations model. She was known for her 18-inch wasp waist that was achieved by wearing a tight corset underneath a long gown.
Camille Clifford
The Flapper Of The Roaring ‘20s
The Flapper of the 1920’s was a total shift from the Gibson Girl. Flappers sported short hairdos, looser dresses that didn’t show waistlines, and often sported hats and other accessories. It was at this time when the 19th Amendment was ratified, allowing women to vote, a dramatic turn of events that impacted every aspect of life, including fashion.
Four Dancers Doing The Charleston
Margaret Gorman
Margaret Gorman was crowned Miss America in the year 1921. She was thought to have the ideal body type at the type, which was long and lean and almost boyish — a total shift from the hourglass figure of the previous decade.
Margaret Gorman
The Soft Siren Of The ‘30s
Following the Roaring Twenties, the thirties saw another shift in fashion. Following the stock market crash, women reverted back to dresses that were more form fitting and returned to a more classically feminine style, once again a turn from the previous decade’s boxier dresses.
The Soft Siren Of The ‘30s
Dolores Del Rio
Dolores Del Rio epitomized the ideal female body type and also the old Hollywood glamour of the 1930’s. She was described by Photoplay magazine as “roundly turned” and “warmly curved,” and the Mexican star was even called the Hollywood star with the best figure at the time.
Dolores Del Rio
The Star-Spangled Girl Of The ‘40s
Owing to the Second World War, things dramatically changed once again in the 1940’s. The global war affected everything in Americans’ lives, including fashion. Now, broad shoulders and long limbs were desired. The “bullet” or “torpedo” bra also became popular during this time.
The Star Spangled Girl Of The ‘40s
Betty Grable
Betty Grable was pretty much at the forefront of ideal women during the 1940’s. She was truly one of the most popular pin-up girls of the decade and it was not uncommon to see her photo in many a foot-locker of the military men of the time.
Betty Grable
The Hourglass Figure Of The ‘50s
Although curves were popular in the 40’s, the 1950’s harkened back to the Gibson Girl waistline and went back to admiring the hourglass shape as the ideal. No more were strong shoulders and a thin body type desired. Magazines even advertised weight gainers in order to widen hips!
The Hourglass Figure Of The ‘50s
Marilyn Monroe
Of course, Marilyn Monroe needs no introduction. The most famous of women with an hourglass figure, her beauty truly stands the test of time. It’s no surprise that she remains to this day one of the most well known Hollywood figures.
Marilyn Monroe
The Twig Of The ‘60s
Following to fuller, curvaceous body type ideal of the 1950’s, the 1960’s took things to a completely different direction. The hourglass figure was out, and now long and very thin was the new mode. Small waists, narrow hips, and long figures were all the rage now.
The Twig Of The ‘60s
Twiggy
Model Lesley “Twiggy” Lawson burst out on to the scene, bringing with her a brand new ideal body type: rail thin. She began modeling at 16, and her very thin body type completely changed the fashion landscape.
Twiggy
The Disco Diva Of The ‘70s
While the rail-thin look of the 60’s was not completely out, the ideal body type shifted to a bit more curvy than the previous decade. It was not as extreme as the 50’s, so it’s safe to say that the 1970’s saw a more balanced out ideal body type. The disco divas of the decade showed us how it was done while looking absolutely great in their disco-ready getups.
The Disco Diva Of The ‘70s
Charlie’s Angels
Some of the famous faces of the decade are none other than the original Charlie’s Angels ladies themselves. Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, and Kate Jackson were not only famous, but they also epitomized the ideal body type of the decade, which was long, lean, and curvy all at once.
Charlie’s Angels
The Supermodel Of The ‘80s
Following the 70’s, the 1980’s saw the introduction of the “supermodel.” The title was given to models who had very long legs and were taller than average. At the time, it was nearly impossible to turn on the TV, especially MTV, without seeing this body type of the screen.
The Supermodel Of The ‘80s
Rachel Hunter
Rachel Hunter is just under 6 feet tall, towering over most of the population. This was very clear when she would stand next to her ex Rod Stewart, who is 5’10” himself. Anyone who was around in the 80’s remembers Hunter gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated and plenty of other magazines. She would later also appear in several music videos.
Rachel Hunter
Elle Macpherson
Another name that must be mentioned when it comes to 80’s supermodels is none other than Elle Macpherson, who was the embodiment of the ideal body type in the 1980’s, so much so that she was actually nicknamed “The Body” by Time magazine in 1989. Even decades later, Macpherson is still active in the industry, she even graced the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition in 2014, looking just as great as ever.
Elle Macpherson
The Waif Of The ‘90s
The 1990’s once again took a sharp turn from the tall and curvy ideal and instead favored a waif thin look with minimal to no curves. A lot of people refer to this look as “heroin chic.” This look could not be more different from the supermodel style of the 1980’s.
The Waif Of The ‘90s
Kate Moss
Kate Moss is the poster child for the ideal body type style of the 1990’s. She became a fashion icon after working with Calvin Klein. She is often the point of person when people ask how the size 0 trend started. She was named the second-most top earning model in 2012, bringing in $9.2 million just in that year.
Kate Moss
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder is another example of epitomizing this waif-ish look. Perhaps this is part of what helped propel her to fame, in addition to her incredible acting chops. It’s interesting to note that both Kate Moss and Winona Ryder had relationships with actor Johnny Depp, maybe the waif look is his type.
Winona Ryder
The Buff Beauty Of The 2000s
As we turn towards the new millennium, once again we said goodbye to the rail thin look and welcome a more athletic body type as the ideal. Women gracing magazine covers were now sporting rock hard abs and though they were not as curvy as the women of the 50’s, they still were much curvier than the 90’s style body type.
The Buff Beauty Of The 2000s
Gisele Bundchen
Gisele Bundchen ushered in a new supermodel look: tall, long legs, and athletic. The Brazilian model was the most highly paid model for years and has been called one of the “Most Beautiful Women in the World,” as well as one of the “Most Influential People in Fashion.”
Gisele Bundchen
The Booty Babe Of The 2010s
When the 2010s rolled around, so did the curvaceous booties. Queen B, Beyonce, helped make this body type popular, as is expected because of the Destiny’s Child song “Bootylicious.” The curves of previous generations returned, this time with an emphasis on hips and booties.
The Booty Babe Of The 2010s
Rihanna
The Barbadian beauty Rihanna has been one of the most popular artists of all time. She’s known for her killer vocals, incredible body, and amazing style, which she has parlayed into her own fashion line. She’s also a talented businesswoman, becoming a self-made billionaire with her many different business ventures.
Rihanna
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian is also credited with making the bodacious booty quite popular in the mainstream. Nowadays, it’s pretty common for women to have procedures to have their own Kardashian booties.
Kim Kardashian
Jennifer Lopez
Another lovely lady who is known for her strong and curvaceous body is none other than Jenny from the block, Jennifer Lopez. She even has a hit song called “Booty.”
Jennifer Lopez
Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj is one of the most popular rappers of all time. She has become an iconic artist who is known for her skills as well as her incredible style, which helps accentuate her curves.
Nicki Minaj
Changing Ideals
Nowadays, it’s not as common for all women to desire to conform to just one ideal body type. Perhaps thanks to the rise of the internet and the decline of magazines, it seems like there’s not one dominant body type that reigns supreme.
Changing Ideals
Body Positivity
More recently, the concept of body positivity has become more popular. The idea behind body positivity is to encourage women of all shapes, sizes, colors, and background to feel beautiful, even if they don’t fit some ideal body type that has been determined by someone else.
Body Positivity
In Marketing
A lot of companies have come around to this idea, with brands like Aerie opting to choose a diverse group of models with varying body types, shapes, sizes. In addition to that, they also do not retouch their photos, leaving out characteristics that in the past would have been deemed “imperfections” in a campaign they called #AerieREAL.
In Marketing
Photoshop Vs. Reality
It might be that this trend for a more natural and accepting way to look at oneself is directly due to the vast amount of photoshopped many of us were exposed to in the early 2000’s. In fact, you can see just how much magazines changed celebrities’ looks in order to sell more magazines. Meanwhile, they were also selling unrealistic expectations for women all around the world.
Photoshop Vs. Reality
Instagram Vs. Reality
Nowadays, Instagram (and other social media platforms) offer us countless filters that alter our faces. These can sometimes make us look so different that we become unrecognizable. This can also lead to a lot of body dysmorphia, and is certainly creating more unrealistic beauty ideals.
Instagram Vs. Reality
Subtle Facetune
In addition to dramatic filters, a lot of people also make subtle tweaks to their photos using apps like FaceTune. While these are not as dramatic, they still make it seem like people’s natural faces are still not good enough.
Subtle Facetune
Makeup Vs. No Makeup
There’s a popular trend on social media to post photos without any makeup on. This can help promote self-acceptance and also shows just how much makeup can alter someone’s look completely.
Makeup Vs. No Makeup
Cosmetic Procedures
A lot of people decide to go beyond makeup when it comes to altering their appearances. Many people choose to undergo cosmetic procedures that often change their look completely. Nowadays, it’s pretty common for younger people to get fillers and injections as well.
Cosmetic Procedures
Ancient Procedures
While we might think that cosmetic procedures are a brand new invention, this is not the case. In fact, in China, there was an ancient tradition of foot binding. This procedure had young girls forcing their feet into shoes that would make their feet change shape and size, mainly smaller and pointier to look more doll-like.
Ancient Procedures
Double Eyelid Surgery
A lot of Asian countries try to conform to Western beauty ideals, which means that often cosmetic intervention is needed. A popular procedure that’s very common in places like South Korea is double eyelid surgery, which changes people natural eye-shape to look more like non-Asian people’s eyes.
Double Eyelid Surgery
French Beauty Ideals
One of the common beauty ideals in France for women included the “three white things:” having white skin, white teeth, and white hands. The ideals also included the “three black things” that referred to eyebrows and eyelashes. Today in France, beauty ideals focus less on the body and more on a person’s style.
French Beauty Ideals
Skin Whitening
As previously mentioned, in many non-Western countries, beauty ideals look towards what is considered beautiful in the West, which has led to skin whitening to become extremely popular. There are creams, serums, and procedures that all promise to lighten skin.
Skin Whitening
Future Beauty Ideals
It’s hard to know what the future will bring when it comes to beauty ideals. So often, the things that are taking place during a time period will influence the style and ideal beauty standards, so without knowing what the future holds, it’s nearly impossible to determine what will become popular. Which trends do you hope will return, and which do you think should remain in the past?
Future Beauty Ideals