Beauty can be timeless, but trends and beauty ideals… Not so much!
Beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder. So it’s only natural that as we as a society change, our perception of beauty changes. You can see this very clearly by looking at old paintings. Whereas today, it’s trendy to be slim and toned, this wasn’t always the case. Back in the middle Ages, Having some extra pounds meant you had the money to splurge on food. This made you someone who was highly in-demand.
The 1900s: the S-Bend
Starting off, we have the 1900s. This decade is marked by classy dresses for women and stylish suits for men. Women wore blouses decorated with lace and ribbons, complimented by large wide-brimmed hats. They would part their hair in the center and make it look fuller with extensions. But what was really typical for this decade were the S-Bend corsets women wore underneath their dresses. This shape pushed their chest forward and curved their back, accentuating the curve of their backsides. At the same time, it minimized the size of the waist.
Various This Is What The Perfect Female Body Looked Like 100 Years Ago (And Every Decade After)
The 1910s: Even tighter corsets
If you thought the S-Bend corsets already looked quite uncomfortable to wear, imagine wearing the one you see above. The 1910’s favored a really thin waist, creating what some referred to as a wasp waist or hourglass figure. You needed a really strong corset to keep this shape in place, so they were made out of whalebone. The corsets were so tight, that they could damage the internal organs of the woman wearing them. Besides, they made it very hard to breathe. Imagine taking that off at the end of the day. Oh, the sweet relief.
The 1920’s: More skin, shorter hair and casual dresses
The 1920’s saw a complete shift in beauty ideals. During The Roaring 20’s as they’re referred to, women set aside the tight corsets and opted for a look that was less accentuating and more casual. More boyish, some would say. During this time, women started cutting their hair short and exposing more skin, which went completely against the standards as they had been for centuries. The 20’s were all about excessive partying and freedom of self-expression. Hats were still common, but instead of the wide-brimmed, large hats women had worn in decades past, they now went for tighter-fitting crochet hats.
The 1930’s: Cheaper materials, more accentuating
The 30’s were a time of economic hardship. It was the decade of the Great Depression, and this also seeped through into the beauty ideals. No longer could women afford to splurge on expensive materials, so women also started wearing cheaper clothing. Nightlife attire got more flashy, however. These dresses, often made of silk, went back to a more accentuated shape. The ideal was now to have a small waist, but also narrow hips.
The 1940’s: Shoulder pads and knee-length dresses
In the 40’s, women set aside the long, flowing dresses that they had been wearing and collectively started wearing shorter dresses. They often went just past the knees. An interesting evolution was that it was now seen as ideal to have broad shoulders, so women started wearing shoulder pads under their dresses, blouses and jackets. Of course, World War II had a massive impact on fashion during this period. While their husbands were off to war, women would remake their suits into women attire. The clothing of this era is characterized by function over fashion.
The 1950’s: Marilyn Monroe
In the 50’s, the entire world fell head over heels in love with the one and only Marilyn Monroe. Her curves, hourglass shape and perfect skin became the ultimate beauty ideal. As freedom returned to the West after the war, the restrictions of decades past were thrown away in favor for hyper-femininity. While going about their day-to-day business, women wore dresses and sweater sets and skirts. Later in the decade, close-fitting dresses became all the rage.
The 60’s: Thin figures and casual attire
The 60’s saw the rise of more casual attire. The economy was going well, so women were able to shop for clothes instead of having to make them themselves. Your clothing was a direct indication of your social status and wealth. The ultimate beauty ideal of the 60’s came from the model Twiggy. Her figure was much desired by women (and their husbands) around the world.
The 70’s: Hippie era
All fashion rules that were carefully drafted over the decades, sometimes even centuries, were smashed by the hippies. As an act of rebellion against the system, women stopped wearing make-up and shape-defining clothing. Instead, they started wearing tie-dyed peasant shirts, flared jeans and long boxy skirts. They let their hair grow long and walked around on sandals. As far as the bodies under all those vivid colors and patterns, a more natural look was favored. Health rather than thinness became the focus.
The 80’s: Super-everything
In the 80’s, everyone wanted to be like the supermodels in the magazines. It was a decade of excess: the bigger, the flashier, the prettier, the better. Young people in this era had more disposable income than their peers of previous generations. This meant they could spend more money on fashion. Individualism became very important. Exercise gurus like Jane Fonda made working out all the rage. Women backcombed their hair to make it bigger, wore large earrings and showed a lot more skin than in previous decades.
The 90’s: Super thin
Being thin became hip again in the 90’s. So thin, that the term “heroin chic” was coined. Models on the runways looked malnourished and like addicts to the dangerous drug. Women wore casual dresses and more relaxed silhouettes; flared and low-rise jeans became popular. For everyday men and women, plaid patterns became super trendy.
The 2000’s: Individualism
A big influence on fashion and beauty ideals in the 2000’s was the show lovermaking and the City. Women were encouraged to be individuals, to be more openly intercourse and ambitious. In the mid 2000s artist’s such as Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez became celebrated for their healthy curves. Their “mixed” look made it easier to appeal equally to several groups of ethnicity, because more people were able to identify with them.
The 2010’s: Changing by the year
By the year 2010, beauty ideals and fashion were evolving so rapidly that we could write a page about every single year. We’ll keep it short. In the year 2010, fake tanning became trendy. In the year 2011, it wasn’t trendy anymore. 2013: bolder eyebrows became a thing. In 2014, women started contouring their face more often. Korean beauty trends were assimilated into the Western beauty ideal. Nowadays, trends pop up as fast as they die down. It all comes down to which influencer has her 15 minutes of fame, really.
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