Changing beauty standards — The Messenger (2024)

FAQs

How is the beauty standard changing? ›

The future of beauty. As National Geographic describe it, we are heading toward a society of “big-tent beauty”, an 'anything goes' mentality where women of every shape, size, and colour are celebrated. Social media has made space for this change. For the first time, all women can show who they are on a world stage.

The "Gibson girl" was the creation of illustrator Charles Dana Gibson, a type of woman that came to epitomize the ideal feminine beauty at the turn of the century. Gibson described the figure, who was tall with a large bust and wide hips but a narrow waist, as a composite of young women he'd observed.

Unrealistic beauty standards

Social media platforms often feature images of people with seemingly perfect faces and bodies, often using filters and photo editing tools to enhance their appearance. This can create unrealistic beauty standards, leading to body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem in both women and men.

In the 1920s, the curvaceous, busty look from the early 1910s was exchanged for a more androgynous, flat-chested appearance. Slenderness was a must, and many women were willing starve themselves in order to achieve this ideal body. It was also during this time period that weight loss advertisem*nts became popular.

“You're too hairy,” “You should put on some makeup,” “You dress too provocatively,” “You have too many piercings,” “Cover up your tattoos,” “You should workout,” “You should eat more;" the list goes on and on. The list of unrealistic beauty standards society has put on women is nearly infinite.

Now, however, we see the beauty standard for women becoming curvier in some areas such as the bust and butt, and staying thin, toned, and tucked in other areas such as the waist and the thighs.

According to Science, 43-Year-Old Kelly Brook Has the Most Perfect Body. Move over, supermodels! It's time to celebrate the true definition of perfection, and it comes in the form of the fabulous Kelly Brook and her curvaceous, fuller figure.

Men in the US are shifting preferences towards a more androgenic female body type, characterized by increased height, a more tubular waist to hip ratio, and lower Body Mass Index. Men prefer females with a lower waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7, indicating a preference for more fertile individuals.

​Top hourglass body shape

Considered to be the most attractive body shape, this is very similar to hourglass body shape, except that in this case the curves are more defined.

One September 2023 study published in Body Image found that short-form videos on social media that included “appearance ideals” were harmful to women's self-image, and that women perceived the content as being unedited or unenhanced.

How to stop toxic beauty standards? ›

Start by changing the way you see yourself. Stop comparing yourself to other women and recognize your own unique qualities and attributes. Realize that you don't need to meet imposed beauty standards to be beautiful. True beauty comes from within and is reflected in how we feel and how we treat others.

Celebrities glamorize unhealthy fads and behaviors and encourage unrealistic body image standards. On the other hand, some celebrities choose to use their status to counteract harmful cultural messages, by reducing stigma around a particular issue or speaking out honestly about their own struggles.

For about 400 years, roughly between 1500 and 1900, bodily weight and volume, for both men and women, had a strong visual appeal.

Men and women both find thinness in females attractive because they equate it with youth, fertility and a lower risk of diseases, a new study has found.

The average woman's height is 5 feet, 4 inches. If you weigh 107 pounds or less at this height, you are considered underweight with a BMI of 18.4.

Societal beauty standards can put a lot of pressure on individuals to look a certain way or have a specific body shape. The influence of these standards can affect a person's mental health in various ways. Beauty standards can increase the risk of eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and social isolation.

From ancient civilizations to modern societies, each culture has its unique perception of beauty. Whether it's the hourglass figure in Western cultures or the fair and flawless skin in some Asian cultures, these standards often reflect the values, traditions, and ideals of a particular society.

Factors influencing beauty choices include geography, tradition, religion, age, gender, and socioeconomic status. These factors vary across cultures, impacting perceptions of beauty and aesthetic preferences.

Moreover, the development of selfhood is influenced by the mirror of the society. Ethnicity, body shape, skin colour, age, and wrinkles are various forms of society standards of beauty which some women shape their identities by modifying accordingly.