See How Much the Perfect Female Body Has Changed Over 100 Years : If you’ve ever found yourself wishing for this actress’s waist or that singer’s legs, remember this: The silhouette of the “ideal woman” changes year over year, so the physical qualities we embrace today are often at odds with those from previous generations.
See How Much the Perfect Female Body Has Changed Over 100 Years
To prove our point, we’re taking a closer look at body ideals over the last 100 years—which shows that, as they say on Project Runway, “In fashion, one day you’re in, and the next day you’re out.”
Disco! Jumpsuits! Bellbottoms! This decade was a raging party. But the party girl of the day was still pressured to maintain a slim-hipped, flat-stomached body in order to rock these fashions at the discotheque. Synthetic fabrics like polyester and spandex are embraced, but they’re also far more revealing and less forgiving compared to fabrics of the past. The overall look remains lean, especially in the torso, but curves start to come back.
Like the 1930s, this decade is a step away from the petite look of the 1960s. And following the black pride and “black is beautiful” movements of the 1960s, Beverly Johnson becomes the first black woman to grace the cover of Vogue, while Darnella Thomas stars in a groundbreaking “Charlie” fragrance ad.
Amazonian supermodels reign supreme. These tall, leggy women come to represent the new feminine ideal. Women like Elle MacPherson, Naomi Campbell, and Linda Evangelista lead the stampede off the runway and into the heart of pop culture, dominating the media and music videos of this decade.
The 1980s also ushers in an era of fitness, thanks to a pioneering Jane Fonda. Aerobics and jogging take off, and for the first time, muscles are acceptable and desirable on women.
Honey, we shrunk the supermodel. Kate Moss ushers in the era of the waif. Naysayers also dub it “heroin chic” for the gaunt look associated with Seattle’s grunge music scene. At 5’7″, Moss is undeniably petite for a model and thin, even by industry standards. It’s a firmly unathletic look and a reaction to the Amazonian, uber fit woman of the ’80s.
Slouchy jeans, oversized fraying sweaters, and even unisex fragrances (CK One, we’re calling you out) all support the petite and androgynous waif look. Hollywood also embraces the look. A-list ’90s actress Winona Ryder is so petite, costar Ben Stiller exclaims, “She’s like a little figurine for the coffee table!”
Supermodel Giselle Bundchen brings sexy back, according to Vogue. She’s credited with ending the era of “heroin chic.” Gone is the pale, gaunt, glass-eyed look of the ’90s. Now we enter an era of visible abs and airbrushed tans. Bundchen is crowned “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” by Rolling Stone magazine and dominates the runway, print ads, Victoria Secret’s lingerie show, and the red carpet (on Leonardo DiCaprio’s arm). Hollywood actresses follow her lead hiring a small army of personal trainers and layering on a couple coats of spray tan during awards season.
Two words: booty bonanza. That’s this decade’s contribution to the shifting landscape of women’s body image. Twenty years after Sir Mix-a-Lot sang “you can do side-bends or sit-ups, but please don’t lose that butt,” it seems the media is finally carrying the banner. (Now that The New York Times is reporting it, we can officially call it: “Bootylicious” bodies have gone mainstream.)
Nicki Minaj and J.Lo release their tributes to the almighty buttock: “Anaconda” and “Booty,” respectively. In “Anaconda,” Minaj holds a workout session while backup dancers wearing shorts that read “Bunz” do squats to the beat. Subtlety has left the building.
The Takeaway
Body ideals, like everything else in pop culture, are a trend. As Tina Fey wrote in Bossypants, “Now every girl is expected to have Caucasian blue eyes, full Spanish lips, a classic button nose, hairless Asian skin with a California tan, a Jamaican dance hall ass, long Swedish legs, small Japanese feet, the abs of a lesbian gym owner, the hips of a nine-year-old boy, the arms of Michelle Obama, and doll tits.” Rather than chase that preposterous laundry list of attributes, embrace what your momma gave you! And remember: Confidence is always in style.
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See How Much the Perfect Female Body Has Changed Over 100 Years
Source: This article was written by Maria Hart and re-purposed with permission from Greatist.