Women have always struggled to achieve and maintain the actual beauty ideals.
In the Prehistoric Age, men did long for “Venus figurines”, which is known as „depictions of nude women with exaggerated sexual features”. In the Antiquity beauty became truly worshipped since a nice body was considered the materialisation of a wonderful mind. Alluring women boosted with slim waist and round hip, which excluded too plump or skinny silhouettes.
In the Middle Ages, curvaceous women retained their charm. As having significant fatstock, they proved to be more resistant to epidemics and fit for demanding household chores.
Renaissance created classical beauty embracing white skin, more fragile and proportionate shapes. From the 16th century, corsets were worn to emphasis the attracting difference between bosom and waist. The higher the oestrogene level, the rounder the hip. As curved shape was in demand, women used additional cloths to fill up the delicate points dy deceit.
During the 19th century in Britain, gender roles became increasingly disciminated. Women became stay-at-home to oversee household chores carried out mainly by servants, although they had worked in family businesses earlier. Women started to wear crinoline, a large bell-shaped skirt, which made almost impossible to make complex movements. Corsets reached their popularity in this period.
World Wars and the increasing female workforce resulted that the importance of reproduction and endurance overtook the aspiration for impractical cloths.
From the 1950’ the improved sanitary circumstances triggered the dethronement of well-built women. It was time to rise for slim and frail girls needing masculine protection. Recently the spread of civilisation diseases (heart diseases, diabetes, obesity) brought about the model of slim yet sporty ladies and the demand for conscious body building.
From the XXth century not only health concerns drive the features of new ideals but consumerism as well.
It is so interesting how economic, social and sanitary circumstances have affected the concept of female beauty which is supposed to be free from objective considerations.
An interesting article, from this older males point of view, where beauty is more a measurement of character, rather than perceived looks
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Yes, it is interesting how the idea has changed throughout the centuries. Many not-so-slim teenager girls wish to be born in another age where their silouette used to be in demand. 😦
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This is such an interesting viewpoint. As a guy, I can attest to the fact that the women one sees while growing up shape the fantasies, so it is also not uncommon for old folks to shake their head in disapproval at modern so called “beauties”
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Yes, these shifts in the beauty idea are very strange. I can not imagine that male taste, supposed to be subjective, can change so sharply. It is practical to follow the sanitary considerations, but then this also shows how suggestible public opinion is.
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Well not every man thinks like that, obviously, but the trend is frightening. Even though some men might like an unusual type of girl, but they will marry someone who the society approves of, it is similar to how a lot of gays tend to remain in the closet.
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True, this “constraint” affects not only women but men as well.
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Perfect and interesting article!!
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thank you for reading
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Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
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thank you very much.
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With a great pleasure. Thank you for the always nice information, and have a great week ahead. 😉 Michael
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I am applying for a new job, and later this week i am going to an interview. So i hope this week will be great indeed.
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I wish you all the best!
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Good overview. I read a lot of historical fiction and notice many of the trends as I select different periods. Relating it to someone’s perspective on what people like to see versus how someone feels about their body is a good approach.
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Very interesting post. GOOD LUCK on your interview! You’ve GOT THIS!
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Thanks. 🙂
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And hopefully one day, all women are collectively going to stand up and say- “Screw this, I am not going to conform.” 😐
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🙂 Yes and we will eat as much as physically possible. Or we will become as muscular as possible. 🙂
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*Or as skinny. Or as hairy. [That list is endless. =D]
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Another brilliant post! I’m nominating you for the Liebster Award, I love your blog! I’ll be posting info on my next blog post, (Lovingthefiftysomething.com) No obligation to take part 🙂
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Thank you very much.
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Or maybe it is the other way round? A certain style of women shapes a certain style of world?
I have photos of my grandmother (1890 born) just before WWI, complete with knee long hair, corset and ample foot long dress, and another in 1920, when she had cut both her hair and dress.
The world today would be/look different if Coco Chanel had been… plump.
😉
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🙂 I would be curious what the idea will look like in 200 years.
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Indeed. It would be interesting. It also has a lot to do with – semi-conscious – tactics of seduction. Who would have thought in the sixties that tattoos would become so popular among women? (And men)
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Female beauty has taken many forms, indeed! Great how you’ve illustrated this with your words. I’m going to include this one in my Friday roundup post 🙂
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Thank you very much.
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Interesting!
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Thank you for reading.
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[…] a blog that welcomes conversations about society, feminism, environment, and more. In this post on feminine beauty ideas throughout history, you will notice the shifts over time as surrounding circumstances (social and otherwise) […]
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Thank you. It’s a shame that we still have to fight for equal rights, but things will change within time. Take care.
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