3,000 Years Of Women’s Beauty Standards Compressed In 3-Minute Video
It can be hard for us to imagine how much the concept of the ideal feminine body has changed throughout human history, which is why this 3-minute video by Buzzfeed is so interesting. It shows how feminine body ideals have looked and evolved over the past 3,000 years.
In the video, modern models of different shapes and sizes show off their bodies to demonstrate the ideal figures of ages and decades past, and all are tightly covered with identical blank white bathing suits. Women have faced exacting beauty standards for ages, and many have had to struggle to meet them. The body images portrayed range from Ancient Egypt to the Golden Age of Hollywood to the Heroin Chic of the sweet 90s. What do you think the next body-image fad will be?
More info: Youtube (h/t: boredpanda)
Ancient Egypt (c. 1292-1069 B.C.)
– Slender
– Narrow shoulders
– High waist
– Symmetrical face
Ancient Greece (c. 500-300 B.C.)
– Plump
– Full-bodied
– Light skin
– Women were considered “disfigured” versions of men
Han Dynasty (c. 206 B.C.-220 A.D.)
– Slim waist
– Pale skin
– Large eyes
– Small feet
Italian Renaissance (c. 1400-1700)
– Ample bosom
– Rounded stomach
– Full hips
– Fair skin
Victorian England (c. 1837-1901)
– Desirably plump
– Full-figured
– Cinched waist
– Women wore corsets to achieve the ideal body shape
Roaring Twenties (c. 1920s)
– Flat-chested
– Downplayed waist
– Short bob hairstyle
– Boyish figure
Golden Age Of Hollywood (c. 1930s – 1950s)
– Curvy
– Hourglass figure
– Large breasts
– Slim waist
Swinging Sixties (c. 1960s)
– Willowy
– Thin
– Long, slim legs
– Adolescent physique
Supermodel Era (c. 1980s)
– Athletic
– Svelte, but curvy
– Tall
– Toned arms
Heroin Chic (c. 1990s)
– Waifish
– Extremely thin
– Translucent skin
– Androgynous
Postmodern Beauty (c. 2000s-Today)
– Flat stomach
– “Healthy” skinny
– Large breasts and butt
– Thigh gap
– Women regularly get plastic surgery to achieve their desired look
Got wisdom to pour?
We can’t tell if these women are noses just by looking. Obese is when you have too much fat for your body. We don’t know how tall these women are or if they have symptoms of obesity. Stop assuming please. Just because someone looks big doesn’t mean they are obese. The only woman that might be obese in this post is the Renaissance woman or maybe the Victorian woman but idek
Despite what some people are saying….NONE of these women are obese. Some are just thicker. Please get an education. You’re not obese unless your weight is too heavy for your height and it affects your health. These women were all normal sized.
another bullshit video to promote morbid obesity as a life choice… how low has the American culture sunk to shamelessly attempt to delude the world that downright fat women or plastic surgery freaks like Kardashians would be considered attractive in any time frame…
Why do we have so many of these? Why is it everywhere I look there has to be an “Ideal shapes for women throughout the centuries” set of pictures? I get that we’re positively influencing women to not care about their shapes or to get rid of some stereotype that this era’s idea of what makes a woman attractive is temporary and I support that. Why, though, do I see it legitimately everywhere I go now? Why not do men’s shapes and figures throughout the centuries? Would not, then, people have more excuse to lust over women’s shapes through pictures like these?
Not against these pictures, just wondering why these are so popular to make now.
I would disagree with the renaissance and Victorian eras. One has to look at the dresses kept from those times. Thinner people. Nobody ate that much those times
Ideal vs. reality. Just like today.
Plus back then if you were fat you were rich rich rich
not sorry to disappoint
These are shapes held up at those times as ideals, but certainly not preferred by men or most real women.