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Today’s research question is, “What is the ‘ideal’ female body image?” In order to answer that question fully we must first understand the background behind the standards of “ideal” female body image.

Throughout history women have been a subject of interest when it comes to perceptions of “ideal” body image; from wearing corsets for a small waist to being told that smaller breast or broader shoulders are more attractive to being expected to maintain a skinny or toned body and having a tall figure in order to be accepted as a model.

Let’s take a look at the video below created by BuzzFeed, which features historical global perspectives of “ideal” female body types over the course of 3,000 years, determined by societal standards of beauty, starting in Egypt.

Women’s Ideal Body Types Throughout History, BuzzFeedVideo, 2015

BuzzFeed does a great job of showing the evolution of “ideal” body images, all beautiful but changing overtime. Why were these the standards though? Let’s examine closer.

Egyptians valued freedom where woman were able to have their own property, inherited titles of authority, and could even divorce their husbands. Women had long braided hair that framed their faces into a symmetrical form. They also had fit trim bodies with high waist and small shoulders which you can always notice in their clothing. High waist bottoms and dresses have a rhetorical power dynamic that makes the wearer appear more regal, dynamic, and tall to show authority (the reason why women were presented as such in Egypt).

Ancient Greece ironically enough was focused more on the “ideal” male image as we can gather from the fact that even Aristotle referred to women as “deformed males.” So with those kind of high standards on men, woman were body shamed for not looking like men. It’s said that the first nude female sculpture to be appreciatively displayed had a plump, full figured body.

During the Han Dynasty, Geisha girls were in high demand. Young girls would be chosen for their beauty and “sell their smiles” of perfect white teeth and red lips when really they were selling their bodies. The “ideal” body image that seemed to be the most desirable during this time was a slim bodied woman with pale skin, dark long hair, and small feet (something that be a symbol of Chinese beauty for many more centuries).

The Italian Renaissance a woman’s value was determined by her behavior and looks which were both a reflection of her male counterparts status (could be her God, father, or husband). Beauty was illustrated in artwork created by Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Raphael where women had full hips, large breasts, strawberry blonde hair, pale skin, and high foreheads.

In the Victorian Era, Queen Victoria herself set the standards of beauty as the most influential young queen of her time who was a mother, wife, and political figure. Corsets were the standard as small waist were desired by every woman and the size of the corset was based on the woman’s personal physique. A sign of femininity was long hair as men cut their hair shorter during this time period.

Fast forward to the early 20th century. The roaring ’20’s to be exact. This is the decade when short petite women with short hair and curveless bodies were most desired. Sounds like the description of a young boy… Well according to the BuzzFeed video women during this time wanted an androgynous look. Not really sure why but this is what the flappers perspective of beauty was and they shimmied around proudly as such.

The Golden Age of Hollywood isn’t actually fully represented thoroughly in the video above. In the 1930’s curves are slowly making a comeback as the original blonde bombshell, Jean Harlow is a 34B bust size. Then in the 1940’s tall but curvy from all angle women like Katharine Hepburn are found to be the most delightful. Last during this period is the 1950’s, better known as the “Va-Voom!” decade, where we find women, like Marilyn Monroe, of the hourglass shape are absolutely stunning.

The 1960’s & 1970’s undoubtedly inspired a thin body type from curvy to tall woman thanks to famous London model, Twiggy and disco. In the 1980’s we find eating disorders. This decade referred to as the Supermodel Era by BuzzFeed. Tall, slim bodies are popular. Exercise is emphasized more nationwide where we see a growing number of women with anorexia and Botox procedures, who feel that will be the only way to be loved and accepted by others.

The 1990’s ironically named the Heroin Chic era saw a rise in Heroin use causing women in society to be advertised and perceived as thin, withdrawn, and pale. On the other side of this decade there were woman who wanted to be more curvy as Sir-Mix-a-Lot debuted “Baby Got Back” saying that “I’m tired of magazines sayin’ flat butts are the thing” and giving off the message that big butts are natural and display physical fitness with the lyrics, “Shake that healthy butt.” But he also doesn’t want a women with a surgically implanted big butt because “silicon parts are made for toys.” I would definitely suggest clicking the link and listening to the lyrics of his song. This gives us an idea of woman’s beauty in the 1990’s from an African-American male perspective.

From year 2000-present day we find that there are so many perceptions of the expectations for women’s beauty. This has largely to do with the number of immigrants and mixed (biracial/multiracial) people in America causing a melting pot of diversity for beauty. Women of all shades of color are accepted and everyone has become so individualistic in this society that it doesn’t matter what the media says. What matters is that people of all ethnic backgrounds can love what they love about a woman’s beauty and accept one another for who they are on the outside and inside.

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Sources:

Cookies OnDope “Sir Mix-a-Lot – Baby Got Back (Official Video)” Online video clip. YouTube, 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 11 Sept. 2015.

BuzzFeed Video “Women’s Ideal Body Types Throughout History” Online video clip. YouTube, 26 Jan. 2015. Web. 11 Sept. 2015.

“Women’s Ideal Body Types Throughout History” BuzzFeed. BuzzFeed, 27 January 2015. Web. 11 September 2015.

“See How Much the “Perfect” Female Body Has Changed in 100 Years (It’s Crazy!)” Greatist. Maria Hart, 15 January 2015. Web. 11 September 2015.

“Chinese Courtesans/Geisha” Mingmei Yip. Mingmei Yip, n.d. Web. 11 September 2015.