Beauty is arbitrary.

Written by Kayla Curry

It’s easy to think that we live in an unprecedented time where social media generates overwhelming pressure to meet the impossible beauty standards of the moment, but the truth is, women have been under this pressure since the beginning of time. The only differences are the beauty standards themselves.

When looking at the ideal body types and features for women over the years, one thing becomes abundantly clear: Trying to be beautiful is a futile attempt. Not only are these traits nearly impossible to achieve without some cosmetic product or operation, but they are ever-changing depending on the time and part of the world you’re examining. How can you ever be “beautiful” if the definition of beauty is almost never the same at any point in time?

Let’s look at some of the American beauty standards of the past few centuries to see how beauty standards evolve.

1800s

The ideal woman in the 1800s was pale, frail, and submissive. At the turn of the century, the ideal woman was called a "Gibson Girl.” She was less powdered but still pale. Corsets were a popular beauty product that women wore to make their waists smaller, and a bigger bust was preferred. Women were expected to look soft and round but still tall and slender. The real kicker: the Gibson Girl wasn’t based off of any real woman but off of a man’s drawing.

1920s

The “Flapper girl” became the new beauty standard in the Roaring Twenties, and it was a stark contrast to the prim and proper Victorian style. Flapper girls were not only expected to look a certain way, but they were also known to be young and reckless. Flapper girls were more androgynous than previous time periods, as short hair became popular. Smaller breasts and a straighter figure were praised. Tanning was preferred over paleness. These standards came just a decade after big breasts, small waists, long hair, and pale skin were the expected traits.

1950s

In the 50s, the ideal woman of the decade could be defined by an image of Marilyn Monroe. After World War II, the men returned home, and women were expected to abandon their work clothes and revert to more feminine looks. The desire for a full-figured hourglass shape meant corsets had a comeback. The hairstyles of the 50s included perfectly formed curls and bouffants.Women tortured their hair with immense amounts of hairspray, teasing, and heat. The 50s were all about the perfect pinup, a woman who was feminine, sexually appealing, and a dedicated housewife.

1960s

Just a decade after the pinup became the standard, Marilyn Monroe was replaced as beauty icon by women like Twiggy who embodied a similar beauty and energy to the Flapper girls in the 20s. A thin figure and an almost prepubescent boyish look became all the rage.

1980s

In the 80s, to no one’s surprise, beauty standards did a dramatic 180. Instead of the androgynous look flaunted by Twiggy in the 80s, women like Olivia Newton-John and Madonna embraced big hair and colorful eyeshadow. Tall and thin was the ideal body type, and aerobic exercises and dieting rose in prominence. Bushy eyebrows became popular, but the thin brows were still seen on many beauty icons of the decade. 

2000s

Paris Hilton, Christina Aguilera, and Britney Spears were some of the beauty icons of the early turn of the century. Having tan skin, curvy hips, and thin brows made you “beautiful” at the time. Bold colors and makeup were trendy, as well as glossy, plump lips.

Today:

Many of the beauty standards today draw on the late 90s and early 2000s, but they’ve been exacerbated by the popular use of Photoshop and cosmetic surgeries. Many of us scroll through Instagram and envy Kylie Jenner’s plump lips, Madison Beer’s tiny nose, and Kim Kardashian’s cinched hourglass shape. Despite knowing all of these women have had cosmetic surgery or use Photoshop to alter their images, we all find ourselves aspiring to achieve their look even if it means putting ourselves through physical and mental pain or emptying our wallets for the newest beauty products. So why do we do it? The answer: beauty is a social construct so ingrained in our society it’s nearly impossible to unlearn.

What this examination of beauty should show us is that a real definition of beauty doesn’t exist. Beauty standards will always be nothing more than a trend and a way to make money off of vulnerable people. Changing to fit society’s mold will almost always backfire if you’re doing it to please others and not yourself. It’s easier to say than to believe, but in the same way we all have different tastes in music or movies or people, we all have different definitions of what’s beautiful. We know what beauty means to others because we are force-fed it everyday, but we should ask ourselves more often what it means to us.