Shifting the Gaze: Empowering Women Through Decades of Beauty Standards

Written by Josie Anderson

Photography by Sierra Ball

Modeled by Sarah Harbaugh, Ashlyn Sorrells, Reese Tackett, Janette Beckner, & Ella Orlando

Throughout history, women have always been under the microscope of society's expectations. This has caused us to become very meticulous in how we get ready. But today, there is a bigger shift: the story of beauty and empowerment is being rewritten. Throughout past centuries, beauty standards have largely been shaped by the male gaze, imposing restrictive ideas on women and how they should look.

Beauty expectations have affected women for centuries. Starting in the 20s, we saw a big change caused by the addition of Hollywood. Women were cutting their hair into short bobs, trimming their eyebrows and raising their hemlines. Fast forward to the 1950s, Marilyn Monroe emerged as a defining figure, popularizing the coveted hourglass silhouette, leading to the widespread use of corsets and girdles. In the 80s, there was another shift. Women started perming their hair, wearing brightly colored makeup and doing whatever it took to achieve an athletic body type. Since society has been predominantly led by men, these changes were mainly influenced by men and the male gaze. 

The male gaze is a man looking at women in a way that brings them power; in order to do this they objectify women in the process. Media platforms have historically been owned and operated by men. There were not many women in positions of power who had a voice to change the face of beauty standards. But today in the 21st century, we have started to see a shift with women in positions of authority and power. There is a larger focus on the lens in which women are portrayed in the beauty world, aka, the female gaze. 

Women are taking back their power and removing objectification from the table. The female gaze is a reframing of the male gaze, and focuses on the feelings and emotions of a person rather than just the way they look. It is the idea of acknowledging that women have been seen as objects and restructuring this idea. The female gaze allows any individual to find power in their body, sexuality and expression. 

In today's society, we see more and more women taking charge of their beauty and following whatever trends and fashions they choose, and we watch it empower them. Women have created agency for themselves to decide how they get ready in the morning. The male gaze is always present, but more people have started to shift that mindset and embrace the female gaze. The way in which a woman gets ready in the morning is a process that has evolved and changed over the decades, but shifting the gaze has made this tradition more empowering.