Emily Flores
Have you ever wondered why your grandmother’s “perfect figure” looks completely different from today’s Instagram influencers? The pressure of conforming to beauty standards has touched every woman’s life in some way. What our mothers admired, we might question, and what we celebrate today may puzzle the next generation. Discover how dramatically these expectations have shifted and what they reveal about the ongoing journey of female empowerment and self-acceptance.
Early 20th Century (1910s)
A perfect hourglass figure with a tiny waist characterized the ideal female body. The simplest way to achieve this was through tightly laced corsets. Fashion also focused more on elegance and confidence, accentuated by long necks and lush hairstyles. This image symbolized feminine beauty and high social status.
The 1920s
The flapper era revolutionized female ideals by embracing a boyish, rectangular silhouette. Women even flattened their chests using bandeau bras and dropped waistlines to hip level. They aimed for slim figures lacking curves. This androgynous aesthetic reflected women’s liberation from restrictive clothing and represented newfound social freedom during the post-war period.
The 1930s-1940s
Following the economic depression and wartime, curvier figures resurged as Hollywood stars like Jean Harlow popularized voluptuous silhouettes. The ideal featured a defined waist with fuller bust and hips. It also represented femininity and glamour. In fact, medically, this period saw an improvement in nutrition, which positively affected body development, as women were less inclined to starve themselves.
The 1950s
The 1950s epitomized the hourglass figure again with emphasis on 36-24-36 measurements. Bullet-shaped innerwear for women created a cone-shaped upper body, while cinched waists and full skirts accentuated hip curves. From a gynecological standpoint, this era’s beauty standards also aligned more naturally with female anatomy.
The 1960s
During this era, the trend moved toward a very slender and almost adolescent-like body shape. This look featured flat chests and long legs with minimal curves. Influenced by mod fashion and youth culture, it promoted a body type closer to a prepubescent figure.
The 1970s
This one embraced natural body shapes with minimal artificial enhancement, which reflected the counterculture movement’s rejection of restrictive beauty standards. Women celebrated individuality and earth-toned aesthetics with bronzed skin and free-flowing hair. The era also reduced the physical constraints and psychological pressures of previous decades’ artificial body modifications.
The 1980s
The 1980s introduced athletic, muscular female bodies as supermodels like Cindy Crawford epitomized strength and fitness. The goal was tall, tanned, and thin but athletic-looking, with toned bodies and smaller waists. Jane Fonda’s aerobics revolution also promoted cardiovascular health, though the pressure for extreme thinness persisted, with supermodels maintaining BMIs between 17 and 20.
The 1990s
The ’90s decided that looking half-asleep and half-starved was “high fashion.” With pale skin, visible bones, and dark circles paraded down runways, magazines made frailty aspirational. Behind the glossy covers, though, many women paid the price with disrupted cycles, malnutrition, and a culture that applauded self-destruction as style.
The 2000s
The 2000s reintroduced athletic physiques with flat stomachs and “thigh gaps”. Models like Gisele Bundchen represented the toned aesthetic that combined athleticism with extreme thinness. The emphasis on thigh gaps further indicated unhealthy weight loss and insufficient muscle mass in females.
The 2010s
This popular time witnessed a shift toward curvy, hourglass figures with emphasis on pronounced posteriors, popularized by celebrities like Kim Kardashian. The era also saw the rise of plus-size models and body positivity movements that challenged traditional beauty norms. Though cosmetic procedures for body enhancement increased significantly during this period.