Beauty criteria have been radically shifted over the centuries, governed by culture, socialization and politics. These values, from antiquity to today, were exclusionary and skewed towards the women who wore them. But there’s a change in the air, one that is welcoming of difference and authentic. Let’s talk about the shift in beauty norms and the shift to real women.
- Historical Shifts in Beauty Ideals
Beautiful women were associated with fertility and prosperity in antiquity. For instance, fuller figures were a Renaissance emblem of wellbeing. But the Victorian age brought the hourglass, and corsets forced women’s bodies into an extreme.
Ten years into the 20th century and things changed dramatically. The flapper zeitgeist of the 1920s was about skinny bodies, the curves of the 1950s were all about Marilyn Monroe. In the 1990s, however, we were introduced to “heroin chic,” the era of unhealthy thinning.
- The Harmful Power of Unreality Aims.
In media and advertising, beauty was defined in such a narrow way over the course of decades: flawless skin, certain shapes, perfect. These norms were so overbearing that a lot of women developed low self-esteem and body image problems.
- The Definition of Body Positivity and Inclusion The Rise of Body Positivity and Inclusivity
We’ve entered a 21st-century age in which the very concept of beauty is radically changing. Such movements as body positivity and body neutrality have called for embracing the whole person, regardless of their size or color. There are more women of different ages, ethnicities and abilities in the models of brands and media.
- Celebrating Real Women
Real beauty lies in authenticity. It’s a willingness to be imperfect, to celebrate differences, to see that every woman’s story is different. Stretch marks, wrinkles, scars: these marks are evidence of the path that life has led and they shouldn’t be ignored.
- The Feminine Role in Reconciling Beauty — the Women’s Revolution.
It is women who have helped bring this about through their uncensored narratives and pictures on social media, questioning outdated norms and building a community of empowerment.
You can no longer be beautiful by meeting an expectation but by being who you are. We can still reframe the norms of beauty, and see all women as valued, beautiful, if we celebrate authentic women and demand inclusivity.
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