Once upon a time, the very things we now feel insecure about were celebrated as symbols of beauty, wealth, and power. Ideals of body, face, and even personality have shifted like sand over centuries, revealing that beauty standards are but fleeting illusions.
Today, we stand before mirrors shaped by the rules of the present, forgetting that in another era, another place, those same mirrors would have reflected something divine. Society keeps rewriting the rules, making people chase their ever-changing visions of perfection. But who made these rules in the first place? And why do we let them decide our worth?
From Wealth to Weight Shame
There was a time when fullness of form was a mark of prosperity. A soft, rounded body spoke of good health, abundance, and fertility. Renaissance paintings immortalized curvaceous women in brushstrokes of admiration, their figures seen as symbols of grace. Victorian high society draped itself in corsets that accentuated ample hips, for a well-fed body whispered of status and privilege.
Even today, South Indian cinema often frames powerful women in fuller silhouettes, associating them with authority and grandeur. But modern beauty’s cruel hand has rewritten the script. Now, the same curves that once embodied wealth are treated as flaws to be erasesd—with diets, waist trainers, and relentless gym routines.
But what if we lived in another time? Wouldn’t the bodies we try to shrink be the very ones sculpted in marble and framed in gold?
Masculinity: A Spectrum of Splendor
Once, masculinity was adorned, not stripped bare. Ancient Egyptian men lined their eyes with kohl, their faces framed by elaborate wigs and golden jewels. European kings draped themselves in lace and high heels, their rich fabrics a testament to their power. Warriors marched into battle not only armored in steel but in elegance, their hair flowing like poetry, their presence as commanding as their swords.
Even emotions were once noble—brothers-in-arms embraced without shame, men wept without judgment, and strength was not measured in silence but in expression.But today, stereotypes have stolen this vibrant legacy, reducing masculinity to rigid norms.
Imagine a world where men could once again embrace beauty without question.
Natural Body Hair’s Fall from Favor
In Ancient Greece, body hair symbolized wisdom and maturity. Indigenous tribes saw it as a mark of strength. It was not something to be erased but something to be honored—a part of nature itself.
Yet, here we are, centuries later, waging an expensive war against it. Razors, wax strips, lasers—all in pursuit of a smoothness dictated by modern ideals. But what if the world suddenly decided that natural was best? What if we lived in an age where body hair wasn’t a flaw, but a crown?
Would we still run from our reflections?
High Foreheads, Unibrows, and Big Noses: Beauty’s
Forgotten Favorites
In Renaissance Europe, high foreheads were marks of intelligence and nobility. Women plucked their hairlines to enhance this regal feature, a gesture of elegance. In Japan’s Heian period, eyebrows were shaved and painted higher on the forehead, creating an otherworldly beauty. Today, we hide these same foreheads under bangs, forgetting the royalty they once symbolized.
Unibrows, now plucked into oblivion, were once cherished in Ancient Greece and the Middle East. Women darkened the space between their brows to amplify their allure. It was a sign of wisdom, not something to be erased.
A strong, prominent nose was a mark of leadership in Ancient Rome. In Jewish and Middle Eastern cultures, it was an emblem of beauty and strength. Yet today, rhinoplasty has become a widespread ritual, an attempt to mold our features into a fleeting trend. But beauty is cyclical—who’s to say that tomorrow, these very noses won’t be idolized again?
Broad Shoulders: From Pride to Prejudice
Spartan warriors carried their broad shoulders like armor, symbols of strength and resilience. Even in the 1980s, power suits with shoulder pads framed women as forces to be reckoned with.
Yet today, many women try to downplay their shoulders, as if shrinking themselves would make them more beautiful. If only they knew that what they see as an imperfection is the very thing that once commanded respect.
No one is born ugly. We’re just born in a judgmental society.
– RM, BTS
So, who says you’re not perfect? Who says you’re not worth it? Who decided that the features we shy away from weren’t the very marks of beauty in another time?
History has already proven that beauty is nothing more than a story—one that keeps changing, one that keeps redefining itself with every passing era. What was once divine is now dismissed. What is mocked today may be worshiped tomorrow.
But you? You are not bound by these rules. You are not defined by these shifting ideals. You don’t need makeup to cover up. You don’t need to fit into a mold that will crack with time.
You are enough—being the way you are, in all your raw, unfiltered, unpolished glory. Not despite it, but because of it. The way you exist, just as you are, is already a masterpiece.
Because That’s What Makes You Beautiful.
If you love unraveling the myths of beauty standards, do visit my corner at Her Campus at MUJ!