We often hear on TV that beauty standards are distorted, but how distorted are they?
Beauty has evolved throughout history in several ways. What we many think as not aesthetically desirable could have been desirable at some other time.
Gisele Bündchen was, according to Forbes, the highest-paid top model in 2010. She has worked for Versace, True Religion jeans, Dior and Ebel watches. The Brazilian beauty is a tall, slender woman.
However, her weight has been the subject of discussion in many magazines. Bündchen’s figure has been described as bony, with anorexic tendencies. Yet, these types of bodies are widely used by Versace, Dior and Chanel in advertising campaigns.
In contrast to Bündchen’s super skinny figure, Marilyn Monroe presented a voluptuous image.
It has been found that after war time, women who are curvy tend to be highly admired. Curves symbolized health after time of famine or serious financial struggle. This is exactly what happened with Monroe. Her curves were not only admired but were also subject to envy among the American public.
This demonstrates an impressive contrast in the overall beauty standards. Monroe and Bündchen are not even separated by a century, yet the way in which each one was aesthetically considered has drastically changed.
What would people have thought of Bündchen during the 1950s or Monroe today?
But body image has not been always the main characteristic judged. Beauty was not always solely based on body image.
Some historians have said that Cleopatra was widely admired during her time. Some of them have mentioned that she may have had an enormous neck and large facial features. Nevertheless, her power rested on her incredible diplomatic skills, her intelligence and her ability to speak several languages, which proved irresistible to men like Julius Caesar.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis can be cited as an example of physical and intellectual beauty. Her style, facial features and diplomatic skills were constantly highlighted.
One of the lessons from this historical account of beauty standards is their instability. Beauty standards have become not only unattainable for the average woman but dangerous. Social pressure to lose weight and imitate the super slender body figure of models like Bündchen and Kate Moss has driven many women to use extreme means. Dieting and obsessive exercise is not only a threat to one’s aesthetic image but to emotional and physical health.
Beauty standards have been used as a means to manipulate women and the overall perception of what is really valuable in a human being. Beauty changes through time and so does the pressure many women encounter to adapt to these strict changes.
It’s better to think of beauty not as something defined by advertising campaigns, but rather as something defined by one’s own worth and personal appraisal not limited by society.
Bündchen may be rich now, but her modeling career may not have been as successful during the 50s. Same story may apply to Monroe.