See How Ideal Female Body Types Have Changed Throughout the Decades

Everyone sees photos from the past and realizes how much fashion changes throughout the years. However, female body types and shapes do as well. What is attractive now might not have been the same in the past. Generally, the shifts are quite subtle, but there can be glaring differences at times.

Though it probably won’t help us live better lives, it can still be interesting to see the differences. They often reflect how the world views a woman and determines who becomes a celebrity since looks are a huge part of that. Let’s see the changes back-to-back right now!

1910s – Gibson Girl

It was more expensive to publish photographs in the 1910s, so most magazine companies hired illustrators to draw products. Charles Dana Gibson was probably the most famous at the time because he liked to show women wearing corsets with hourglass figures.

Camille Clifford

Camille Clifford was a famous model and actress and was the top Gibson Girl of the time. She had a tiny 18-inch waist, which could only happen because of the tight corset under her long gown. Everyone wanted to be like her!

1920s – Flappers

In the 1920s, there was a huge fashion shift. People now wore flapper dresses that were looser to hide waistlines. Pair that with short hairdos and hats, and women were branching out and celebrating their right to vote (after the ratification of the 19th Amendment).

Margaret Gorman

Many people remember who Miss America was in 1921. Margaret Gorman had the ideal body shape at the time. Her boyish (long and lean) figure was a complete change from those hourglass figures before.

1930s – Soft Siren

After the Roaring ’20s, there was another fashion shift. The stock market crashed, so women focused more on that classic feminine style and form-fitting clothes. That was a large change after those boxier flapper dresses.

Dolores Del Rio

If you want the best example of the Soft Siren body type, Dolores Del Rio has it. In fact, that old Hollywood glamour was back in style, and many people thought she had the ideal figure for that time period.

1940s – Star Spangled Girls

The 1940s brought many drastic changes because of World War II. It was a global effort and affected everything, including fashion. Women focused on long limbs and broad shoulders. Plus, they started wearing the “torpedo” or “bullet” bra!

Betty Grable

The perfect example of the ideal body shape for women during this time period was Betty Grable. She was a highly popular pin-up girl. In fact, you could peak in any military man’s foot-locker and see her there.

1950s – Hourglass Figure

Curves are generally popular, but the 1950s went back to that Gibson Girl persona and the hourglass figure. Strong shoulders were out, and so was a thin body. Magazines at the time advertised weight gainers to help women widen their hips.

Marilyn Monroe

The best example of that 1950s look was Marilyn Monroe. She doesn’t need an introduction because she’s one of the most famous actresses and models of all time. In fact, she’s so iconic that people still recognize her as a Hollywood star.

1960s – Twig

After the curvier body style of the ’50s, things went in the opposite direction for the 1960s. Women were now focused on being as thin as humanly possible. Long figures, small waists, and narrow hips were perfect now.

Twiggy

Lesley “Twiggy” Lawson was a model at the time, bursting onto the scene and bringing her rain-thin body type with her. Everyone wanted to be her, so they started dropping the weight. This changed the fashion landscape completely!

1970s – Disco Diva

Though rail-thin wasn’t completely tossed aside, things got a little curvier in the 1970s. In fact, most people think it was more balanced than in the previous two decades. Disco divas looked great in their costumes and showed us how to do it!

Charlie’s Angels

Charlie’s Angels was probably the most iconic movie of the time. Everyone fell in love with Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and Farrah Fawcett. Plus, they were the picture-perfect example of this decade’s ideal body shape (long, curvy, and lean).

1980s – Supermodel

“Supermodel” was a term given to women who had incredibly long legs and height. It was generally impossible to turn on MTV and other shows without seeing these ladies, and it became the ideal body type of the decade.

Rachel Hunter

Since Rachel Hunter is about 6 feet tall, she towers over everyone. It was clear when she stood next to Rod Stewart, who is only 5’10”. You could always find Hunter on Sports Illustrated covers and other magazines, and she moved on to music videos, too!

Elle MacPherson

Another popular “supermodel” at the time was Elle MacPherson. She’s the perfect example of that ideal body shape, and many magazines called her “The Body.” In fact, she’s still in the industry, showing up on the 2014 cover of Sports Illustrated for the Swimsuit Edition.

1990s – The Waif

In the 1990s, the tall and curvy body type was out, and the waif-thin appearance was the rage. You couldn’t have curves here, and most people call it “heroin chic,” which does it justice. In fact, this style was so different than the Supermodel one!

Kate Moss

Kate Moss worked with Calvin Klein initially and became a fashion icon. Her body type might have even started that size-0 trend. During 2012, she was one of the top-earning models and brought home $9.2 million!

Winona Ryder

Winona Ryder also epitomized the waif-thin look. Some people think it pushed her to fame, but her acting was part of it. Both she and Kate Moss were in relationships with Johnny Depp, so it’s clear what women he likes.

2000s – Buff Beauties

In the new millennium, the rail-thin look was thrown out for a more athletic style. Women on magazine covers had rock-hard abs, though there weren’t as many curves as in the other decades. Still, it was a welcome change for most ladies.

Gisele Bundchen

Gisele Bundchen is athletic and tall with long legs, and she is much a part of the Buff Beauty entourage. This Brazilian model has been called the most beautiful woman in the world and was the top-paid person for many years.

2010s – Booty Babes

Curvaceous booties popped on the scene in the 2010s. Beyonce helped boost this body style when Destiny’s Child (she was part of the group) released “Bootylicious.” Still, the curves were now focused on the behind and hips.

Rihanna

Rihanna is from Barbados and is a popular music artist. She has great style, an incredible body, and amazing vocals. Now, she’s a businesswoman who owns her own fashion line and is worth over $1 billion!

Kim Kardashian

You can’t think about booty babes without picturing Kim Kardashian. She was also part of making this style mainstream. In fact, many women save up money to have surgical procedures to get that Kardashian rump!

Jennifer Lopez

Everyone loves Jenny from the Block. Jennifer Lopez is an amazingly beautiful woman who has a very curvaceous tush. She doesn’t mind when people look and used her hit song, “Booty,” to show it off.

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj popped out on the rap scene during this period, becoming an iconic artist. In fact, most people rave about her style and skills. She’s not afraid to show off her booty curves at all!

Changing Ideals

Modern women rarely focus on a single body type as being ideal or perfect. They don’t want to conform and concentrate on being themselves and feeling confident. It might be from magazines declining and the internet taking off!

Body Positivity

Body positivity is more popular now than ever before. People are focused on encouraging women of any size or shape to feel beautiful. They don’t need to fit in with one ideal body style that someone else determines!

In Marketing

Many companies are now focused on this idea. Aerie and other brands show diverse groups of models with all types of bodies. Plus, they don’t retouch anything. The entire person is seen, and imperfections are a thing of the past.

Reality and Photoshop

In the early 2000s, almost every celebrity photo was photoshopped to some degree. Magazines changed the person’s appearance to sell more products. However, that led to unrealistic expectations for regular women worldwide.

Reality and Instagram

Social media platforms now offer various filters to help people alter their looks. In fact, some women use them excessively and aren’t recognizable. This leads to body dysmorphia and creates an unrealistic idea of beauty.

Subtle FaceTune

While dramatic filters are out there, most people focus more on subtle tweaks with FaceTune and similar apps. They’re not as drastic, but they can still make women feel they aren’t good enough as they are!

Makeup and No Makeup

One popular social media trend encouraged people to post pictures without putting makeup on first. It promoted self-acceptance and helped people feel empowered. Plus, they could see that makeup really altered their appearance completely.

Cosmetic Procedures

Some people choose to alter their appearances permanently because makeup isn’t enough. They go through cosmetic surgery to completely change their style. However, young people often get injections and fillers to keep their youth!

Ancient Procedures

Cosmetic surgery isn’t a new invention and has been around for a while. China had the ancient foot-binding tradition. Young girls had to wear shoes that didn’t fit to alter their size and shape to appear more doll-like.

Double Eyelid Surgery

Asian women want to conform to the Western world’s beauty ideals, and cosmetic intervention is required. One popular procedure is double eyelid surgery. This changes the person’s eye shape to appear American.

French Beauty Ideals

French women lived by the rule of “three white things.” They must have white hands, teeth, and skin. However, “three black things” were also important – the eyelashes and eyebrows. Today, French beauty ideals focus more on the woman’s style.

Skin Whitening

Many non-Western countries focus on what Western countries ideals in order to determine what’s beautiful. Therefore, skin whitening is highly popular. You can find serums and creams to help lighten the skin, but cosmetic surgery is also prevalent in these areas.

Future Ideals

It’s nearly impossible to know what the future holds when it comes to beauty. Things that happen in one time period influence styles and standards. Therefore, some trends are likely to come back in style or might fade away. Hopefully, a focus on body positivity remains!