Hundreds of years ago, there was this belief that beauty is something that should be expected from women. There were standards created by society at the time of what was to be expected from these ‘beautiful’ women. From things like the desired color of their eyes to the right color on their lips, it’s always been about superficial qualities. Buzzfeed has been doing videos recently that show the different beauty standards of different cultures, and this idea that beauty standards are always changing is something we’ve all been exposed to.
The start of the 20th century brought about the style of a pin up model — busty, half naked, long limbs. In the ‘90s, it was the stick slim girl whose ribs were showing if she didn’t have a top on. When I was little, I wanted to be like all the fashion models in the magazines or the pretty girls on television — skinny, tanned and blonde. It was all I was surrounded by as a child, the Paris Hilton-esq girl everyone wanted to be like. Now, these girls are being replaced by curvy models with a rainbow of hair colors and fair skin.
I was taught to cover up my freckles because it was an imperfection on my porcelain skin, but now I’m being told it makes you look "sooo much cuter" and that "every guy loves freckles!" Well, my issue with that is the fact that nobody thought about what I wanted to look like. It was all about what was appealing to other people, but maybe I didn’t want to appeal to those people.
In present day there’s a strong desire to have tanned skin, where tan is used as a synonym of the word perfect. So, tan skin = perfect skin in the 2000s. So many women spent their time and money in tanning booths and getting spray tans just so they could be seen as ‘perfect’ or ‘attractive.’ In the early18th century, the more fair your skin was, the better. It meant you didn’t have to work outside all day so you were of high society compared to the tanned skin individuals who had to work in the sun all day.
The Brady Bunch was a television show that began in 1969. Looking at the characters, it shows you pretty well what the beauty standard of that time was. Short coiffed hair was what every female was expected to have, as well as their style of dress and use of accessories on a daily basis. Pearl earrings and curly locks with a sundress was what people expected women to wear. Now, every girl is trying to get the long, wavy, ‘mermaid’ style hair that’s become so popular in the past three years.
With the rise of Instagram, the word used to describe the highly-fashionable girls with perfectly done makeup is an "Insta Baddie." With thick winged eyeliner and long-sleeve turtle neck crop-tops paired with some ripped jeans and heels, this is an example of the type of girl that is desirable in this current time. However, just a few years ago, it'd be rare to see a girl wearing a crop top or jeans with rips in them because it appeared to make the girl look like she was of low-class.
The point is that the standard of beauty is always changing, but there shouldn’t be a standard at all. Nobody should expect someone to look and speak and dress a certain way, because humans shouldn’t be confined to these small boxes we try to force each other into. We aren’t made to please others, we’re made to be ourselves. So, the next time someone tells you to alter your appearance because you "look cuter that way," think twice.
