American beauty ideals throughout the decades

Do you think that you’re pretty? When you look in the mirror, do you like what you see? Does your view of yourself change depending on the products you use or the clothes you wear? These are questions of which the answer is undoubtedly based on a narrow standard of beauty.

Beauty standards are the expectations of what bodies and features should look like, and they vary based on culture and time. Analyzing beauty standards in the United States from the 1950s to the present day, we can see how social, political, and economic factors play a significant role in defining conventionally beautiful.

Beauty is an oppressive power structure that disproportionately harms marginalized communities. As women, Queer people, and people of color have gained social, political, and economic power, beauty standards continue to suppress these groups.

Following the end of World War II, American culture was increasingly materialistic. Most women were housewives during this time, with women only accounting for 30% of the workforce. 

Notable female professions emerged, predominantly acting and modeling, most famously Marilyn Monroe. As big marketing firms developed, so did the concept of “selling sex,” specifically the female body. The ideal feminine body of this decade was an hourglass shape with bigger breasts, a tiny waist, and wide hips. 

During the 1960s, the United States experienced significant social and political change. There was a considerable movement towards civil rights at this time. 

As women began to enter the workforce in large numbers and demand equal rights, beauty standards aggressively intensified. Beauty evolved to undermine women’s advancement. Female-dominated professions, like nurses, secretaries, and flight attendants, were often hired based on appearance. Notably, Pan-Am, an American airline, had specific height and weight requirements for its female flight attendants during the 1960s.

One of the most iconic faces of this decade was Twiggy, a supermodel whose thin body shocked viewers at the time. Vogue described her as “though a strong gale would snap her in two” in her debut. This shift towards extreme thinness is notable as it has persisted for such a long time, predominantly in fashion. 

In the 1970s, the ideal woman was both white and skinny, further establishing the United States’ racist and fatphobic tendencies. Additionally, an increased emphasis on thinness resulted in the rising popularity of dangerous diets, such as the Atkins diet, master cleanses, and weight loss pills.    

In 1974, Beverly Johnson appeared on the cover of Vogue, the first Black woman to do so. But, this milestone was not enough to erase the continued racism and colorism within Western beauty standards, as Johnson attests to herself.

The 1980s signified an era of hyper-consumerism and mass consumption. An expanding middle class and an emphasis on material goods paved the way for beauty standards to plague young adults, shown in the time’s expanding cosmetic and diet industry. New and ridiculous fad diets appeared. Some quickly became irrelevant, but others became household names, like Slim Fast.

Diet culture was perpetuated by hour-long cable television infomercials, espousing the benefits of weight loss products like at-home workout equipment and appetite suppressing candies. Iconically, aerobic workouts, featuring leg warmers and leotards, thrived off of selling themselves as a way to “shape up” and “keep fit.” 

During this time, marketing a wide array of beauty products became both a science and a gospel. There was a paradigm shift in this period in which beauty was treated not as something you have to do but rather as something you get to do. Striving for beauty was seen as a form of power, despite that compulsion conforming to a homogeneous standard of beauty.

While the 80s centered decadence and mass consumption, the 1990s took a more subtle, grungy approach to beauty. Similar to the Victorian Era of the 1800s, sickness and thinness were heavily romanticized, emphasizing extreme thinness known as “heroin chic,” the norm in ads for popular brands like Calvin Klein and Yves Saint Laurent.

This trend was so widespread that President Bill Clinton formally denounced it, stating that “The glorification of heroin is not creative, it’s destructive. It’s not beautiful; it’s ugly. And this is not about art; it’s about life and death. And glorifying death is not good for any society.”

The 90s also recorded an increase in representation for people of color and Queer people. However, these images were far from authentic representation. This was shown through colorism, featurism, and texturism.

People of color shown in mainstream media almost always had lighter skin, Eurocentric features, and straight hair. Beauty standards were a well-established tool of oppression. The message was clear: beauty is defined by proximity to whiteness. 

Compared to the 90s, the 2000s were more bright, colorful, and optimistic. The early 2000s saw a return to the so-called “healthy” look of the 80s, favoring tanned skin and prominent abs. However, the bodies emphasized in mainstream culture were hardly an accurate reflection of most American women. In 2005, the average American woman was a size 16, but the average model was a size 0 or 2.

New technology also played a role in both creating and spreading beauty ideals. Photoshop, for instance, was widely used to create images of women with unrealistically smooth skin and tiny waists. 

There was also a drastic rise in cosmetic procedures, like botox and filler. From 2000 to 2009, there was a 69% increase in minimally invasive procedures.

The 2010s marked a period of transformation in beauty standards due to the rise of social media. The obsession with more unattainable beauty ideals was illustrated by the Kardashian-Jenner clan, whose iconic looks widely differ from 2010 to today.

The Kardashian-Jenner family sold us makeup, skincare products, weight loss pills, and sculpt wear throughout the decade. This decade also saw a return to hourglass bodies being the standard of femininity.

These bodily trends have led to conversations surrounding appropriation. Black women have been consistently body shamed for being curvier, but now distinctly Black features, like full lips and a larger butt, are seen as fashionable.

The rise of the internet and social media has increased representation for marginalized groups, but it has also enabled consistent comparison and body checking.

Within an increasingly polarized culture, brands in the 2020s have tried keeping up with consumer demand for inclusivity. The mainstream message has become “everyone is beautiful.” For instance, Victoria’s Secret has removed its iconic angels in exchange for activists and athletes.

While the mainstream media is making steps in the right direction, we are far from removing harmful standards of how we should look. Marginalized groups are still underrepresented in fashion, beauty, and culture. That must change.