INTRODUCTION
Beauty standards have always reflected on status, gender roles, hierarchies, and influence. Leaving an imprint on today's beauty standards even if some are "outdated" or "outrageous".
Ancient Civilizations
Ancient Egypt: Kohl-lined eyes, slim but healthy bodies, and elaborate wigs symbolized health, wealth, and divine favor.
Reflection: Eyeliner still being popular (kohl-lined eyes), slim but healthy bodies being a beauty norm, and especially the indicatives of health, wealth, and divine favor.
Ancient Greece: The Greeks idealized mathematical symmetry and proportion; beauty was considered a reflection of moral virtue.
Reflection: Symmetry is extremely important for a beautiful face today.
Ancient China: Small features and pale skin symbolized refinement and not having to work outdoors
Reflection: Pale, White skin is a beauty norm in most asian countries to this day.
These early standards linked beauty to class, morality, and social worth, concepts that still influence modern beauty culture (e.g., “looking put together” equated with competence or status).
Renaissance and Baroque Eras: Wealth, Fertility, and Femininity
Renaissance art celebrated women with fuller bodies, pale skin, and high foreheads as signs of wealth and fertility. (Notice how status has ALWAYS been a standard.)
Lasting effects:
The idea that beauty = luxury and class persists in modern fashion industries and luxury branding. Pale or smooth skin continued to be seen as “high status” until the 20th century.
Victorian Era & Early 1900s: Modesty and Moral Beauty
The standards for men were to look clean, have neatly polished hair, orderly, facial hair, straight posture, clear skin, and have a moderate build.
For women, It was to look "moral". Slim & clean bodies. (Corsets)
Lasting effects: Since men had to be "orderly" and "masculine", they often had to suppress their emotions as showing too much emotions was a sign of emotional weakness back in the day. This case and mindset is still prevalent to this day with many foids expecting men to not have any emotions at all as if it's still the 19th fucking century.
1920s–1960s: Liberation, Media Influence, and the Rise of Mass Beauty Culture
More athletic but still lean physique, chiseled face with a strong jawline, facial hair, broad shoulders, clean-cut clothing.
Lasting effects: These had the most lasting effects out of all the others as it was more recent. Failing to meet most of these critiques might make you end up looking "rebellious". For example, In school, Long haired males might appear unclean or rebellious depending on your school. In mine, All males have to cut their hairs short sadly. Style also still plays a part. Men who don't look "formal" might end up looking immature or irresponsible.
CONCLUSION
Beauty is also all about status, wealth, fame, influence, fashion, etc. Not just looks but it plays an important part of it. Caring for these will make you end up looking better. Study your environment on what's happening, be versatile.
POST NOTE
I didn't add most absurd beauty standards back in the day such as china's obsession with small feet and foot mutilation & japan's black teeth symbolizing wealth because it did NOT leave an imprint on today's society. All it did was show status, Which I already talked about, and it would be goofy to talk about those standards.
Beauty standards have always reflected on status, gender roles, hierarchies, and influence. Leaving an imprint on today's beauty standards even if some are "outdated" or "outrageous".
Ancient Civilizations
Ancient Egypt: Kohl-lined eyes, slim but healthy bodies, and elaborate wigs symbolized health, wealth, and divine favor.
Reflection: Eyeliner still being popular (kohl-lined eyes), slim but healthy bodies being a beauty norm, and especially the indicatives of health, wealth, and divine favor.
Ancient Greece: The Greeks idealized mathematical symmetry and proportion; beauty was considered a reflection of moral virtue.
Reflection: Symmetry is extremely important for a beautiful face today.
Ancient China: Small features and pale skin symbolized refinement and not having to work outdoors
Reflection: Pale, White skin is a beauty norm in most asian countries to this day.
These early standards linked beauty to class, morality, and social worth, concepts that still influence modern beauty culture (e.g., “looking put together” equated with competence or status).
Renaissance and Baroque Eras: Wealth, Fertility, and Femininity
Renaissance art celebrated women with fuller bodies, pale skin, and high foreheads as signs of wealth and fertility. (Notice how status has ALWAYS been a standard.)
Lasting effects:
The idea that beauty = luxury and class persists in modern fashion industries and luxury branding. Pale or smooth skin continued to be seen as “high status” until the 20th century.
Victorian Era & Early 1900s: Modesty and Moral Beauty
The standards for men were to look clean, have neatly polished hair, orderly, facial hair, straight posture, clear skin, and have a moderate build.
For women, It was to look "moral". Slim & clean bodies. (Corsets)
Lasting effects: Since men had to be "orderly" and "masculine", they often had to suppress their emotions as showing too much emotions was a sign of emotional weakness back in the day. This case and mindset is still prevalent to this day with many foids expecting men to not have any emotions at all as if it's still the 19th fucking century.
1920s–1960s: Liberation, Media Influence, and the Rise of Mass Beauty Culture
More athletic but still lean physique, chiseled face with a strong jawline, facial hair, broad shoulders, clean-cut clothing.
Lasting effects: These had the most lasting effects out of all the others as it was more recent. Failing to meet most of these critiques might make you end up looking "rebellious". For example, In school, Long haired males might appear unclean or rebellious depending on your school. In mine, All males have to cut their hairs short sadly. Style also still plays a part. Men who don't look "formal" might end up looking immature or irresponsible.
CONCLUSION
Beauty is also all about status, wealth, fame, influence, fashion, etc. Not just looks but it plays an important part of it. Caring for these will make you end up looking better. Study your environment on what's happening, be versatile.
POST NOTE
I didn't add most absurd beauty standards back in the day such as china's obsession with small feet and foot mutilation & japan's black teeth symbolizing wealth because it did NOT leave an imprint on today's society. All it did was show status, Which I already talked about, and it would be goofy to talk about those standards.
