Beauty Standards By The Years timeline

During the 50s, actress Marilyn Monroe was seen as the most beautiful woman of the age. The beauty standard for this time revolved around having a tight waist, dressing modestly, and a smooth complexion. During this time, women weren't pressured to be unhealthily skinny, but a fuller figure was seen as more beautiful.

Anita Ekberg was a Swedish actress, who was seen as incredibly beautiful during her time. Her red lips and thick blonde hair set the way for beauty of the age. During this decade, women found themselves trying to improve their complex even more than before, because after the Vietnam war, culturally everything was different. Women were seen as more beautiful when wearing film like makeup, thin limbs, and an hourglass waist. This body image is actually similar to what is popular now.

During her glory days, Faye Dunaway was one of the most beautiful women of the 70s. The 70s were the first year the beauty standard shifted from a full, hourglass-like figure, to a skinnier toned figure. Women were expected to wear natural makeup, and look skinned, but well toned. Tanned bodies and flowy hair also would make you seem more beautiful during this time. This decade is when the national anorexia nervosa rate began to increase

Brooke Shields definitely thrived in a decade with unique styles. From the statement clothes to large hair, the beauty standards of the 80s were truly wild. Like in the past decade, slim and toned figures were still seen as superior. Super modeling became of this, which promoted this figure even more. Women accentuated their facial features with dramatic and bright makeup looks. The 80s were definitely wild!

The 90s was the year the impossibly skinny figure became expected, and Michelle Pfeiffer was the perfect example. With her long legs, thin shoulders, and blonde hair, everyone wanted to look like her. During this era, women were seen as more beautiful if they were extremely skinny, and had a perfectly symmetrical face. Feminine beauty really started to become impossible here. With the perfect cheek and chin bones being promoted, and the "casual" style, women were expected to pull off everything.

With the new century, the 2000s brought new standards. And Angelina Jolie was one of the most influential beauty icons. Many women were pulled away from their natural hair colors, to look more "glam". However, the curvier bodies came back this decade as popular. Suddenly everyone felt the pressure shift from skinny to curvy. The adjective "fake" certainly came into conversation often. Everyone was covered in makeup and everyone was trying to change their bodies once again.

With her music growing even more popular, JLo stole the show during the 2010s. With the increased development of social media, the pressure to change physical appearance increased even more. With people posting their perfect facial features, and dramatic lips and brows trending, people now felt that they had to publicly share their "perfection". On the bright side, during this decade the body's positive movement started up.

This decade had more than anyone expected. With the popularity of social media skyrocketing, and a world pandemic, beauty standards took a roller coaster ride. With Instagram models and magazines everywhere, the pressure was on more than ever before. Madison Beer's popularity increased dramatically. Everyone was trying to have the most perfect complexion, or the most fit body, the standards were really unrealistic. But awareness was raised and people became aware of how impossible these were.

With the ever changing beauty standards, it just seems like women are always trying to be "more". It's a never ending cycle, between social media and models, the standards are just unrealistic. Society keeps changing what seems popular, making women feel like they have to be something they aren't. If in the next decade we could move the standards away from unhealthy and unrealistic, and more towards something manageable, we will be better off all together. Because not everyone can look the same.