In Today, Out Tomorrow: If Beauty Standards Are Always Flipping The Script, Why Do We Chase Them?

For someone who thinks of all things beauty 90% of her time, human beings are divided into two broad categories. You can be one of two kinds of people to me—the type who's got FOMO on fitting the current beauty standards, or the type who couldn't care less and will march to their own beat. And it's no secret that said standards are full of extremes, contradictions, and whimsical ideals that have left generations of women chasing an ever-shifting target that seems to perpetually elude them. And yet, all of us are guilty as charged. Guilty of being a little gullible, guilty of not standing as firmly as we should by our own ideals, and guity of thinking of someone as 'so different'  just because they don't abide by the same rules as most people.

Today, we're going to take a trip through the decades and break down just how much (and how often) the definition of beauty has changed. Buckle up, because the journey of beauty standards is a wild one. Spoiler alert: if you don’t fit into today’s ‘ideal,’ just wait a few years. It’ll change again.

1920s: The Rebel And The Flapper

The 1920s were all about breaking free. Women ditched their corsets, chopped off their hair, and embraced a more androgynous look; this was mostly propelled by the fear of not being taken seriously enough as their male counterparts, or not being seen as their equal. The ‘ideal’ body was boyish and slim, a stark contrast to the curvier figures idolised just a decade prior. Dark, dramatic lips and pencil-thin brows reigned supreme, inspired by silent film stars. It was an era that celebrated liberation, but like every beauty standard, it was still a standard—if you weren’t naturally petite, the flapper look wasn’t exactly forgiving.

1950s: The Pin-Up Girl Obsession

Enter the age of Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, and Elizabeth Taylor—where curves were back in fashion. The war was over, and unhinged indulgence was the theme of the decade. The ‘ideal’ woman had an impossibly tiny waist, full bust, and wide hips, further emphasised by cinched dresses and structured undergarments. If you weren’t naturally curvy, shapewear and padded bras were the solution. Red lips, winged eyeliner, and perfectly set curls completed the look—a childlike, doll-ish face, with a hyper-sexualised body (it really doesn't get weirder than this). 

1970s: A Little Boho, A Little Disco

The ‘70s saw the rise of a more free-flowing aesthetic, but let’s be real—there were still rules. The beauty 'ideal' leaned towards an effortless Goddess-like energy, with long, natural-textured hair, and minimal makeup (except for the occasional disco glam moment). We were back to idolising thin bodies, what with the rise of intense aerobics and all that; tan, glowing skin became the new must-have. Women who didn’t fit the mold were, as always, left out of the mainstream beauty narrative.

1990s: Minimalistic And Barely There

The ‘90s ushered in one of the most extreme beauty standards yet—the era of ‘heroin chic.’ You either had on minimal makeup or went full grunge. Barely-there brows, and a ‘just rolled out of bed’ aesthetic were all the rage.The 'ideal' body was waifish, almost frail-looking. In retrospect, this was like world regressed back to the 18th century, when the sickly thin, pale damsel-in-distress was the perfect woman. Kate Moss became the poster child of the decade, and visible collarbones and hip bones were considered aspirational. If the ‘50s celebrated curves, the ‘90s rejected them entirely.

2000s: The Size Zero Belle 

The early 2000s took a sharp turn from the grunge era and became all about hyper-feminine, ultra-polished beauty. Flat-ironed hair, frosted lips, and ultra-thin eyebrows were everywhere. And then there was the body standard—slim but toned, with an emphasis on abs, low-rise jeans, and a body that looked ‘effortlessly’ fit (even though it required 3 workouts a day and a horrible food psychlogy). The message? Be skinny, but not too skinny. Have curves, but only in the ‘right’ places. No pressure, right?

2020s: The Era Of Diversity—But Is It Really?

Today, we’re seeing a shift. Social media and the new gen's can't-be-bothered-enough-to-judge personality definitely has helped push for more inclusive beauty standards—celebrating different body types, skin tones, and natural features and hair. But even now, new trends emerge that dictate what’s ‘in’ and what’s ‘out.’ The beauty industry loves to claim that ‘all bodies are beautiful,’ and 'all skin tones and ethnicities are gorgeous,' yet there’s still an unspoken pressure to fit into whatever the latest version of perfection is. We still don't have a lot brands with inclusive ranges, and that tells us all there is to know. 

Why Beauty Standards Shouldn’t Define Us

If history is any indication, beauty standards are fickle. These pigeonholing standards have morphed at an alarming pace—proving that trying to fit into them is a losing game. I What’s desirable today could be outdated tomorrow. Trying to mold ourselves to fit into a constantly changing ideal is exhausting and, quite frankly, not worth it. At the end of the day, the unfortunate truth is that we always have, and still live in a world where capitalism feeds off of our insecurities. So, instead of chasing trends, maybe it’s time we step back and redefine beauty on our own terms. 

So, the next time you wonder whether you should stop colouring your greys, or get that face slimming treatment, or let your brows grow out, just remember that this life revolves around what you make it revolve around. And when it comes to appearances, what that should be is your comfort, and your likes and dislikes. Nobody less and nothing more.