Tarnished Halo

The concept of beauty has changed over time, a lot. In ancient Egypt, body hair was considered unclean and small, thin women were considered the most attractive (1). During the Renaissance women with a bit of extra weight were considered the most beautiful, partially because it meant that the family had enough food to feed the family (2). During the Victorian Age, beauty was focused on the natural. Women that used less make up were more beautiful but had an obsession with the corset and making their waistline as small as possible (3). The pretty women of the Twenties were the party girls (or flappers). They drank, smoked, and took risks. This was the period of the “boy look” inspired by Coco Chanel. So vital was it to achieve this look that women would even tape their breasts to make them look smaller (4). The Fifties brought us role models such as Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly. They were a celebration of femininity, curves and all. The focus was on accentuation of positives and playing down negatives (5). During the early years of the 21st century, beauty was about what I like to call “the barbie look”. Women with big breasts, small frames, and tan skin were beautiful. Today, we are seeing a change yet again, but this time, the change isn’t being made with the leaders and role models, it’s being made by the populace. Larger framed women are becoming the definition of beauty once again. I personally believe that this is wonderful, but I see something else about it that concerns me, “skinny bashing”. Read more »