What’s the ideal body shape for a woman? Just think about this for a minute. This question has been the source of much consternation and debate over the years. As much as everyone has a different viewpoint on how to get rid of belly fat quickly it also seems worldwide there is a different viewpoint on what a young woman should aspire to look like. Whether you are a man or woman, young or old, you probably have a slightly different perspective on what the perfect body shape is.
Well who is correct then? The short answer is no-one. The perfect body shape for a woman (or man) is unique to that individual. It is a shape that is healthy and that the individual is most comfortable with.
However, this hasn’t stopped the public creation of a ‘standard’ of what beauty is over the years. Now I came across the video below while bored and trawling through YouTube.
The video is a compilation of how the standard of what we refer to as the ideal woman’s body shape has changed over the last few centuries. There are some pretty dramatic differences as time rolls on.
In Ancient Egypt circa 1292 – 1069 BC the desirable woman’s shape was slender with narrow shoulders, a high waist and a symmetrical shape. Fast forward to Ancient Greece in 500 BC and women aspired to be plump or more full bodied with a light skin complexion. Victorian England had a similar aspiration but for the introduction of corsets to provider a smaller waist circumference.
In the 1920’s, sometimes referred to as the roaring 20s, flat chested women were idealised with their short bob hairstyle and boyish figure. The golden age of Hollywood then kicked in during the 1930 to 1950s period. The silver screen dominated with women who had an hourglass figure with large breasts and a slim waist.
Tall thin willowy, bodies with long legs and an adolescent physique took center stage in the 1960s before the arrival of the supermodel era in the 80s. The supermodel figure consisted of an athletic, toned and svelte but curvy body. Fast forward again to day where things like a large chest and buttocks, thigh gap and a flat stomach with no belly fat are all the rage and seem to force some women into mindless plastic surgery such is their desire to be ‘beautiful’.
Have a peruse of the video below and let me know what you think of the history of beauty and the ideal body shape. It makes for interesting viewing.
Buzzfeed also pulled together this great little video on how the ‘ideal man’ varies throughout the world today. Who knew there was an ideal man! Have a nosy.
