lunes, 12 de octubre de 2015

The evolution of beauty in history

 The canon of beauty imposed these last years has changed a lot from the canon of thousands of years ago.
Nowadays, we can see it everywhere, in the media,on Internet, in the fashion industry...etc, and it is usually followed by almost everybody, especially, young people. However, this is not something new, because the ideal of beauty has been in the society since the beginning of time. As fashions and customs, the canon of female beauty has had a marked evolution through the centuries. Let see some examples of it. 

Prehistory











 In the Prehistory, men preferred women with large breasts and wide hips, because they associated it with fertility and with the ability to bear healthy and strong children.

 Ancient Greece

 The ideal of beauty in ancient Greece lies neither in body care or the artificial embellishment of it, but in the harmony of all from each of its parts. The beauty lay in perfect proportions. The Greeks viewed the world and loved as a work of art.








Middle Age

 The ideal woman of the medieval era was blond, with curly hair, in braids or loose; with very white skin (as a symbol of purity), pale tone that stretched to the neck and hands. The glossy front was widened and a mandatory levy, enlarged eyes and delimiting the root of the hair in a crown.







Renaissance

 In the Renaissance, Durer and Leonardo Da Vinci they established precise diagrams for the ideal figure. The woman must have three white elements (skin, teeth and hands), three red (lips, cheeks and nails) and three black (eyes, eyebrows and eyelashes), and respond to seven nine or thirty-three canons of the ideal body. Moreover their bodies should be round and big, thin hands and feet, and small and firm breasts. 





Baroque

 Catherine de Medici becomes the promoter of Baroque beauty. There is no greater beauty than blondes transparent skin. Wider hips and narrow waist, round and fleshy arms, bright white skin and breasts are highlighted by corsets. In addition, the female figure is embellished with popular wigs,Around the same time they begin to be false moles, which serve to disguise freckles or pimples, and rouge, the ally hiding the paleness that produce sleepless nights and dinners.




Victorian era

 In the early eighteenth century, which affected small and is well seen. The women used the corset, and its abuse causes fainting, hypochondria and anemia.These tight elements stumble many women, causing fainting or even death by deformation of the chest, just squeezing vital organs. The hips should be wider than your shoulders, arms plump, thin ankles, hands and elongated small mouth.






The beginning of the 20th century

 The expansion of women's magazines changes the way of looking the body. The woman in the first half of the twentieth century struggle for their civil and political rights. They stop caring about the beauty standards that dictate men. The female figure has as ideal a flat stomach, small breasts and male shoulders. An androgynous and ambiguous body. Even it becomes fashionable the tan, before sign of work in the field and now denotes good health





The 30's

 After the 'crack' of 29, the androgynous image of the 20s is outdated and becomes sensual, feminine and women feel the need to enhance her figure. Hollywood stars such as Jean Harlow and sultry Mae West or the 'divine' Greta Garbo, become style icon and the femme fatale Marlene Dietrich. Platinum blonde hair, pale complexion, sculpted eyebrows and lips, always red, become the pinnacle of fashion.

The 40's

At this time, the style of woman who wins is provocative and sensual. The magazines are filled with girls with wavy hair, narrow waist, hips and impressive bust. The reign of the 'pin-ups', which had begun at the end of the previous decade and feminine style that is consolidated.

The great icon of the time was Rita Hayworth, nicknamed "the goddess of love" and that "Gilda" raised passions. It also begins to dawn Ava Gardner, considered "the most beautiful animal in the world". It will start the golden moment and Hollywood divas.

The 50's

 Women with curves is the great ideal of the decade. The girls look or wish to have an explosive bust, rounded hips and long, toned legs. The film becomes an inspiration for millions of young people try to imitate Marilyn Monroe and dyed platinum blonde.






The 70's                                                                          

 The social and sexual revolution that began in the 60s continues in the 70s, a decade marked by the cult of the body. Women going wild, hair cardan, set aside bra and tanning is imposed. The eyebrows are naturally drawn and eyes are highlighted with colorful shades.





The 80's 

 In the 80s reached the age of excess and eccentricity, of leonine hair, in shaper and carded, the disco music, the 'punk' ... The fashion is characterized by XXL with padded shoulders; high heels or thin waists. Several aesthetic bind and are opposed. Madonna becomes an emulated by millions of young people worldwide icon. Lips ranging from red to black, and other women also become ideal model from the classic beauty as Brooke Shields.

The end of the decade marks the beginning of the era of supermodels



The 90's

 It comes to the larger models, a long list that includes women as Cindy Crawford; Claudia Schiffer; Elle McPherson, nicknamed 'The Body'; Naomi Campbell; Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista, which happened after others, like Eva Herzigova. Athletic women with slim bodies are imposed, but not too much and, although excels Kate Moss, they are the undisputed queens.



New millennium

  The beauty becomes synonymous with thinness, often insane. Many women aspire to be increasingly thin. The cult of the pathological body even chiselled Nip-Tuck, characterizes the beginning of the century. Kate Moss becomes a real muse and inspiration. Cara Delevingne is now considered his successor. Actresses like Keira Knightley and Natalie Portman also boast of thinness and of an absent body curves. However, against this trend appears also claiming other curves and women like Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and Scarlett Johansson also placed as a role.



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