The Waistline Of Womankind
07:33This blogpost has been a long time coming. It's always been a topic that has bugged me how people can be so obsessed by weight and looking how they think they should look, to such extremes that they are willing to practically starve or hurt themselves to do so.
All women at some point in their lives are guilty of obsessing over their weight. But why are we surprised? When all the media pumps into us these days is how much weight one celebrity has put on or how amazing one looks a month after having a baby!? This obsession has turned nasty, with bigger sizes slating naturally slimmer girls as skinny and vice versa, when at some point over the years every body type possible has been the fashion.
Each decade has had their own 'it girl'. 1910's was all about the Gibson Girl, when illustrator Charles Gibson drew his idea of the 'it girl' as a busty figure of 8 lady with large bust and a tiny waistline. His illustrations features in the Vogue magazines of their day.
1920's saw a very different figure that all women were lusting over: the Flapper Girl. Renowned poker straight physiques, it was almost polar opposite to the previous decade. Petite and dainty, small busts and hips were the in trend, and more leg was on show.
When the stock market fell in 1929, so did hemlines. Waistlines were more in fashion, as a more fitted silhouette returned. Smaller chest sized were still deemed popular, possibly due to the new bra-cup sizing that was brought in this era. 'The Bread Diet' was the most popular diet of this era, with women confusing gluten with glutton.
World War 2 in the 40's brought a far more structured fashion; broader shoulders were the craze, and so came around shoulder pads along with 'bullet' bras. Taller ladies were the 'it girl' of this era, with women lusting over Kathrine Hepburn's 5"8 physique.
Make way for Marylin; the Hourglass Era. 1950's saw the introduction of a softer, more voluptuous woman; advertisements were aimed at 'skinny' women to take weight-gain supplements to fill out their curves. Barbie was created this decade, imitating the small waisted, large chested woman that the ladies of the 50's were aiming for.
As if history is repeating itself, the 60's said bye bye to Marylin and hello to Twiggy. Doll-faced, slender, petite made its way back into the spotlight, with smaller bust and hips making a comeback. There was a lack of tailoring with women going girdle-free and the popularity of shift dresses making an entrance. With the declining sales of weight-gain supplements, Weight Watchers was founded in 1963.
The 70's saw far more natural 'it girl', with Farrah Fawcett leading the pack with her natural beauty, and toned, athletic figure. Slim hips and flat stomachs, as fashion took a turn into synthetic fabrics such as spandex, however curves were still making a comeback. The Atkins diet was founded in the 70's, so much for The Bread Diet!! However this also saw a rise in cases of anorexia, as women strived to look their slimmest.
The era of the supermodel, the 80's. Naomi Campbell, Elle Macpherson and more rocked a tall, leggy physique to lead the runway with. This era saw an introduction to fitness, with Jane Fonda making a trend of jogging and aerobics. Muscles are no longer looked upon as 'just for men'.
The 90's saw those leggy supermodels tossed into the washing machine at 50°, as Kate Moss takes control of the catwalk at a mere 5"7. Fashion took a far more relaxed feel, with slouchy jeans and oversized jumpers were favoured. Pale skin, angular bone structure and slender limbs were in fashion. Kate Moss' famous last words: "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels."
2000's. Washboard abs are in, with Britney and Xtina showing off their midriff and killer abs in their music videos. The popularity of Victoria Secret's lingerie and even more so, their angels strutting their stuff. Tall, thin and leggy models with large busts, flawless hair and toned figures. Who wouldn't want that?
And now, the 2010's. Destiny's Child were a decade ahead with 'Bootylicious', but oh how they were right. Kim K, J-Lo, Nikki Minaj and Beyonce and queens with their mighty derrières. While the rest of womankind are signing up for gym memberships and squatting until their legs can't move!
Sorry for the history lesson (and may I say congrats if you've made it this far) but this wasn't intended to just enlighten you about the history of women's body shapes. It's for reassurance that whatever shape and size you are, you will be 'the fashion' one day. Don't punish yourself because you don't have big boobs, or a big bum, or a flat stomach or long slim legs. There's a difference between being healthy and keeping fit, and harming your body to lose weight because that's what the media pressures you to do.
When the stock market fell in 1929, so did hemlines. Waistlines were more in fashion, as a more fitted silhouette returned. Smaller chest sized were still deemed popular, possibly due to the new bra-cup sizing that was brought in this era. 'The Bread Diet' was the most popular diet of this era, with women confusing gluten with glutton.
World War 2 in the 40's brought a far more structured fashion; broader shoulders were the craze, and so came around shoulder pads along with 'bullet' bras. Taller ladies were the 'it girl' of this era, with women lusting over Kathrine Hepburn's 5"8 physique.
Make way for Marylin; the Hourglass Era. 1950's saw the introduction of a softer, more voluptuous woman; advertisements were aimed at 'skinny' women to take weight-gain supplements to fill out their curves. Barbie was created this decade, imitating the small waisted, large chested woman that the ladies of the 50's were aiming for.
As if history is repeating itself, the 60's said bye bye to Marylin and hello to Twiggy. Doll-faced, slender, petite made its way back into the spotlight, with smaller bust and hips making a comeback. There was a lack of tailoring with women going girdle-free and the popularity of shift dresses making an entrance. With the declining sales of weight-gain supplements, Weight Watchers was founded in 1963.
The 70's saw far more natural 'it girl', with Farrah Fawcett leading the pack with her natural beauty, and toned, athletic figure. Slim hips and flat stomachs, as fashion took a turn into synthetic fabrics such as spandex, however curves were still making a comeback. The Atkins diet was founded in the 70's, so much for The Bread Diet!! However this also saw a rise in cases of anorexia, as women strived to look their slimmest.
The era of the supermodel, the 80's. Naomi Campbell, Elle Macpherson and more rocked a tall, leggy physique to lead the runway with. This era saw an introduction to fitness, with Jane Fonda making a trend of jogging and aerobics. Muscles are no longer looked upon as 'just for men'.
The 90's saw those leggy supermodels tossed into the washing machine at 50°, as Kate Moss takes control of the catwalk at a mere 5"7. Fashion took a far more relaxed feel, with slouchy jeans and oversized jumpers were favoured. Pale skin, angular bone structure and slender limbs were in fashion. Kate Moss' famous last words: "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels."
2000's. Washboard abs are in, with Britney and Xtina showing off their midriff and killer abs in their music videos. The popularity of Victoria Secret's lingerie and even more so, their angels strutting their stuff. Tall, thin and leggy models with large busts, flawless hair and toned figures. Who wouldn't want that?
And now, the 2010's. Destiny's Child were a decade ahead with 'Bootylicious', but oh how they were right. Kim K, J-Lo, Nikki Minaj and Beyonce and queens with their mighty derrières. While the rest of womankind are signing up for gym memberships and squatting until their legs can't move!
Sorry for the history lesson (and may I say congrats if you've made it this far) but this wasn't intended to just enlighten you about the history of women's body shapes. It's for reassurance that whatever shape and size you are, you will be 'the fashion' one day. Don't punish yourself because you don't have big boobs, or a big bum, or a flat stomach or long slim legs. There's a difference between being healthy and keeping fit, and harming your body to lose weight because that's what the media pressures you to do.
And finally, a big thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to leave comments as I know it's a slightly controversial topic!
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