From the Corset to Going Under the Knife
Photo Credit to: timesofoman.com
By: Daniela de La- Rocque
In search of the perfect body, women have always made sacrifices to try to get the perfect body.
Looking back, fashion always had a way of doing this.
In 1900, La Belle Époque became known as the era of luxury. The corset would shape the woman’s body in a way where her body would have an “S” shape. The corset would put her chest forward, hips back, while compressing the always troublesome belly pouch, .
In the 20s women start using flatteners which would flatten their breasts. Waists begin to disappear, and the hips were the major accent point.
In the 30s bras replaced flatteners. Many women, especially cinema divas, got some of their teeth pulled as a way to slim and sharpen the face. The silhouette that women were pursuing was more slender, the clothes were long and narrow.
During the war period, 1940’s, the body image being sought after was more athletic, strong and healthy.
In the post-war came the pin ups, which emphasized women with a very thin waist and accentuated the bust. The post war era was were women showed more skin, like their legs and shoulders.
The 50’s was the era of the barbie doll. Barbie was the epitome of the woman with the perfect body. Ladies in Hollywood who became muses for women around the US and the world were Brigitte Bardot and Marilyn Monroe. Again the need for a tiny waist came back into the spotlight.
In the 60s Twiggy became the standard of perfection with her anorexic, fragile look.
In the 70s the standard of beauty was the lean woman with more pigmentation, which brought about the tanning trend.
In the 80s, was the “boom” for aerobics classes. Women, despite their professional commitments, did not stop going to the gym to exercise.
In the early 90s Kate Moss became the standards of beauty. But at the close of the decade Brazilian super model and Victoria’s Secret Angel, Giselle Bundchen, showed the balance of a sleek woman with curves.
Nowadays women exchange a diamond ring for breast implants Manhattan. If you’re one of those who are considering a breast implant surgery, you must look for a certified cosmetic surgeon to do the procedure.
But even with the ever changing body image trends. Todya many women steer away from society’s model of perfection and claim to be happy with their extra pounds.
