Completely Different Beauty Standards of Two Different Eras

Beauty standards have preserved their existence, by changing their principles throughout history. Besides the strict perspectives of the past, a large part of society, especially young people, denies beauty standards. When we look at the history, we see that in some periods, some cultures was able to accept the standards that were completely opposite to the other cultures. It is not possible to say with certainty how beauty standards form. Yet, fundamentally, social, economic, political and cultural factors are determinants.

Beauty Standards in Renaissance

Although a long time has passed since then, the renaissance is still a glaring period that continues its name and enthusiasm. We can’t see many examples of the lower classes and peasants in this period. Nevertheless, in the light of many works that have survived until today, we can say that especially upper class women care about beauty standards. During this period, the media setting the standards of beauty and conveying them to people were mostly literature and artwork. In most of the literary works of the period, physical beauty is combined with beauty of soul. Still, it is possible to detect some common physical details.

Skin colour was the most prominent beauty standard of the era. This is mainly based on economic reasons. Sunburned skin or injured hands were a sign of working outside. It was a way of working for the poor and peasants. Therefore, it was unimaginable features for a noble lady. For upper-class women, this issue was so serious that processes such as whitening the face by rubbing silver quickly and slowly poisoning yourself with lead to get pale skin were applied.

Another physical feature that stands out in the beauty concept of this period is hair colour. Italian Renaissance scholars and writers repeatedly mentioned and praised blonde hair in their letters. To get blonde hair they applied a bleaching treatment to their hair. They would then sit in the sun for hours (with proper clothes to protect the skin from the sun).

The ideal female body was fat and round. Being fat was an indication of their economic superiority, as women represented the wealth of their families or their husbands.

Victorian Era and Tuberculosis Fashion

In the mid-1800s, tuberculosis reached epidemic levels in Europe. The bacteria that cause the disease gradually weaken the body, and eventually kill it. The effects of the condition, which are weakness, pale skin, rosy cheeks, and red lips, were seen as the standard of beauty. Although the disease did not make any class discrimination, the symptoms were perceived as features specific to noble women. Even people without tuberculosis wanted to have these features with make-up.

This understanding continued until identification of tuberculosis in 19th century. After the identification of the disease, the symptoms began to be associated with the poor people. Women stopped wearing tight corsets because they thought it would damage the lungs. Moreover, they shortened their long dresses so that it did not touch the floor. Suddenly, health became a privilege. As a result, the perception of beauty changed.

Beauty Standards of Today

Besides the strict perspectives of the past, most people, especially young people, denies beauty standards. The most important factor imposing beauty standards today is the media. Keeping up with the beauty standards and fashion is more difficult than in the past. TV series, advertisements and movies constantly reveal a new look, style, make-up or hair style. The life span of these is so short that they begin to be called obsolete after a couple years. When we realize the marketing madness around us, we can clearly say that today’s standards are constantly changing for purely economic reasons.

Besides, this issue negatively affects the lives of many young people. Each body type and shape is different and has its own balance. Nobody has to fit in defined standards. It is not our appearance that determines our worth. When it comes to our bodies, what we need to worry about should be our health rather than our body size.

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