The struggle to feel beautiful in an airbrushed world

 

 

Sex siren, flapper, waif or bootylicious, how the shape of the ‘perfect’ body has changed over the last 100 years Women were inspired by Charles Dana Gibson's illustrations in 1910 Curves came into fashion in 1930s and 1940s Kate Moss personified the Waif of 1990s Today, Kim Kardashian and Beyonce champion curves and a big bottom Kim Kardashian's famous curves may adorn glossy magazine covers today but that would not have always been the case. Rewind 100 years and the perfect female figure was an altogether different story. Inspired by Greatist, FEMAIL has taken a look back over the past few generations to examine exactly how the female ideals have changed. +24 FEMAIL has taken a look back over the past few generations to examine exactly how the female ideals have changed, beginning with the 1910s Gibson Girl ideal inspired by the illustrations of Charles Dana Gibson From the Gibson Girl of the early 1900s to the Bootylicious Beyonce of today - via Heroin chic Kate Moss - just how much the most desired shape of the day has changed over the years may surprise you. In 1910, it was all about the Gibson Girl look: the pouty, curvy woman who personified beauty portrayed by the illustrations of Charles Dana Gibson. Her physique was tall and slender but with a buxom bosom and large hips; essentially an 'S' shaped body achieved by wearing a super-cinched corset. +24 By 1920, the flapper girl was well in fashion and a trim figure was all the rage +24 The housewife did not need a personal trainer to keep the surplus pounds at bay. In a world before vacuum cleaners and washing machines, housework kept her - and her legs - trim for her short-hemmed dresses By 1920, the flapper girl was well in fashion. Times were hard for the Twenties flapper girl. A quarter of a century before the creation of the egalitarian Welfare State, poverty meant many British adults and children never had enough to eat. The housewife did not need a personal trainer to keep the surplus pounds at bay. In a world before vacuum cleaners and washing machines, housework kept her trim. But while the majority of women had no problem keeping slim, it was the Twenties which saw the invention of dieting. Upper-class women who ate a richer diet and exercised less bought the new women's magazines which featured weight-loss diets designed to give you that fashionable, streamlined figure that worked so well with the iconic flapper dress. +24 Hemlines fell in 1930 and curves seeped their way back into fashion +24 With her curvier figure, Jean Harlow was the sex symbol of the 1930s Hemlines fell in 1930, when morale was low following the stock market crash. Curves seeped their way back into fashion and women dared to bare their shoulders. This slightly more voluptuous look was embraced by the media, which lead nicely into the screen queen era of the 1940s. The Forties woman was one inch larger all round than the Flapper simply because she was better nourished. The Forties laid the foundation for women becoming taller as the Government decreed that every child was entitled to one-third of a pint of milk a day, so promoting the growth of strong bones. This continued in schools until Margaret Thatcher scrapped it in the 1970s. +24 With their men off fighting, fashion changed in the Forties and the curvy feminine look to cheer returning heroes became the order of the day Again, it was their highly energetic lifestyle that kept Forties women slim. There was no petrol for cars, and people cycled or walked for miles every day. Girls thought little of walking ten miles home after a Saturday night dance. With their men off fighting, fashion changed. The curvy feminine look to cheer returning heroes became the order of the day, with fitted suits and belted flowery dresses to show off the waist, and the Flapper's flattening bodice giving way to the circle-stitched bra. Those ideals heightened in the Fifties, when weight gain tablets were promoted in magazines to help women fill out their curves. +24 In the Fifties, weight-gain tablets were promoted in magazines to help women fill out their curves This was a stark contrast to the 1960s, which ushered in a more much gaunt figure popularised by supermodels such as Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton. Dresses shrunk to suit the favoured petite frame and women craved smaller busts and tinier hips. Many women embarked on diets to fulfill their goals and Weight Watchers was founded - and welcomed - in 1963. Back came the curves in 1970 - the era of the long, lean dancing queen. Farrah Fawcett was the poster girl of this decade and waspish frames were on their way out. +24 In the 1960s, dresses shrunk to suit the favoured petite frame as sported by Twiggy   The 1960s ushered in a more gaunt figure popularised by supermodels Twiggy, left, and Jean Shrimpton +24 Back came the curves in 1970 - the era of the long, lean dancing queen +24 The typical 70s look was embraced by (L-R) Kate Jackons, Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith By the time the Eighties came along, the British woman was well on the way to an irretrievable pear-shape, with her hips measuring two inches more than her bust. Women idolised the 'supermodels' of the era - including leggy Elle MacPherson, Naomi Campbell, and Linda Evangelist. It was, of course, in the Eighties that exercise classes became fashionable, with women looking to Jane Fonda in a bid to achieve lithe, muscular bodies. Alas, despite huge numbers of videos sold and classes attended, the inches continued to increase. +24 By the Eighties, the British woman was on the way to a healthy figure with Elle MacPherson being the ideal   Women idolised the 'supermodels' of the era in the Eightees - including leggy Elle MacPherson, who became widely known as 'The Body' Then came the 1990s - and Kate Moss. The supermodel and pin-up of her time, became known as 'the waif' and she and fellow catwalk queens such as Jodie Kidd popularised the 'heroin chic' look, which was gaunt with hollow eyes. The look, thankfully, came to an end thanks to Gisele Bundchen, who promoted a healthy lifestyle and washboard abs. Britney Spears also jumped on the bandwagon and shocked the world when she revealed she completes 600 sit-ups a day to achieve her toned tummy. +24 The Nineties was the decade of 'the waif' popularised the 'heroin chic' look seen on Kate Moss   Then came the 1990s - and Kate Moss, left, and Jodie Kidd. The supermodels popularised the 'heroin chic' look, which was gaunt with hollow eyes By the year 2000, the pearshape became even more marked, with the average waistsize having ballooned four inches in 20 years. The wasp-waisted Twenties woman would be shocked at the dimensions of today's Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj, who champion the bigger is better mantra. +24 By the millennium, women strived for an athletic figure like Britney Spears   Gisele Bundchen, left, and Britney Spears, right, promoted a healthy lifestyle and washboard abs in the 2000s +24 Today, the Facebook generation look to body icons such as curvy, big bottomed Kim Kardashian   Today, it's all about the big behind, as championed by Kim Kardashian, left, and Nicki Minaj, right ://

The struggle to feel beautiful in an airbrushed world   From the Gibson Girl of 1910 to the Bootylicious Beyonce of today via Heroin chic Kate Moss, just how much the 'perfect' vision of the female figure has changed may surprise you.     Body Issue: Venus Williams is following in her sister's footsteps and posing nude for ESPN the Magazine's Body Issue +8 Brrrr: U.S. bobsled brake woman Aja Evans ditched her Team USA unitard to pose nude behind her sled +8 Surf's up: Hawaiian-born professional surfer Coco Ho traded her wet suit for her birthday suit for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue This year's issue features 22 athletes posing in their birthday suits, including five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, 18-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, Texas Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka. 'We somehow manage to raise the bar each year,' ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com editor in chief Chad Millman said in an article announcing this year's issue. 'This year's collection of exceptional athletes and stunning photography showcases an array of sports and body types. It inhabits our mission to pay tribute to these athletes' bodies and all they are capable of,' he continued. +8 Baller: U.S. Women's Olympic Soccer star Megan Rapinoe even took off her gold medal for the magazine +8 Muddin': X-Games motor sports legend Travis Pastrana and his skateboarder wife Lyn-Z Pastrana get a little muddy during their photoshoot The often-controversial issue previously included beach volleyball star Kerri Walsh, who posed for the magazine while 8 months pregnant, and PGA great Gary Player, who disrobed for the publication at age 77.           More than 150 'normal' women of all shapes and sizes pose naked for project to embrace their bodies In a world where women are bombarded with Photoshopped images of supermodels in magazines and perfectly sculpted specimens on the runway, one photographer has made it his mission to glorify the natural beauty of the naked female body. Matt Blum, a Minneapolis based photographer, and his wife Katy launched 'The Nu Project' in 2005 and have captured more than 150 women in the buff in the comfort of their own homes. He asks women to volunteer for the project and shows up at their door, having never seen them before, for the nude photo shoot. The women are of all colors, shapes and sizes. Participants heard about the project through word of mouth or Craigslist. 'I believe that women are judged more harshly by appearance, and that’s why I’ve focused this project on women,' Blum said in a description of the project on his website. He hopes the experiences encourages women to embrace their shape and not feel ashamed at their bodies. All women must be 21 years of age to participate and sign a release before the shoot. 'From what I've experienced, 99 per cent of the women who've participated have told me that they saw themselves differently and that they felt more beautiful,' Blum said in a Reddit discussion on the project. 'I got into this work because I didn't like the amount of nude photography that was either focused on a) perfect bodies or b) making women look extremely average just to prove that everyone is average.' Scroll down for video Beauty: Photographer Matt Blum and his wife Katy joined forces to photograph naked women in their element At ease: He asks women to volunteer for the project and shows up at their door, having never seen them before, for the nude photo shoot Embrace yourself: The Minneapolis based photographer, launched 'The Nu Project' in 2005 and have captured more than 150 women in the buff in the comfort of their own homes Calm: The women are of all colors, shapes and sizes. Participants heard about the project through word of mouth or Craigslist No regrets: 99 per cent of the women who've participated told the photographer that the photo shoot made them feel differently and that they felt more beautiful Acceptance: The photographer said he started the project because he didn't like the amount of nude photography that was either focused on making a women's body look perfect Happy: This woman exuded calm and confidence posing for the photographer Celebrate: The photographer wanted to allow women to experience the natural beauty of their bodies At home: The photographer captured women in the comfort of their own homes At 16 her gangly beauty saw her become the face of the 1960s. Fifty years on, Twiggy’s still very much in fashion. At 65, the model and Marks & Spencer designer has been named as the latest ambassador for L’Oreal.This time her enviable blonde locks will be the focus of the adverts for the brand’s Professionnel line of hair products. Here she charts her hairstyle history: 1965: A mousey bob, aged 15. A mousey bob, aged 15 'I was so young and so green back then, a teenage schoolgirl from Neasden, and it’s reflected in my naturally mousey brown hair. 'I had grown up in a really ordinary, happy, working-class home, the daughter of a carpenter, in the suburbs of London and I was very, very unsophisticated. 'I never sought the kind of fame that I eventually attracted. 'I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. 'I was a Mod girl and you had to have that kind of bobbed hairstyle then. 'Actually, that shade is a brilliant one for going any other colour, and this look is my jumping-off moment — a blank canvas for what came next.' +15 1966: The look that launched me 'Don’t I look young! This was the haircut that launched my career and was done by legendary hairdresser Leonard of Mayfair, in February 1966, for a shoot to test out my look. 'I was a bit shocked initially, as I didn’t know what he was going to do — and I’m not sure he did either. 'Thank goodness I took the plunge! 'It all took seven-and-a-half hours. Leonard would cut a bit then send me upstairs to see Daniel Galvin for colour, then Leonard would cut more. 'It got shorter and shorter! This period of my life was such a unique time. 'I was this funny, skinny little thing with eyelashes and long legs, who had grown up hating how I looked. 'It wasn’t fashionable to be skinny at that time, but suddenly I was being told I was beautiful, having my picture taken by famous photographers and earning lots of money. 'I thought the world had gone raving mad.' +15 1971: Flapper girl 'I had just started growing it long when I was signed up by director Ken Russell for my first film role, in The Boy Friend. 'Ken insisted I have my hair cut short again and we had a big argument. 'But in the end I had to admit he was right; for a Twenties movie, the short style worked, and moved, perfectly. 'I retired from full-time modelling at this point. 'I could have continued, but I enjoyed acting better and the film won me two Golden Globes: most promising newcomer and best actress in a musical or comedy.' +15 1972: Biba Blonde 'I’m very blonde here, modelling for Biba. 'I began colouring my hair in my teens while still at school. 'I have vivid memories of buying bottles of dye and my hair got into a pretty grim condition as a result. 'By the time Daniel Galvin got his hands on my hair in 1966, it was in a terrible state. 'He completely changed the way I thought about treating my hair and taught me the need to see a professional. 'Now I wouldn’t dream of doing highlights myself.' +15 1977: In Farrah's footsteps 'All those layers and big tumbling curls — very Farrah Fawcett. 'This promo shot was for a TV show I made with Bruce Forsyth. 'It was also the year I married my first husband, American actor Michael Witney, with whom I had a daughter, Carly.' +15 1980: So long it's just perfect 'This is my hair at its longest, and I loved it this way. 'I’ve always had a thing about long hair — I think it’s beautiful. 'But as a child, my mother would cut it short. 'Our neighbour said that long hair made you dizzy and I think shorter hair was easier for my mum to manage. 'Although my first very short cut is what everyone remembers, I only ever wanted to grow it out. 'Finally, here, I felt I’d achieved it — but it took me seven years to reach that stage.' +15 1982: Curls For Diana’s Dress Designer 'My hair is very romantic here, with ringlets, which matches the tone of the outfit, by David and Elizabeth Emanuel. 'It was just a year after they’d designed Diana’s wedding dress. 'In the Eighties, the best way to get this look was to sleep in prickly, plastic curlers, so I was delighted when they invented foam ones. 'Here, I was about to open a show on Broadway, My One And Only, for which I was nominated for a Tony award.' +15 1986: Beach blonde in Paradise 'Goodness, weren’t those shorts really short! 'This was a candid shot taken while I was appearing in a film with Robin Williams called Club Paradise — I was 35 at the time. 'My hair is quite long still but I had succumbed to another cut. 'With long hair, you still need it trimmed regularly to cut off the split ends. 'I look quite Californian with this beach-blonde hair shade and deep tan. 'I was going back and forth to Los Angeles for work a lot, so caught the sun a lot.' +15 1989: Big Hair For a big night 'Just look at the back-combing and hairspray — so Eighties! 'This was at the royal film premiere of Madame Souzatska in London and I had it specially styled at the hairdresser. 'The previous year I had married Leigh Lawson when I was 39. 'We were in this film together, and Shirley MacLaine also starred. 'Leigh’s been the most amazing father to Carly. 'It would have been nice if we’d had kids of our own, but it never happened. 'Anyway, I acquired a stepson, Ace, now 38, which was lovely. And Carly, now 36, and Ace get on fabulously.' +15 1997: Off-stage and feeling natural 'This is the real me and it’s very natural. 'You can see how straight my hair is without styling. 'I wish I had a curl — you always want what you don’t have. 'This picture was taken after I’d just come off stage while appearing in the Noel Coward play Blithe Spirit in Chichester.' +15 1999: Feathering my face for TV 'I’ve undergone a big reinvention of my hair here for my new TV show, with a shorter, layered cut feathered round the face. 'By now a fringe is a staple part of my hairdo, too. 'The look worked for my role presenting on OK! TV. 'I also had a stint on ITV’s This Morning in 2001, after Richard and Judy left.' +15 2006: Soft and warm - and about to be spotted by M&S 'It’s very short again here, and a really soft, warm style. 'This was taken while I was presenting America’s Next Top Model, which I did from 2003 to 2007. 'Not long after I became the face of a Marks & Spencer campaign. 'M&S only happened because I went into a pub in Southwold with my husband Leigh — me in my woolly hat and anorak, aged 57 — and was spotted by executive Steve Sharp.' +15 2008: Almost 60 and loving the long, tousled look 'My long hair is back — blonde, tousled and quite edgy — in this shoot with Brian Aris for a women’s magazine. 'I don’t think age should be a barrier to long hair; I still love having long locks as much as ever. 'But then I feel comfortable with the way my looks change with age. ' I’ve never been tempted by Botox; I hate that frozen look and I do worry about where it goes — after all, it’s poison. 'I have a facial a couple of times a year and like to get my nails wrapped as a treat to myself. ' I do like to get eight-and-a-half hours sleep and do Pilates to stay supple, too.' +15 2010: A fashion-friendly style 'Fashion should be stylish and fun': Twiggy's M&S collection 'I’ve stayed a pale blonde for a few years now, and I think it suits my face, giving it some light and lift. 'I’m at the British Fashion Awards here and am a big advocate of our homegrown designers. 'I love Stella McCartney clothes but also wear a lot of High Street stuff, and I adore designing my range for Marks & Spencer. 'I’ve never really had my hair any shorter than this, not since The Boy Friend, and I wouldn’t like to, though that’s a personal thing: I like to have a bit of hair around my face.' +15 2015: Bright and bold at 65 'This is a strong, bold look for someone of my age — styled for the new L’Oreal Professionel campaign — but I really like it. 'My daughter Carly said: "It looks very modern, Mum," and that’s always a good thing to hear. 'They made the highlights very bright and very easy to see, then styled the hair absolutely straight. 'I was a bit nervous but love the results, thankfully! 'They have used the Majirel High Lift, a highlighting technique that Daniel Galvin first used on me back in 1966. 'It is amazing to be working with Daniel again. 'He is the person who initiated natural-looking highlights and he’s still at the top of his game.'