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The science behind the 'perfect body': Surgeon reveals why our idea of beauty went the 1950s 'hourglass' to today's tiny waist and inflated lips
From the curvy, ultra-feminine silhouettes of the 50s to today's influencers with inflated lips and tiny waist, the 'perfect' body type has changed decade by decade.
The shifts appear to be dramatic, making some wonder what has been the force driving the transformations.
An expert told DailyMail.com said that the standards of beauty throughout time have been informed by a complex mix of cultural, psychological and health issues.
Surgeon Mark Solomos MD explained that things such as the post-WWII economic boom, rise of the diet culture in the 60s and today's digital manipulation have molded the perception of what is considered attractive .
The post-war era focused on hourglass figures like Marilyn Monroe's
'The changes in the 'perfect' body reflect broader societal shifts, including changes in fashion, media representation, cultural values, and advancements in health awareness, said Solomos who is an international plastic surgeon with A-list clients and appeared on the TV shows '10 Years Younger' & 'Price Of Perfection'.
'Psychological factors such as the desire for social acceptance and the impact of media on body image also play a significant role.'
The 1950s: Post-WII boom
The distinctive 'look' of the 1950s was curvy, with an emphasis on the hourglass figure, symbolizing fertility and femininity, Solomos explained.
In part, this image is explained by the post-war economic boom (and the 'Baby Boom') - with women returning to traditional gender roles after a conflict which saw many women taking on traditionally 'male' jobs.
In America, three million women quit their jobs and women's magazines turned to focusing on domestic issues and the idea of 'the housewife'.
'The perfect example of this was Marilyn Monroe, Bridgitte Bardot and Jayne Mansfield - all seen as the ultimate pin up,' Solomos said.
'Their bodies were soft, lacked the tone we see today, had curves and were stereotypically seen as the ideal in terms of female perfection.'
The 1960s: Rise of diet culture
Models such as Twiggy epitomized the era
Twiggy made it acceptable to be slim, have small breasts and became the ultimate 'clothes horse'
The 'ideal' woman shifted towards being slimmer and more youthful, almost androgynous.
Accompanied by a counterculture, which rejected many of the ideas of previous generations, the 1960s also saw a boom in the diet industry.
Models such as Twiggy epitomized the era, Solomos said, with feminism driving a growing rejection of the idea of the 'housewife' and the post-war Baby Boom meaning that a large number of the population were teenagers.
'This change was influenced by the rise of youth culture, the feminist movement, and the introduction of the birth control pill,' said Solomos.
'The swinging 60s were hedonistic, free love, and rock n roll.
'It was acceptable for women to wear tight trousers and yet look sexy. Twiggy made it acceptable to be slim, have small breasts and became the ultimate 'clothes horse' the fashions of the 60's hung better on the boyish frame, and pixie style haircuts.'
The 1970s: Rise of body positivity
The ideal body became more diverse, reflecting the broader societal shifts towards body positivity and acceptance of different shapes and sizes.
The ideal body in the 1970s became more diverse, reflecting the broader societal shifts towards body positivity and acceptance of different shapes and sizes. Farrah Fawcett epitomized the era
Time Magazine proclaimed 1975 the 'year of the women', writing: 'They have arrived like a new immigrant wave in male America.
'They may be cops, judges, military officers, telephone linemen, cab drivers, pipefitters, editors, business executives – or mothers and housewives, but not quite the same subordinate creatures they were before.'
'This era saw the emergence of models like Lauren Hutton and Farrah Fawcett, who represented natural beauty and athleticism,' said Solomos.
'These women were starting to take on many male roles, and wore 'power suits' to reflect this, they were combining motherhood alongside work, and so they embraced their femininity and curves in flares, and blouses.'
The 1980s: Fitness boom
The 1980s saw both a fitness boom and a shift towards more 'powerful' looks for women, epitomized by the 'big shoulders' in 1980s clothing.
Icons such as Jane Fonda and Cindy Crawford popularized the idea of a fit and athletic physique.
Icons such as Jane Fonda and Cindy Crawford popularized the idea of a fit and athletic physique
' This was influenced by the fitness craze of the era and the emphasis on health and wellness, explained Solomos.
'Healthy' was on the lips of most women and was saw diet trends emerge. Women wanted to be trim yet still look womanly and feminine.
The 1990s: Models became role models
Ironically, as the World Health Organization began to sound the alarm on the world's obesity epidemic, the 'perfect' female body became thinner and thinner.
'Waif' bodies were in, and the buzz word was 'heroin chic' as models championed a body image that was, for many women, unattainable.
'The ideal body was characterized by a combination of fitness and thinness, epitomized by models like Kate Moss and Jodie Kidd,' Solomos said.
The look was epitomized by models like Kate Moss and Jodie Kidd
'The boyish, flat chested, sinewy limbs dominated the catwalk and this reflected the rise of the supermodel and the influence of media promoting thinness as fashionable.
'No one wanted big breasts, or a large derriere, the trend was a small flat bottom, small breasts and ultra slip bodies with hip bones prominent and sharp cheekbones.'
The 2000s to present: Digital manipulation
Technology has begun to shape our idea of the 'ideal' female body, with looks inspired by airbrushing, filters and looking 'almost AI'.
The rise of influencers has shifted society towards a more digital idea of beauty, and competing trends such as body positivity and Ozempic reshaping our ideas of the female body.
'Social media and digital manipulation have played a significant role in shaping beauty standards, with influencers and celebrities influencing perceptions of beauty. If you think of reality stars today, there is a common look, almost AI,' said Solomos.
The choice for big over inflated lips, big eyes, strong eyebrows, tiny waist, full yet not overly large breasts, larger bottoms seems to be a 'look' many generation Z aspire to have - which appears to be what Kim Kardashian looks like
'The choice for big over inflated lips, big eyes, strong eyebrows, tiny waist, full yet not overly large breasts, larger bottoms seems to be a 'look' many generation Z aspire to have, if you then throw in filters, airbrushing and photoshop, then the look appears to be very similar.
'The ideal body has continued to evolve, with trends towards a more toned and shapely yet slim physique- the ideal word being 'strong'.'
'What's coming next is hard to predict definitively, but there's a growing movement towards body positivity, inclusivity, and acceptance of diverse body types. There's also an increasing emphasis on health and wellness rather than achieving a specific aesthetic ideal.
'However, societal trends and cultural influences will continue to shape perceptions of beauty in complex ways.'