Woman's Image Evolution over the Last 130 Years

Women's Dressing Patterns at the Turn of the Century

The image of the ideal woman

Before the 1920s, in particular around 1880 and 1910, women would dress and present themselves in a way that resembled the letter “S”.  Their waist was tighten with corsets measuring less the 20 inches. The upper torso was thrust toward and their hips were pointed backwards slightly up resembling the “S”. They all wore long dresses covering their entire bodies, if they even showed their ankles it would be considered racy. The younger women would put pads in their chest and hips to seem older and shapelier. Before the 1920s women tried their best to look older and mature. Although throughout the years to come the “S” shape began to soften. 
Evolution of Ideas in the 1920s 

Flapper

The 1920s were important to women because the way they dressed and their body expectations started to change. In a dramatic turn women started showing off their chest, and hips. This is when the Flappers started, the flapper represented an idea of women that was far more casual than the formal, corseted women. They usually had little regard for uptight behavioral norms and were reckless about the things they did. The flappers usually wore loose skirts and dresses that would show off their legs. Showing their ankles, knees and legs was very common in their wardrobe. The ideal of thinness and an enhanced appearance often drove women of the 1920s to diet and exercise in order to achieve this look, as well as buying cosmetics. Blush, dark eye makeup and large lips were in style, also having a healthy appearance was prized.
The 1950s till 1980s  

Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly

The body image around the 1950s was that women should have a full figure, very busty, with an hour glass shape. Models such as Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly were examples of how the perfect body should be. At this time women were also expected to always look their best and take advantage of beauty products. They were also expected to have flawless skin. Body image continued to change in the 1960s and 1970s, it was no longer about having full curvy figures. It was now about having skinny thin bodies, this had a huge impact on women health and diets habits. Women started using diet pills to lose weight and look like famous celebrities such as the singer Karen Carpenter who was known who starve as her method of dieting. Anorexia also began to happen throughout the 1970s. “American women’s BMI remained relatively steady at 24.9, making it difficult to match the body types of celebrities like Morgan Fairchild (18) or Joni Mitchell (20.5).” In the 1980s, the focus was more on fitness and being tone instead of just being thin and skinny.  Women were now exercising to get the perfect bodies that they wanted and not using diet pills as often.
Today's Woman and Going Forward
Today physical appearance has become the number one way we are valued in today's culture. Women want to look like the models or celebrities they see on television. The media gives women the pressure to look good and keep up with the trends. Women now feel the need to keep up with the new fashions, new hair and makeup trends. Today we find fit bodies and well taken care of faces to be beautiful.  Women should care more about how they feel and being more comfortable instead of worrying about what everyone expects them to look like.  

Works Cited
"1920s Women's Fashion." 1920s Fashion for Women. Just The Swing, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. 
Toole, Lucinda. "Buying into Body Image | The Oxford Student." The Oxford Student. N.p., 06 Apr. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.
"Women's Body Image and BMI: 100 Years in the US." Rehabs.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.