Perceptions of Body Image throughout History

  • Period: Jan 1, 1500 to

    1500s

    In the 16th century women wore corsets that were extremely heavy and difficult to wear, they were worn to achieve a bell- like look. It was fashionable to have no be chest-less, narrow and small on the top half of ur body and large and wide in the bottom half.
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    The 17th Century

    In the 17th century corsets were still fashionable but instead of being made from iron they were made from whale bone, and they helped to achieve a much more natural look in the lower half of a womans body.
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    The 18th Century

    Hooping skirts was back in fashion in the 18th century. Woman used to hoop their skirts and their "stays" (corsets) would be tightly bound with lace to give them an upright posture and pull back their shoulder blades. Corsets were often so tight that some women would faint due to not being able to get enough air.
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    The 19th Century

    The 19th century was an era when it was fashionable to have a full-figured body and corsets were worn to accentuate a womans curves and give them a more hour glass shape. The corsets would draw in at the waist to give a very unnnatural narrow shape and they would wear quiet large skirts and a bustle to make their hips look bigger.
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    The Beginning of the 20th Century

    In the 1910s, perceptions changed because woman became more athletic so a more slender shape was fashionable. Also corsets were no longer used and the hour-glass shape was less prevelant.
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    The 20th Century

    Fashionable women known as flappers were aiming to get a more muscular shape, a boyish figure with little to no curves so they wore undergarments like teddies to achieve the fashionable apparence. Then in the 1930s women wanted a more curver shape, a bigger bust but smaller hips. Because nylon was being used in the war women used to paint their legs.
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    The 20th Century

    After the war, curves were back and although it became more fashionable to have a larger bust than hips. So extra padding or falsies were used to make womens busts appear larger.
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    The 20th Century

    In the 1960s the barbie doll was born and the barbie doll look became fashionable, skinny, no hips, long legs and a large bust was what a every woman aimed for. Then in the 70s it became a bit more fashionable to be toned and look healthy, and then in the 80s it became even more fashionable to be toned and fit, this was when the idea of working out took off and became popular.
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    The 20th Century

    In the 90s being slim, tall became more fashionable, woman sought after the skinny tall Kate Moss look using diets exercise and lingerie like shapers and etc.
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    The 21st Century

    The ultimate body hape of today is the shape of many models, skinny and tall. Large busts, small hips, small waists and long legs are the saught after look. Although many people in the fashion old are trying to bring in a more curvier shape using plus size models and etc it is still very fashionable to be barbie doll- like. Also an athletic figure is seen as healthy, because fitness is becoming more and more important to woman.