What is the standard of beauty? For me, I have always answered this question with an obvious, “It is what my parents think is beautiful.” As a matter of fact, I was raised by my mom in a home where the standard of beauty was defined by her parents.
Mom would show us the covers of fashion magazines. The covers had magazine layouts that she loved. She would comment on the way the models looked and then give us a bit of homework in the form of shopping tips for clothing. We were fortunate enough to live in a time when fashion shows and magazines were not a huge part of every American household. As a result, our fashion tips consisted almost entirely of the clothes that were available at the local department store.
As a child, I could not understand why there was so much fuss over beauty. When I finally became a teenager, things changed. Trends were more important than the beauty of people. This new standard of beauty was different than what I remembered my mom using. This new standard also included race, and the idea that some people did not look the same because of their appearance.
This new standard of beauty was in full swing during the late sixties. TV programs like “I Love Lucy” really helped to shape the idea of what a beautiful woman should be. “The Lucy Show” was a watershed moment for many women as they entered into a world of fashion shows and fashion weeks. The definition of what was beautiful and desirable really started to change. The beauty pageant industry, which was largely an African American and female dominated industry, took a major hit.
It took many years for “I Love Lucy” to bring back the pride that many women felt in their appearance. But this was not the end of the fashion show standards that had been set by previous generations. The fashion world began to slowly evolve, and women of all races and ethnicities began to join in the fun. Society, again, had a lot of changes to deal with. People were becoming more accepting of the idea that some people are just naturally more attractive than others.
Because of these changing times and the definition of what is the standard of beauty, women have been fighting hard to maintain their own personal standards. Unfortunately, many women still feel very self-conscious about their appearance. Many beauty pageant contests are designed to be as un-selfish as possible, and do not offer contestants an opportunity to feel self-confident. In these contests, the winner is the one who looks the most “perfect”. Women are still trying to find ways to define their beauty pageants from the inside out, and to define themselves against others.
Women’s clothing and trends are also a large part of the “what is the standard of beauty” debate. Although clothing has always been considered to have an effect on an individual’s appearance, there are several opinions about what it actually does to a person. On one side, clothing can help improve the body, by hiding physical flaws, or giving the impression of flaws that do not exist. On the other side of the argument is the fact that clothing can often make a person feel less confident and be more self-conscious. For example, if women are forced to wear revealing clothing on a reality show, where they will then be judged based on their appearance, many women may not be confident enough to enter a beauty pageant, let alone to win. So which side of the argument is the correct one?
Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to what is the standard of beauty. Every person on this earth has their own ideas of beauty. Many people believe that beauty is strictly based upon physical appearance, while other people feel that an inner beauty is much more important. If you are going to decide what is the standard of beauty for yourself, then you should try to find your own ideals about beauty, and what you find attractive. This way, when you look in the mirror and see how beautiful you are, you won’t feel as guilty as you would if you had to judge it based upon appearance. Good luck!