Ancient Egypt
Let's start with the basics. In Ancient Egypt, gender equality reigned, society was liberated and free. But at the same time, there was a very specific ideal of beauty of the era - slender body with an elongated waist and narrow shoulders, long black hair, classic strict facial features and expressive eyes lined with black paint.
Ancient Greece
Ideal female beauty we can see in surviving ancient Greek sculptures, in particular in the sculpture of Aphrodite. At that time, the idea of physical perfection was actively promoted; the Greeks even calculated a formula for the beauty of the female body, which gives the ratio of the size of the feet, hands and other parts of the body to each other. The face of a Greek beauty should have been symmetrical and even, with big eyes, as well as a straight nose. Ideal type The figure was considered “pear” with small breasts, but voluminous hips.
The ideal of beauty of the Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, attitudes towards appearance changed greatly compared to antiquity. Beauty during this period was considered sinful. But a certain canon still existed. The ideal of beauty in the Middle Ages was a girl with very pale, snow-white skin, thin and emaciated. The oval of the elongated face is framed by light wavy hair. The mouth is small and modest, the eyes are large and slightly bulging. To achieve paleness, girls not only rubbed their faces with lemon, but also did bloodletting. In the Middle Ages, many people also shaved their eyebrows. So the portraits of beauties of those times look rather strange.
Popular
Renaissance
Classic examples of the ideal of female beauty in the Renaissance are the Mona Lisa, as well as Botticelli’s Venus. Still the same pallor and high forehead, but the facial expression becomes more mysterious, and the hair is now loosely styled. Curvy figure becomes one of the main values of this period. Full arms, wide hips, soft and smooth features - all this was valued during the Renaissance. As for the hairstyle, then ideal option were light Wavy hair.
Baroque and Rococo
The 17th and 18th centuries dictated new rules of female beauty. One of the main ones is a thin waist. The era of corsets is coming, some girls manage to tighten their waist to 33 cm. At the same time, a very deep neckline is always paired with a corset. Beauties carefully protect themselves from the sun, because snow-white skin is in fashion. Ladies in lace frills resemble beautiful porcelain figurines.
19th century
The time is coming for the Empire style, which values natural beauty. The girl should be slim, light dress from Muslim, with big eyes and white skin. At the same time, in the 19th century there was another direction - fluffy dresses with tight corsets and complex styling. In both styles, the so-called sickly femininity was in fashion: pallor, weakness and fainting.
20th century
This era gave us many different ideals of female beauty. In the 20s, androgynous appearance came into fashion - the corset was forgotten, boyish figures with small breasts were valued, and for the first time in many centuries, women began to wear short hair.
In the 30-50s, during the era of golden Hollywood, femininity returned to fashion. An hourglass figure with a thin waist, large breasts and voluminous hips, lush hair with curls, long eyelashes, blush and scarlet lips - Marilyn Monroe and other actresses were the ideal beauty of the era.
In the 60s, the most popular model was Twiggy with her slender body, long legs and small breasts. In the 80s, the ideal changed again: aerobics came into fashion, as well as supermodels - tall, athletic and fit. By the 90s, the ideal shifted a little in the other direction, painful thinness and pallor came into fashion.
21 century
The modern ideal of beauty is a rather complex concept. Today, health and slimness are valued, but not anorexic thinness, as in the 90s. Slim stomach, large breasts and a firm butt are considered ideal. Which, as we know, is practically unattainable. Fortunately, everyone more people are inclined towards the idea of natural beauty in all its diversity. But it will take a lot of time for this idea to really become popular.
Beauty has always been deified by people, aroused admiration and inspired heroic deeds. Each era had its own idea of female beauty, which evolved over time. The standard of female beauty has changed since the appearance of man on earth. Views of femininity and attractiveness were based on an unstable basis, which depended on religious and moral principles and the trends of cultural values. During times Ancient Greece beauty human body was elevated to almost a religious cult. She was worshiped, idolized and considered the greatest gift and talent.
The concept of beauty in a historical aspect
The ancient Greeks assessed the female body according to parameters close to modern ones. They considered beauty to be the highest manifestation of the generosity of the gods - beautiful person, both men and women, enjoyed no less popularity and respect than the famous commander or statesman. The most beautiful people formed a special stratum in society, were highly respected and venerable inspirers of poets and creative people. Poems and songs were dedicated to them, sculptors sculpted statues of them.
Since the times of Ancient Greece, the history of the creation of one of the statues of the goddess of beauty and love - Aphrodite - has been preserved. It turns out that, one of the most talented creators of graceful sculptures of the human body, he made her in the image of his beloved. For this he was accused of blasphemy and summoned to court, because according to the laws of that time it was forbidden to sculpt gods from human images, and even more so to associate a goddess with a mortal woman. It was believed that the celestials could be angry with a person for such missteps, and in righteous anger destroy all the inhabitants of the city.
As a defense, the sculptor brought his beloved Phryne to court. Having undressed her in front of everyone present, Praxiteles asked why they were not happy with her body and believed that it was not divine? Convinced of the irresistibility of Phryne’s body, the judges were unable to make any arguments and were forced to release the master.
The concept of beauty among men was also clearly defined. Sports was respected toned body, because the Greeks were great adherents healthy image life. Their role models were the Olympian gods - they were a priori considered an ideal to strive for. It was customary for young men to shave their faces clean and wear long wavy hair tied with a hoop or silk ribbon. As they grew older, they gained the right to wear a beard, and their hairstyle became shorter.
Aphrodite de Milo - the standard of female beauty
During the period of antiquity, an absolutely proportionate, athletic body was considered the ideal of attractiveness. For a woman, a great advantage was considered to be tall height, rounded shoulders, a wasp waist, a slightly widened pelvis, a vertical abdominal line (flat). toned stomach) and slender legs. The combination was considered very beautiful blonde hair, blue eyes, a straight nose with a small hump and a high forehead. It is under this description that another famous statue falls - Aphrodite de Milo. She was the ideal of beauty and personified the highest perfection of nature. The statue depicts slender woman with graceful posture. Her height is 164 cm, and the volumes of her chest, waist and hips are 86, 69 and 93 cm, respectively. The Greeks paid great attention to the symmetry and proportionality of the face.
Flawless Beautiful face conditionally could be divided into three even parts along the lines of the eyebrows and the tip of the nose. Blondes were considered beautiful blue eyes, whose hair was gathered into an elegant, low-set bun.
In search of the ideal standard of beauty, the Greeks tried to apply scientific approach, which turned out to be quite fair. But, besides this, the study of the impeccability of the female body laid the foundation for new concepts and directions, such as harmony and aesthetics.
According to the main canons that define the Greek idea of beauty, a woman with a straight nose, large, wide nose was considered attractive. with open eyes, the distance between which should be at least the size of one eye. The size of the eyes was skillfully emphasized by the rounded arches of the eyebrows. All this splendor was framed straight lines nose, chin and low forehead. The hair was not cut, but was styled in a neat hairstyle, tied with a silk ribbon at the back of the head. Even today this technique is used in hairdressing, and was called the “antique knot”.
Considering the love of the Greeks for geometry and mathematics, all parameters were attractive and received precise definition regarding proportions. Painters and sculptors developed personal canons and modules, using them in their creations.
It should be noted that it was not customary for the ancient Greeks to depict a completely naked female body - this was considered obscene and degrading to a woman’s dignity. Most sculptures are only partially exposed, and are covered with design elements carved from stone - imitation fabric drapery, parts of clothing, etc. Aphrodite de Milo and Aphrodite of Praxiteles are quite rare exceptions to this rule. In order to avoid their reputation as obscene works of art, the statues depict women preparing to bathe - this is how their authors managed to avoid public condemnation.
Beauty for all time
Female beauty has been revered at all times by all peoples, but the Greeks’ attitude towards it has always been special. It was they who gave beauty the character of a cult. One Greek sage and poet, before his death, called his daughters and gave them life advice. It said that a woman can be smart (if she needs it), kind (if she wants), but she must always be beautiful. This life credo is still relevant today.
Greek standard of female beauty much like modern ideas about the attractiveness and impeccability of the female body. During the time of the Olympian gods, natural beauty was valued, and decorative cosmetics practically never used. The body had to be fit, slender and athletic, which is no less valued today. Of course, every woman does not have to be a blue-eyed blonde with the proportions of Venus or Aphrodite to represent the standard of beauty. But a woman should try to live in harmony with her body, emphasizing its advantages.
In ancient culture there was a separate concept to denote beauty - kalokagathia. It made it special harmonious combination external beauty of a person and his moral virtues. The Greeks believed that a beautiful person by default could not be evil or bad, since the gods awarded attractive features only to the worthy.
The cult of female beauty was so firmly entrenched in the minds of people of antiquity that with the advent of Christianity, which promoted modesty and detachment from everything bodily, a fierce struggle began against all manifestations of femininity. Beautiful Greek and Roman statues were destroyed, ancient books and scrolls were burned. During the rampage of the Inquisition, beautiful woman could easily be suspected of collaborating with the devil. Only with the beginning of the Renaissance, the cult of harmony and naturalness began to return.
How do Greeks now imagine an ideal woman?
Modern Greeks are only partially descendants of the ancient Hellenes who inhabited this territory many centuries ago. For more than two millennia there has been a mixture different nations– many migrants from the East and northern Africa, which entailed a change in the national composition. Today's Greeks belong to the nationalities of the southern type, and are distinguished by a hot-tempered temperament, good feeling humor and friendliness. In women, they value, first of all, intelligence and the ability to make a man laugh. Unlike their neighbors from Turkey, the Greeks show respect for women and consider them their equals.
Greek attitude to beauty has evolved over many centuries, but the concepts of aesthetics and spiritual attractiveness have always been at the forefront. A woman and a man, according to ancient philosophers, were one whole and should harmoniously complement each other in all respects.
Day after day, year after year, women strive by any means to improve their appearance and get closer to the ideal of beauty. However, the standard of beauty is a rather subjective concept. Nowadays, women strive to be like movie and show business stars. As a rule, these are fit, tall, long-legged and long-haired divas with large almond-shaped eyes and a snow-white smile.
But if we delve into history and consider the ideals of female beauty from different eras, we will be quite surprised: what is considered advantages in our time, a couple of centuries ago were... disadvantages! Let's find out how the standards of female beauty have changed over thousands of years.
Ancient world
One of the first fashionistas were Egyptian women, it was they who paid great importance their appearance and went to all sorts of tricks to improve their natural characteristics. In Ancient Egypt a woman with a proportionate face and figure, almond-shaped with huge eyes, preferably green. Since this eye color is quite rare in nature, the Egyptians used special substance from copper oxide for coloring eyes in green color. And to give a wired and languid look, the juice of a plant that enlarges the pupils was dropped into the eyes. 
IN Ancient China
special importance was attached to the size of the feet. It was believed that true beauty hidden in a miniature leg. 
WITH early years The girls' feet were tightly bandaged, causing deformation of the foot and stopping its growth. An equally important parameter of beauty was the presence of long hair, which women wore in intricate hairstyles. 
In Ancient Greece Women with big eyes were valued. Also Special attention paid attention to the shape of the nose - it had to be perfectly straight, without a hump. As for the figure, we can judge it by the standard of beauty - the statue of the goddess Aphrodite (also known as Venus de Milo): her height is 164 cm, and her parameters are 86-69-93, i.e. hip volume is 7 cm greater than chest volume. 
Unlike Ancient Greece, in Ancient Rome the beauty of the female body was not given so much attention a lot of attention. White-skinned and fair-haired women were valued here - this is what a beautiful woman and aristocrat should be like. By the way, the Romans came up with a way to lighten hair using ash and goat milk. 
Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, the cult of female beauty did not exist. On the contrary, natural beauties risked being called witches and sent to the stake. It was considered indecent to show off one's figure and one's advantages: clothes had to hide the body under numerous folds of fabric, and hair was hidden under hats. 
It was considered a great offense if a woman tried to improve her appearance in any way. The standard of beauty of that time can be considered the images on the icons of holy women and the Virgin Mary. 
Renaissance
During the Renaissance, one of the main criteria for beauty was a long neck. But since not all women were endowed with this dignity by nature, many resorted to a trick: they shaved the back of their heads, thereby visually lengthening their necks. No less important criterion beauty was a high forehead: for this, women shaved the hairline on the forehead and eyebrows. Preference was given to red-haired and golden-haired women, but only if their hair was lush, long and thick. 
But there was no ideal figure; it was believed that a woman should not be too fat or too thin, but her legs must be miniature. We see the standard of beauty of the Renaissance in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting “Mona Lisa”. 
XVIII-XX centuries
Since the middle of the 18th century, great importance has been attached artificial beauty. The hairstyles are amazing: hairdressers created intricate designs on women’s heads – women’s hair is decorated with flowers, fruits, ships, etc. 
In the 19th century, the cult of unnaturalness or salon beauty only became stronger: ladies whitened their faces and tightened their waists with corsets. However, already in the 20th century, aristocratic pallor was replaced by a healthy blush and curvaceous shape.
Our days
Nowadays fashion changes so quickly that it is difficult to keep up with it. It would seem that just yesterday long hair was in fashion. sharp nails, and the day before yesterday big bust and long blond curls. Hair color, styling, makeup, length and shape of nails really change very quickly, but the main standard of beauty today remains unchanged: the parameters of the figure should be as close as possible to 90-60-90. As for appearance - beautiful counts a tall girl“like from the cover”, that is, photogenic, well-groomed and keeping up with the times. Is it good or bad, and whether to follow the data fashion trends– everyone decides for themselves.
Photo: wellnessnews.ru, inqs.karnage.ru, liveinternet.ru.
Female beauty is such a force that bewitches, intoxicates a man, and sometimes deprives him of his senses of reason. The standard of female beauty is a changeable and fickle phenomenon, just like fashion. At all times, parameters for assessing appearance: figure, hair length and color, eye shape, lip shape, etc. - were different. But what did not and does not leave a man indifferent in a woman’s body?
In Ancient Greece and Rome a straight nose, a rounded eyebrow line, and large light eyes, snow-white skin and golden curls. The generally accepted standards of that time were the Venus de Milo and the Venus Tauride.
An elegant woman has always been considered, and Ancient Egypt in this regard was no exception.
The image of a beautiful lady - the Blessed Virgin - has become the standard of beauty in the Middle Ages: thin straight nose, elongated oval face, high forehead, large and light eyes, very tiny mouth.
Renaissance
In the early Renaissance, special importance was attached to the elongated oval face and long neck. To lengthen the oval face, ladies shaved the hair in the front and plucked their eyebrows, and in order to make the neck appear as long as possible, they shaved the back of their heads. A woman was considered beautiful if she had long, Thick hair copper or gold color. Large and thin women were not fashionable. Women were supposed to have broad shoulders and not a single bone was to be visible on their chests. Came into fashion female legs with a small foot.
Baroque and Rococo
During this period, small breasts, small feet and a small nose were considered the standard of female beauty, White skin and white teeth, long hair and a long body, thin fingers And thin lips. in those days they had to be rounded.
Classicism
A woman should be blooming, fair-skinned, natural. This standard of beauty prevailed in this era.
Romanticism
In the late 60s of the 19th century, women began to value health, freshness, liveliness, curvaceous and bright colors. Men are driven crazy by nudes women's shoulders. Particular importance is attached to feminine sophistication and a mysterious look.
At the beginning of the twentieth century
The standard figure was very feminine: they were valued big hips and lush. Ideal height- 165 cm.
In the 20s
At this time, traditional ideas about women completely change. She looks more like a young man. There is a convergence of female and male appearance. The girl should be athletic and active. Narrow waists are in fashion narrow hips.
In the 30s–40s of the last century
The ideal female figure is narrow hips and small breasts. Since the beginning of World War II, the standard is considered to be a fragile female figure with a thin waist, broad shoulders and military-sports bearing.
In the 50s - early 60s
Marilyn Monroe becomes the ideal of female beauty. Her plump lips, graceful waist, seductive hips, slender chiseled legs and luxurious bust drive the President of America himself crazy.
Mid 60s - 1970s
Since the mid-60s, Brigitte Bardot and Audrey Hepburn have become the ideal of beauty. Fragility, thin eyebrows are in fashion, long legs and a small bust.
In the 80s and 90s
A sporty, spectacular woman is in fashion. Supermodels define the standard of female beauty. Height - no less than 175 cm. Volumes - 90-60-90.
Today, the standard of female beauty among European men is considered to be:
Athletic figure
Sensitive lips
High breasts
Long legs
Round hips
Slim waist
Charming eyes
Long hair
Small nose
Slim stomach
Flexibility
Long neck
Studies conducted in developed countries of Europe and America have shown that a woman’s external appearance plays a role main role in the eyes of a man. But different nations have different standards for them. Some men are turned on stunning figure, others - high breasts, third - long legs, fourth - a wasp waist. Men from the African continent like the rounded shapes of the female body.
At one of the Ukrainian forums, men expressed their thoughts about what attracts them to women. The author of one of the answers to given topic, let's call it Alexander, writes that he examines a woman from head to toe, like a commodity. He likes them with shoulder-length hair, a European-type face, not too thick eyebrows, but not plucked, blue eyes, slightly upturned nose, neck length, but not as long as a giraffe, legs without cellulite, and the woman herself should not be flat as a board.
The other one, let's call him Victor, writes that he is attracted to a woman, not her body. The body is a doll, and you cannot live with a doll. You can only admire the body. Beautiful body– it’s like a work of art, but you can’t go to bed with a masterpiece... It doesn’t keep you warm...
The third participant under the name Wagner expressed his opinion:
“I like dark-skinned women with a firm, rounded butt, of medium fullness. The rest doesn’t matter to me.”
According to ongoing research, only three percent of women can arouse instant interest in a man’s soul.
What do men admire?
I asked this question to my friends living in Germany.
Renat, 37 years old, engineer
“First of all, I pay attention to female figure. This is the main thing for me. I don't like women with a boyish figure at all, who don't have breasts and butts. I don't like it skinny women. Women with long white hair are very beautiful.”
Heinrich, 57 years old, doctor
“A woman should be 165-170 tall, with large developed breasts, with narrow waist, with rounded hips. The eyes should glow and radiate energy.”
Richard, 45 years old, programmer
“I like women who look healthy, have a graceful figure, but are not skinny. It’s good to look at a fashion model, but to go to bed with her... No... Excuse me... I don’t need a Doll in bed... I don’t want to hug and caress the bones.”
Toufik, 31 years old, mechanic
"A woman should have tripping, full lips and a good figure. She must be sociable and with a lively mind... She must have a sense of humor.”
Valdemar, 41 years old, bus driver
“Now it’s not a problem to have an operation and turn into a fashion model... To make a different face... To lose weight or gain weight... But the main thing in a woman is her spiritual beauty. Although, of course, it’s nice if a woman is spectacular...”
Virgis, 40 years old, businessman
“I don’t even know what to say. Moderation – in the length of the legs and the volume of the chest. Good body... Eyes ... But they do not belong to the body.”
There is a man for every woman. Many women sometimes cannot understand how the ugly girl, from their point of view, was able to win her heart handsome man. There is only one conclusion: women, do not lose hope. If everything didn’t work out in your life, then believe that it will happen on your street. You just haven't met the man who will consider you the ideal woman.
Every man has his own tastes, his own criteria by which he evaluates a woman, just like ours. But we must always remember that women are the most beautiful creatures living on earth! This fact should not be questioned!
Incredible facts
Fashion and beauty are relative concepts.
What seemed attractive at the beginning of the century today seems ordinary or inappropriate.
Time flies, and with it, the standards of beauty of the female body are rapidly changing.
The article presents a selection standards of female beauty , from past centuries to our time. Videos and photographs prove that ideal is a very relative and extremely changeable concept.
Standards of beauty in different eras
Ancient Egypt (1292-1069 BC)
Women in Ancient Egypt enjoyed freedom in everything. They enjoyed enormous privileges, equal to men. Many centuries passed before such gender equality returned to society.
Egyptian society was sexually liberated. For example, premarital affairs were not considered shameful; moreover, they were the norm of that time.
Women could own property independently of their husbands and had the right to initiate divorce without shame from society. Representatives of the fairer sex could also inherit the title of pharaoh.
An important aspect of female beauty of this era in Ancient Egypt was considered to be long braided hair framing a symmetrical face. A special black paint was applied around the women’s eyes, making their gaze more expressive.
The following indicators were considered the standard of beauty of the female body:
- Slender body
- High waist
- Narrow shoulders
Beauty Ideals of Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece (500-300 BC)
Aristotle called female forms"deformed men" of that time. Indeed, Ancient Greece was very masculine-oriented.
The ancient Greeks were more focused on the ideal male physique than the ideal female physique, meaning that during this time period it was the stronger sex who were expected to achieve high standards of physical perfection.
For this reason, women were ashamed of their forms, since they were unlike men's. TO female body treated as "an unsuccessful copy of a man."
Nudity was an integral part of ancient Greek society. Despite this trend, sculptures and paintings of nude women were often covered. The first important female nude sculpture in classical Greece was Aphrodite of Cnidus, which showed that beauty in ancient Greece meant the following:
- Appetizing shapes
- Tendency to be overweight
- Bright skin
Female beauty in different eras
Han era (206-220 BC)
Chinese society has been patriarchal since ancient times. The patriarchal system of government minimized the role and rights of women in society.
During the Han Dynasty, the standard of beauty was considered to be a woman whose appearance combined the following parameters:
- Slim, slender body emitting an inner glow
- Pale skin
- Long black hair
- Red lips
- White teeth
- Smooth gait
- Small foot
Small foot size is considered the main indicator of beauty Chinese woman for hundreds of years.
Beauty in the Renaissance
Renaissance (1400-1700)
Renaissance Italy was a Catholic, patriarchal society. Women were expected to embody all virtues and were often separated from the male sex, both in society and at home.
The meaning and value of a woman was associated with her service to a man, God, father or husband.
It was believed that behavior and appearance women reflected their husband's status. Beauty in Renaissance Italy meant that a woman should have the following appearance criteria:
- Pale skin
- Curvy shapes, including full hips and large breasts
- Blonde hair
- High forehead
Victorian era (1837-1901)
The Victorian era in England lasted during the reign of Queen Victoria. She was the most influential figure of the era. The young queen was also a young wife and mother.
In Victorian society, thriftiness, family and motherhood were highly valued. These virtues were embodied in Queen Victoria herself.
The direction of that time was reflected in the appearance of the weaker sex. The woman wore corsets, tightening them as tightly as possible, which made her waist thinner.
The standard of femininity was considered to be a figure similar to hourglass. Beauty criteria, despite the presence thin waist, rounded shapes and a tendency to be overweight were considered.
Beauty in different eras
The Screaming Twenties (1920s)
In 1920, women in the United States gained the right to vote, and this set the tone for the entire decade. Finally, representatives of the fairer sex felt equality and freedom.
Women who obtained jobs during World War II expressed a desire to continue working after the war ended.
The so-called androgynous appearance came into fashion; women tried to visually make their waists appear lower and wore bras that flattened their breasts.
In the 1920s, a woman with a boyish figure was considered beautiful, complete absence curvaceous, with small breasts. The bob haircut was also in fashion.
The standard of beauty in different eras
Golden Age of Hollywood (1930-1950)
The Golden Age of Hollywood lasted from the 1930s to the 1950s. The so-called Hays Code, a code of ethics adopted in Hollywood by the Motion Picture Association, created moral parameters regarding what could or could not be said and shown in films.
The code placed restrictions on the film roles available to women. Girls were considered beautiful if they had the following parameters:
- Appetizing shapes
- Hourglass figure type
- Lush breasts
- Thin waist
The embodiment of beauty and femininity of that time was the actress Marilyn Monroe.
Swinging Sixties (1960s)
Women in the 60s benefited from the liberation movements that swept through many countries around the world.
An increasing number of representatives of the fairer sex could be observed in the workplace. They had access to contraceptives. All these factors led to the rise feminist sentiments in society.