Feminine beauty ideal

The feminine beauty ideal is a special set of ideas about what makes a woman beautiful. These ideas affect many girls and women around the world, starting when they are young. They can change over time and differ depending on where you live and what culture you grow up in.

These beauty standards usually focus on things like body shape, facial features, skin color, clothing, hair, and weight. While these standards are often linked to traditional ways of thinking, it’s still being studied how they affect everyone, including those who don’t follow those traditional ideas.

Trying to meet these standards can sometimes be hard for people. It can affect how someone feels about themselves, sometimes leading to sadness or feeling unhappy with how they look. These feelings can start when someone is still growing up and continue as they get older.

Cultural ideals

Body modification

Different cultures have their own ideas about what makes a woman beautiful.

In Myanmar, young girls from the age of five have metal rings placed around their necks. More rings are added every two years, which changes the shape of their necks to make them look longer.

In China, there was a practice called foot binding where girls as young as six had their feet wrapped to make them very small. This practice stopped after the revolution of 1911.

Skin and hair color

Skin color contrast has been seen as a beauty standard in many cultures. Women often have darker eyes and lips compared to men, which is linked to being seen as more attractive and feminine. Some women use makeup like lipstick and eye shadow to make these features stand out.

Studies have looked at whether dark or blond hair is considered more beautiful. In Western countries, dark hair is often seen as the ideal and appears more in fashion and media. In East Asia, black hair is the beauty ideal, while in some places, women with lighter hair have felt less confident.

Different areas have different ideas about skin color. In some parts of the world, lighter skin is preferred, while in others, tanned skin is more popular. For example, some women choose to tan their skin to fit local beauty standards.

Regional standards

Southeast Asian women

In Indonesia, people long ago thought beautiful women had brown skin and black hair.

East Asian women

China

In ancient China, pale skin was a sign of beauty. Today, many Chinese women think tanned skin looks healthier. In the past, plump figures were beautiful, but now tall and slim figures are preferred.

Japan

In Japan, beauty standards have been different from China. Long ago, women colored their teeth black and plucked their eyebrows. Hair was very important, and women needed long hair.

South Korea

In Korea, old beauty ideals included wide faces with narrow eyes and full lips. Recently, many Korean women have had cosmetic surgery to change their faces. Some young women are also talking about eating issues, which can be unhealthy.

South Asia

In South Asia, fair skin has often been seen as ideal. In India, lighter skin is viewed as more attractive and can affect social and marriage chances. Advertisements for skin-lightening products have helped this idea.

Europe

France

In France, ideas about beauty have changed over time. Today, French beauty standards focus on natural looks and youthfulness.

Global

Black women in Africa and North America

Studies show that many Black women prefer fuller bodies. This is also true in the Caribbean and South Africa. Some Black women have felt pressure to match certain beauty standards, which can cause health worries and discussions about culture.

Body and facial hair

Body hair and facial hair are sometimes seen as something women should remove in many places. Because of this, many women feel they need to shave their legs and arms, and those who don’t might hear negative comments. This idea is not usually for men, even though some men have also removed body hair since the early 1900s, but it is not common in Western countries.

Mass media

See also: Exploitation of women in mass media

Mass media helps shape ideas about beauty for young girls and women. As media changes, so do the ways people see beauty and how women see themselves. Many ads show women who look very similar, often very thin. This can make girls feel they need to look a certain way to be accepted.

Media sometimes uses technology to change images, making women look perfect in ways that are not real. This can make girls and women feel like they don’t measure up. Some products, like diet plans or makeup, are advertised to tell people they need to change their looks to be beautiful.

Social media platforms like Instagram often focus a lot on looks. Young women who use these sites may feel pressure to look a certain way. Even pages that try to promote healthy living can sometimes make people feel bad about their bodies if they focus too much on looking a specific way.

Feeling pressured to look a certain way can make it hard for girls to feel confident and to do their best in life. Some platforms, like Snapchat and TikTok, use filters that change how people look, which can make many girls feel unhappy with their real appearance. Taking selfies can also make girls feel self-conscious.

Fairy tales

The feminine beauty ideal appears in many children's fairy tales. In the Brothers Grimm tales, beautiful female characters often have good things happen to them. These stories usually have a beautiful heroine. For example, in Snow White, Snow White is described as having very white skin, red lips, and black hair, and she is called as beautiful as the daylight. In these tales, beauty is often linked with being young and good, while ugliness is linked with being old and not nice.

Later, Walt Disney Animation Studios made these fairy tales into animated films. Disney characters often have very thin bodies, long hair, and large eyes. These films also connect beauty with good qualities in characters, reinforcing the idea that how a woman looks is important.

Fashion and beauty-centred dolls

When young girls play with dolls focused on fashion and beauty, they might start to think that certain looks are "beautiful." They may then feel they should look like those dolls, too.

These dolls often show body shapes that are not realistic for real people. For example, if Barbie were a real person, she would be very thin for her height. This can make it hard for girls to know what a healthy body looks like. Playing with such dolls can sometimes make girls worry about their weight or feel other emotions.

Other popular dolls, like Bratz and Monster High, have also influenced how girls see beauty, often showing very styled looks or thin figures.

LGBT ideals

Some people who are not women by birth choose to live and look like women. They sometimes face unfair treatment because of how they look.

In shows where performers dress as women for fun, judges and audiences often focus on very thin performers, seeing them as more "feminine." These shows can also sometimes spread unfair ideas about different racial or ethnic groups. Even though these shows are a fun part of LGBTQ culture, they often still follow common ideas about beauty that many people accept without thinking.

Psychological effects

Many girls and women feel pressure to look a certain way. Seeing pictures of very thin or perfect bodies can make them feel unhappy with how they look. This can lower their confidence and cause mental health problems.

Young girls might try very hard to meet these beauty standards. They may skip meals, exercise too much, or worry a lot about food. These actions can be harmful and may lead to health problems. The pressure to be very thin is strong, and it can make young girls feel worried about their bodies. This pressure can cause sadness, anxiety, and other problems for many girls and women.

Evolutionary perspectives

Ideas about what makes someone beautiful may come from features linked to health and having babies. These features can include having more body fat around the hips and thighs, and this can look different in various cultures. In many places, people think a certain shape of the waist and hips is attractive. However, this shape doesn't actually mean better health or the ability to have babies.

Some believe that over time, people have liked certain young-looking features, like smooth skin and full lips, because these might show good health. These ideas help explain why some beauty trends change or stay the same, but others think these theories aren't always reliable for understanding what people find attractive.

Philosophical viewpoints

Philosopher Sara Protasi talks about how some media shows unfair ideas about women’s looks. She talks about two ways people think about beauty: one says everyone is beautiful just as they are, but this can make it seem like no one is really special. The other way says there are many different kinds of beauty, but this can leave out people who don’t fit certain looks. Protasi suggests a better way, called the Loving View, where being kind and loving matters more than how someone looks. She believes beauty should include kindness and fairness, not just looks.

Another philosopher, Heather Widdows, says that today’s ideas about beauty are tied to what is right and wrong. She explains that beauty is often linked to good qualities, but sometimes it can also be linked to what is desired. Widdows argues that when beauty is seen as something good to aim for, it changes how people think about right and wrong. She says that trying to meet beauty standards can make people think about their actions in a moral way.