Every era had its own culture, fashion, and, of course, beauty standards. In the 2000s, for example, Kate Moss’s body was considered a benchmark: extremely skinny, flat stomach, no curves. Nowadays, fashionistas, on the contrary, are trying to make their bodies curvier.
But many women have got sick and tired of others telling them what they should look like. So, we decided to find out what beauty standards bother women around the world the most.
You must have a “trendy” body.
It really annoys me because what is considered “fat” changes so much too. It’s moderately better now but remember being at school where basically if you weren’t a size zero you were “fat” and it almost killed me trying to be thinner and thinner. I’m so pleased the body positivity movement came along and body standards celebrating curves because honestly, growing up in the ’00s and thinking my curves were hideous was soul-destroying. I look back on photos now and wish I’d been able to genuinely love my body more. © Paranoia_Pizza / Reddit“Real women have curves.” What a nonsense! Nearly my whole life, I’ve been a stick. It’s just natural for me. I also don’t have a whole lot of curve in my body — it’s barely there. But that’s okay. I am perfectly fine with it. However… it wasn’t always this way.
There were times when I’d look in the mirror and just hate my body because of its lack of any “femininity”. Not only was it just in my peers commenting on how skinny and figureless I was, it came into the Internet and into pop culture as well. I am happy with my figure now. I’m perfectly okay with not having curves. So, everyone listen up: skinny shaming is stupid, wrong, and it needs to stop. © Olya Andrea / QuoraI remember kids mock me because of my wide hips and overall curvy figure. They called me fat, but I’ve never been fat at all, I’m just shaped that way and all those tall slender models people followed on Instagram had just a different body than mine. Then curves came back to fashion, and suddenly all the girls tried to achieve my body shape.
I won’t lie I took pride in this since for once I looked like the beauty standard, but I understand that bodies aren’t a trend. Now the beauty standard is thin, with a small waist but wide hips, thick thighs and a thigh gap. Nobody looks like that. © the_Brunette_Barbie / RedditExactly. How is someone supposed to be thin and thick at the same time? Thick thighs but have a thigh gap? Wide hips but no hip dips? Big butt but tiny waist? It’s all so contradictory. Quite literally impossible. © k_gorman8 / Reddit
You should get back in shape right after childbirth.
“Bouncing back” after pregnancy. It sounds effortless and passive, which for most women just isn’t feasible while dealing with the realities of newborn care. Those articles with celebs looking great shortly after birth are because they have staff to help with their childcare, their food and to guide them through safe ways of exercise. Using money that most people don’t have for those purposes. Look, there’s a chance you’ll never look the same as before and that does not have to be a bad thing. © alice_in_otherland / RedditI just had my first baby 9 weeks ago and gained about 40 pounds. The number of people asking when I’m going to go back to the gym or commenting on my “new” body is ridiculous and makes me feel terrible. © lawl3ssr0se / Reddit
Your skin should be perfect.
Flawless, airbrushed skin. No acne, no wrinkles, no stretch marks, no body hair, no pores. If you don’t look like a walking blurring filter your skin is “gross.” Also, not being allowed to age past 30. © grumpypanda229 / RedditOh my gosh, yes. I decided to not wear foundation this week, and I had 4 separate coworkers ask what’s wrong with my skin, why am I so red, etc. © ragingmauler2 / RedditI’ve had some coworkers ask if my face got cold/wind burned because my face is red (rosacea) and it kind of hurts sometimes. Like damn, sometimes I think it’s fine, and I’m not thinking about it and then someone comments. I also think, “Can we just stop talking about my face?!” © ******_Provocateur / RedditHaving clear skin. I am in my early thirties and still have some back acne. It’s gotten better since my teens, but it’s hormonal and unpredictable, so there isn’t much I can do to control it except eat well, exercise and try to manage my anxiety. It affected me so badly that last summer was the first summer I wore spaghetti strap tops that show off my back since I was 12. © VisagePaysage / Reddit
You should have plump lips.
I spent around $1,500 on lip filler. Yes, it made somewhat of a difference, but it’s not permanent. I wish I spent that money traveling, or just saved it. I’ve always had a small mouth and have been insecure about it, and now the trend is full lips, so I gave in. I don’t regret how it looks because it didn’t get botched, but I regret not saving that money. © thelookofplasma / RedditI used to teach in a high school a few years back, and an insane amount of girls I taught thought I’d had my lips done and that they were going to get theirs done too because that was what men wanted. These were 15-16 year old girls telling me this. It broke my heart because I’m pretty sure at 15 I had no idea fillers were a thing. © IrritatedMango / Reddit
Your nose should be small.
We all have to have tiny upturned pixie noses and anything else is ugly and worthy of being chopped off. There’s a new Disney movie out (Encanto) and when I saw that the girls who are considered beautiful have hooked noses like me, I damn near burst into tears of joy. I wish I had that when I was a little girl. © InformerOfDeer / RedditI almost got a nose job about 10 years ago, but my roommate told me that I would not look like the same person anymore. She said I would lose my character. I didn’t end up getting it, I’m so thankful I didn’t. © Mrsdoos / RedditI observe a lot of people’s noses due to always being insecure about mine. There is an underlying expectation in society that all of a woman’s features must be delicate and dainty. I’m still trying to come to terms with my big nose. I hope that one day I won’t feel as insecure about it anymore. © Frosty-Blackberry-14 / Reddit
You shouldn’t grow old.
If I get told one more time that women over 40 should chop their hair, I might be on the evening news with a mug shot. At 48, my hair was knee-length. I had a campfire incident, and I’m growing it back there. It’s bottom of butt now. So, at 56, I might have knee-length hair again. Oh, and I’m letting the gray stay. © Mtnskydancer / RedditWhat’s wrong with looking your age? What’s wrong with wrinkles? © Moonlightallnight / RedditIf we don’t do hair dye and wrinkle creams, we’ve somehow given up or let yourself go. Voluntarily gray hair is seen as somehow similar to not bathing. There is an idea that youth and beauty are the same thing. Young and ugly is better than old and pretty. I have gray hair and a softer jawline and I get hit on all the time “despite” my age. © Cdmelty1 / RedditMy 32nd birthday is tomorrow. Yesterday my mother-in-law casually asked me what sort of skincare I was using. She didn’t say anything rude, but she said, “It’s always good to start as soon as you can with skincare. We didn’t have that kind of stuff when I was your age so take advantage of it!” And I’m just like…sigh. © __worldpeace / RedditAfter 40, hair getting a little thinner, wrinkles forming, and putting on weight is a normal, natural thing that simply happens due to time, gravity, metabolism, hormones, etc. I don’t do anything at all differently than I did in my twenties, but I’m 20 pounds heavier than I was then. I still exercise, but the only way I’ve been able to lose any weight is not eating. Sadly I’ve given in to societal pressures and done that in the past, but I refuse to do that to myself again. © Soft-Caterpillar-618 / Reddit
Hair should be thick, long and straight.
One of my biggest insecurities is thin and sparse hair. I dread visits to the salon because they always, always comment on how thin my hair is, how dry it is, how it needs such and such treatment. That I must take better care of my hair.
I do. I do everything I can. But I focus on other things I have to offer, and try not to be too caught up with my appearance. © Akshata Sutar / QuoraThe expectation that long and straight hair is the goal for every girl. Curls are inferior and short hair also. Still so insecure about my hair. Constantly. I wore extensions for years, and they were weighing down my roots and causing damage. © ResolutionFeisty2427 / RedditThat’s terrible. I have curly hair and I straightened it every day from middle school through high school. Horrible damage. I still have a hard time with it at 28.
I straighten my hair once ever 2 or 3 months and every time everyone has to comment, “Oh my gosh, your hair looks so amazing.” No one comments on my hair unless it’s straight. I’m still sorting out my feelings around it. © MyVirgoIsShowing / Reddit
You shouldn’t have body hair.
For some reason, women shouldn’t have any body hair. It’s totally natural, we all have it. The pressure to remove all of it takes up both actual time and mental space worrying about it. © amaleo / RedditI once got told, “You oughtta wax that.” I texted him later and said, “Alright, great. I got us a duo appointment, we can get waxed at the same time and then have some fun after.” His response was, “Are you kidding me, that’s probably gonna hurt.”
So, I told him to get lost and lose my number too. Now I’m dating a great guy who doesn’t bat an eye at my glorious hairy self. © Captain_Taggart / RedditI’m an adult Homo sapiens. I have body hair. It’s visible, noticeable, and un-missable. Razors and creams that don’t tear your skin up are expensive.
If you want me to be hairless you can pay for my shaving supplies. Until then kindly keep it to yourself. © deerstartler / Reddit
You shouldn’t have cellulite.
They say cellulite is something you can get rid of. I have worked out regularly since I was 12. I’m 45 and even though my weight and shape are exactly where I need to be, I can’t get rid of the jiggly thighs no matter how many squats and lunges I do. © LeighofMar / RedditI’ve had cellulite on my upper thighs all my life, even when I was a measly 100 pounds. Because of this I just don’t feel comfortable wearing shorts or short skirts/dresses that expose my cellulite. © R0YKS0PP / RedditI’m pissed about the idea that cellulite is gross and should be hidden. Women naturally have cellulite because we store more fat than men. This makes it easier for us to survive famines, which is cool and not something to be ashamed of. © FeralViolinist / Reddit
Your stomach should be flat.
We have tons of organs in there, it cannot be flat! If you push it in and hold the muscles, then yeah, but it never looks flat when you just walk around all relaxed. My belly bothered me for way too long before I realized it’s totally normal and not at all “fat.” © Heidi739 / RedditI was growing up as a teen during the 2000s era of very flat stomachs exposed everywhere. And mine was always a slight pooch! Even though I’m skinny overall.
I noticed generally a lot of people’s insecurities they carry with them in life are a result of what was the beauty norm at the time they went through puberty. But we can still try to fight the good fight. © pattimay_ho_nnaise / RedditHaving a flat stomach. Most women have a little pouch, but you never see this in the media. © StatisticianLow1055 / Reddit
Many divas are dissatisfied with the imposed standards of beauty as well. They simply refuse to meet other people’s requirements: they do not hide stretch marks, do not paint over gray hair and do not hide “imperfect” legs.
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AFP / EAST NEWS, Instagram
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