Ideal Bodies?

The "Ideal" Bodies... its ever changing.
How do we keep up? Do we change ourselves?

The answer is NO. There will never be one ideal body type that will last a lifetime. Society changes and so does its mind and its perception of just about everything and anything.

Don't believe me? See for yourself!

1950's This is the era when people actually believed that curves are beautiful! Women with hourglass figures were praised and their curves were what made people of the time believe that Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, and Kim Novak had the ideal bodies. According to size charts nowadays, these women were probably sizes 12-14... which is considered "plus size" by today's standards.

1960's Thin... was in. With booming actress Audrey Hepburn taking the world by storm, her naturally thin image was admired and desired by many. Dieting became a phenomenon and it was believed that anyone can achieve the thin look. Naturally thin beauty icon, Twiggy was introduced and with many fans who wanted to be like her and Jean Shrimpton, the Twiggy Era continued.

1970's Everyone was striving for individuality and standing out was never a problem at the time. Slight curves and natural bodies were embraced again with influeces of Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter and the still popular Charlie's Angels (Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith). People were more into the hair styles and clothing that concealed the bodies to pay too much attention to what was underneath (the bodies).

1980's Thanks to models like Brooke Shields, Christie Brinkley, and Cindy Crawford, people began to realize that there is more in between than just thin or fat. Muscles on women became attractive and the idea of changing your body's natural shape was accepted. This may be the reason why when we think "80's", we see women in leggings, sweats, and leotards. I must say that this was probably one of the more fit eras when it com

1990's And we are back... to THIN, that is. Thanks to supermodels like Kate Moss who influenced so many in fashion and on the runways. It seemed that most believed that the thinner you get, the better you look. It got to a point where hipbones were sexy and ribs that showed were considered hot. Thank goodness I was barely a teen in this era because the only ribs that showed on me was on my dinner plate!

2000's The best of all worlds, I believe. Thank goodness most of my teenage years and young adult life took place at this time because it was the most balanced (in my opinion). Real women showed that it is possible to be thin and have curves. Having a little meat on your bones is not a reason to be scrutinzed. In fact, being "thick" was praised and what was considered "ideal". Cheers to meat and being able to eat!

2010's - WHAT will the decade look like? With only two months into the decade, it is far too early to tell. I have an idea of what it may be, but it is really up to us to decide what we think is ideal.

According to you, what will the next ten years look like?