Top 10 Beauty Standards for Women in the Past

In the 18th - 19th centuries, European men believed that women with a smaller waist were more attractive, and the children born to these women would be intelligent and healthy. They tightly laced themselves in corsets to showcase the tiny and cute ant-like waist, becoming a sweeping fashion trend across Europe. Pursuing the standard of beauty, they squeezed their bodies into corsets - a garment that lifts the chest and tightens the waist, shaping the ideal figure of women at that time. In the corset, their hourglass figure was displayed in a sensual and attractive way. However, to achieve that beauty, the price they had to pay was the pain their bodies had to endure: difficulty breathing due to the tight corset, poor blood circulation, the skeletal frame bending to fit the corset, and extremely challenging movement and activities. Many people lost their lives in pursuit of this standard. Until the early 20th century, as medical science advanced, people gradually recognized the harm of these beauty standards, and this trend significantly diminished. Currently, a small waist is still the dream of many women, and they have found more reasonable methods such as practicing yoga, going to the gym, etc., to achieve a perfect body ratio while ensuring their health. The truth is, a small waist with no excess fat indicates a healthy body, while those with an oversized waist are often at risk of obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

In the 14th century, Italian women used the width of the forehead as a standard measure of beauty. They were so obsessed that they plucked all the hair on their foreheads and used vinegar to clean any remaining strands. They pulled their hair tightly backward, revealing even the hairline. Nowadays, modern women no longer adhere to this belief. However, women born with a wide forehead are considered very intelligent, clever, generous, and lively. Those with such a wide forehead are believed to be very fortunate.

During the Renaissance era, women with porcelain-white skin and luscious red lips were considered incredibly captivating. This complexion was deemed representative of the aristocratic class, signifying wealth and sophistication. As scientific understanding delved into human life, the beauty standards were explained: only the affluent upper class possessed such fair skin as they had limited exposure to sunlight. Furthermore, porcelain-white skin was believed to render women more delicate, evoking a sense of perpetual desire for love and protection in the eyes of admirers. Achieving such beauty required meticulous makeup artistry to create the desired porcelain-white skin, and some were even willing to undergo bloodletting to reduce blood volume in their bodies. Nowadays, the beauty ideal for women has evolved, with European women favoring porcelain-like skin, while Asian women embrace a fair and rosy complexion.

Women possessing an elegantly elongated neck are considered graceful, enchanting, and akin to blooming flowers. Among the Kayan women, a tribe with origins in Myanmar, the long neck is deemed the most exquisite treasure on a woman's body. These women start wearing neck rings from a young age, continuing into adulthood. The rings, made of gold-plated brass, shimmer and are stacked on top of each other. They adhere to the belief that the more rings a neck bears, the wealthier the family, as each ring symbolizes the prosperity tied to the woman's family.

In Indonesia, the belief that sharp teeth symbolize a balance between the soul and the body persists. Women possessing these teeth are believed to ward off malevolent spirits, live longer, and receive more blessings. Tribes like the Mentawai still maintain sharply pointed teeth as a measure of female beauty. The painful process of sharpening the teeth involves skilled craftsmen using a wooden support to grind and shape the teeth with knives or chisels. To alleviate the pain, they use a green banana as a bite block, benefiting from its compounds that reduce discomfort. After the process, women boast teeth as pointed and sharp as those of sharks.

Throughout the 18th century, many women believed that the larger the hair volume, the more captivating they appeared. Naturally long hair couldn't achieve the desired volume, so they crafted elaborate fake hairpieces from wood frames, padded with pig fat. These artificial hairpieces were worn consistently. However, hairpieces made with pig fat adhesive attracted bacteria, insects, causing infections on the scalp.

In the Omo River Valley, Surma and Mursi women always adorn their lips with clay-made lip plates. When girls reach puberty, they extract two lower incisors to elongate their lips, followed by the creation of small holes to wear the plates. They believe that larger lip plates enhance their appeal to men, and the size of the plate correlates with the dowry the bride's family receives when she gets married. The larger the plate, the more significant the dowry. Lip plates have become a source of pride for the women here. Nowadays, this tradition is no longer obligatory, and children can choose whether to wear lip plates or not.

Blackened teeth is a prevalent practice in East Asian countries such as Japan, Southern China, Malaysia, and a distinctive example in Southeast Asia is Vietnam. In Vietnam, this tradition is closely linked to the practice of body tattooing and betel nut consumption. Originating from the betel nut chewing habit during the Hung Vuong period, where teeth gradually turned black, blackened teeth became a trend. They believed that girls with glossy black teeth, paired with fair skin, were the most beautiful. Nowadays, we still encounter images of older women with blackened teeth, who regularly chew betel nuts. However, modern young people prefer evenly and brightly shining teeth.

During the feudal era in China, girls with lotus-footed were considered the most beautiful in society. Lotus-footed refers to toes gathered at the center of the sole, significantly narrowing the foot. Achieving this required enduring immense pain, as young girls, around 4-5 years old, had their bones broken and tightly bound with long silk strips. The belief was that women with smaller lotus feet possessed virtue and dignity, making them suitable for marriage into noble families, ensuring a fulfilling life. Today, this belief persists in some families rooted in traditional thinking.

Situated in northwest Africa, Mauritania is renowned for the image of women with voluptuous and plump bodies. Men believe that robust women will bear them healthy offspring and ensure a happy family. The full-bodiedness of women also symbolizes sensuality and prosperity for the men.