This blog will include many ads from way back when that are not exactly nice to women, so if you are offended by them, just know that they are here to illustrate my point on changing body trends. They are here to show what society expected of women in that time period. Thank you for understanding.
From the Beginning
Starting from 1910 until now, let's dig into the changing trends.
The trend in 1910 was to have a tiny waist, referred to technically as a Gibson Girl. A Gibson Girl body was a small waist with large hips and a soft body. Large curls were the usual touch, as well. It was a corset time period, but I could say that of a lot of eras. Being tall was a plus.
1920 was a boyish era, and being short was now a plus. Smoking was a hot trend and having cleavage was discouraged. Naturally flat chest? You're in luck! Flappers are in, and so are attractive legs.
And now we are back to having a waist in 1930. Add some more curve, but not as much as 1910.
Increase bust size slightly and you have the trend down perfectly.
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| 1940s woman in torpedo bra |
The 1940s began torpedo bras, so up that bust size to a ridiculous amount. Make your shoulders broader and make yourself 5'8". Soft became angular in this era. All this echoed the role of women taking over the factory work during the war. Soft was for home, not the factories.
The hourglass shape started in 1950. Curves return, big time! Hip and butt padding was sold to achieve this look, should you not have the weight on you. Here we have Jessica Rabbit. Women were encouraged by ads in magazines to gain weight. Big boobs were a thing.
Twiggy, a stick of a model in 1960, started the exact polar opposite of Jessica Rabbit. Narrow hips, 5'6" height, anorexia galore, delicate features, and clothes hanging off you like you were a hanger are the trend. Weight loss time! This was just the beginning of the starving models that died at their own desire to be a twig. The goal was to have no stomach without the aid of a corset.
1970 rolls around and the flat stomach remains, just add a little more height. We're back to having B size boobs now. Spandex, a fabric that doesn't forgive easily, continued the fitness demand. Cigarettes are advertised for weight loss, too.
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| 1990s woman |
1980 brings a continued love of flat stomachs. Being tall was a plus, once again, and a love for legs, again. Jogging and aerobics are a thing right now. Those cheesy exercise videos from the 80s were probably the start of those exercise weight loss DVDs you see now.
Petite makes a comeback in the 90s, where small and boyish returns. Spanx were invented here. Low-fat diets were a trend. 5'7" is an average height that fits this era. Tall is out.
2000 brought even more fitness and muscular abs. It seems that fitness never ends. Exposed midriff is a clothing trend here. Britney Spears fits in about here, if you want an example.
The 2010 era is near to ending, so let's just spotlight that one. Butts were a big deal. Big butt? You fit the trend. Doesn't mention breasts, just butts, but I think the same concept applies to breasts. Listen to any music from 2010 and tally all the "butt" references you find, including images in music videos. You may just shock yourself with how much you ignored.
Ads and Society
Did you think that was the end? Far from it. I want to talk about the ads society puts in women's faces on TV, magazines, and media in general. I'm going to showcase the ads in every era in this section. If you're still reading, remember the warning above, about the ads not being particularly nice to women.
1920 ads -
Notice the lack of boobage and the ad for cigarettes aimed at women. Also, that fat was discouraged in both sexes.
1930 ads -
The ads here encourage weight gain and shape, and so many of the ads I'm not focusing on are about hygiene, but that can be another day's post.
Being slim continues to be a trend. Also, every woman here has a noticeable waist.
1950 ads -
With these, you notice circle skirts are the fashion and that women were focused on men, that is, if you followed the fashion advice of these ads.
1960 -
These women don't have a lot of shape, and as illustrated by the middle ad, we see that women with shape weren't trendy. Also, cigarettes "made you slim" according to the ad on the far right.
1970 -
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| Dodge charger 1970 |
The 1970s was a time of wanting bigger bustlines. Society wanted women with more on top.
1980 -
Once again, selling cigarettes to women continues. Also, women are wearing looser clothing and pants more often. A flat stomach pursuit is obvious by the far right ad, starring an actress from I Dream of Genie.
1990 -
Midriffs were major here, so were legs. Two of these ads are Versace and both are midriff styles. Madonna on the far right is wearing a midriff with jeans, and in my opinion, looks nicer than the far left or center ad.
2000 -
The one on the right is a magazine cover for a prom magazine. Most of the other ads were for makeup, the ads I didn't put here. Makeup could be another day's blog post subject.
2010 -
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| Dove Campaign |
The women's health cover on the far left illustrates that fat is still the enemy and society still wants flat stomachs. The Dove campaigns affirm all body types, judging by the different tones and shapes on the picture. What I also notice is they all have waists and curves. We can't tell much about Ariana Grande on the far right. All I know is that she is fond of showing skin, another growing trend.
My Point
Why all the ads? Well, here's the point I'm trying to make. The ads reflect the culture. The less sexist the time, the less sexist the ads. At this point in time sexist ads get nailed almost as soon as the debut because of feminists and more vocal women. I can't say the same for 1910-1960, however, and frankly, I'm appalled at what was told to women through those ads. Sexism is still out there, but compared to the eras before us, we did get somewhere.
Sources:
Pictures:
my modern met etsy
stuff nobody cares about messynessychic
tribupedia harper's bazaar
web urbanist refinery 29
stanford research the rage
ebay huffpost
witness2fashion billboard
sammy davis vintage women's health
pinterest demilked.com
all that's interesting
cyberheritage
flickriver
flashbak
vintage clothes/fashion ads of 1950
vintage ad browser
representations of women and girls in the media
university of leeds
motor1.com
popscreen
ghost of the doll
ebid
picclick
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