beauty

Modern beauty standards: between patriarchy and market demands

Do you know what beauty is?

Apart from the male perspective, which has always ruled women’s life, there’s more to explore about modern beauty standards.

Even bearing in mind the subjectivity of the matter, aesthetic judgement isn’t about beauty itself anymore, as an archetype or related to physical traits.

Modern beauty: what influences our judgement?

Analysing beauty standards, we have to consider two main factors:

First, beauty is the embodiment of a male perspective. Therefore, it’s a matter of power. The male eye works like a filter, shaping and dictating women’s choices. This judgemental screen took over women’s viewpoint, almost as a natural feature which limits independent activity. So that women themselves play the man’s games.

Second, contemporary beauty is a market issue. The commercial factor is crucial in understanding modern beauty standards: the product of brainwashing through advertising, movies, tv programs, social media etc.

modern beauty



“Self-esteem is the reputation we acquire
with ourselves.”

Nathaniel Branden


Modern beauty stereotype

From thin to curvy, plastic dolls are the stereotype. But all shapes have the same cookie-cutter features: doughnut lips, cheekbones like protruding mountains, and eyebrows like they got scared. Sadly, that botox expression will never disappear from their face.

The emulation process triggered in young girls’ minds and adult women, whose self-esteem is not solid, is appalling. Furthermore, self-esteem is a work-in-progress because reaching self-awareness is a growth process. And you don’t just snap your fingers to gain it.

However, this emulation is the result of the brainwashing system, a form of persuasion that makes women look all the same, like fake plastic dolls.
Is that beauty? No, it’s business. Indeed, it’s a very profitable business.

And so, beauty standards have to do with male power and market demands more than any archetypal or old-fashioned rule.

In prehistory, the traits connected to fecundity were considered beautiful. Specifically, the Palaeolithic Venus was more generous and curvy. The Greek Venus had a more slender figure. Therefore, the beauty archetype was associated with given characteristics.

What about the modern beauty myth?
Modern beauty is not only about power but also a market issue.

And so, forget who you are. Go and buy your new equipment.
In the end, beauty is just a product.

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New beauty standards

In our evolving process to become better humans, we are actively searching for a more meaningful lifestyle. Thinking about new beauty standards, expressing elegance in harmony with nature and getting rid of unhealthy beliefs are all things we need to do.

For so long we have been brainwashed to accept plastic dolls with ultra-white teeth as a beauty ideal. Ultra-white teeth do not even exist in nature, not to mention doughnut lips. How could we believe these were human features?
Are we sure that we look younger or beautiful by lifting our face or plumping our lips? And, if we want to eliminate plastic from the world, why do we put it into our bodies?

We are human beings, getting old is part of our nature. We should accept it and live it positively. Real beauty is a direct reflection of self-acceptance, well being, and respect and love for oneself. But, there is a huge difference between taking care of oneself and become the plastic version of a human.
If we look around, we are surrounded by aliens shaped by plastic surgery, and they all look exactly alike. Our faces lost expressiveness.
As a reaction to that, the body-positive movement tells us to accept ourselves as we are, which is obviously the right attitude.

At long last, we acknowledged that beauty is diverse and ageless. Different body shapes, or freckles, diastema and so on aren’t defects but details that make us unique.
The truth is that we’ve had a rather schizophrenic attitude to beauty standards. First, we believed in plastic dolls, the fakeness par-excellence. Then, we pushed self-acceptance to the extreme. Promoting excessively overweight bodies as a wellness model is quite scary.
While accepting oneself is a fundamental block in our growth process, selling unhealthy models as a new positive normal is dangerous.
We tend to go from one extreme to the other instead of finding the balance.

The Romans used to say “in medio stat virtus” – virtue lies in the middle.
It’s time to follow the advice.

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Hearing our interconnection elevates the sense of community. A group of like-minded people, focusing on specific values: inclusion, diversity, ethical work, kindness, respect.
Fashion is the door that lets us in, connects us, knowing that we don’t stop at a superficial level. We enter from that door to find a common ground, but then we dig deeper into our culture and lifestyle.
Together, we facilitate an ecosystem where we develop beauty, empathy, value. We connect, we come together to make things better.
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