Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it cannot have standards. Nevertheless, there are people whose appearance became a beauty standard for the entire decade. I invite you to move back 100 years and look at the main beauty ideals of the 20th century, from the Gibson Girls to Kim Kardashian. And, of course, I have not forgotten about men - from Ivan Poddubny to Robert Pattinson. 

In this post, we will look at how the most beautiful people of the past century looked that represented each decade's beauty and fashion standards. In the end, I will tell you about 2020 as well.  

1910th 


Women: The Gibson Girls are fashionable - beauties with long necks, big eyes, and wavy hair. The figure also has its own standards: an ideal woman should be tall, slim, with an unnaturally thin waist, large breasts, and wide hips. 

Men: Mustache is the main attribute of a gentleman in the 1910s. They were carefully groomed, trimmed, and shaped with wax. Tall, strong-build men are in fashion - boxers, circus performers, and athletes. 

The 1920s 


Women: The era of flappers was marked by short haircuts, a lean, boyish physique, thin eyebrows and lips, similar to the Cupid's bow. Big eyes are one of the main criteria for beauty. 

Men: The ideal image of a young man at the time is the main character of  An American Tragedy. Popular is Jazz, the desire to join the high society and luxury, as well as slicked hairstyles and a clean-shaven face. At this time, women valued in men, not physical strength, but their ability to talk and dance well. 

The 1930s 


Women: Thanks to cinema actresses, smooth feminine curves have returned to fashion. Hollywood curls, long eyelashes, high cheekbones, arched eyebrows, and deep-set eyes have become the canon of beauty.

Men: Male beauty standards were also impacted by Hollywood chic, and Clark Gable has become the standard of a handsome man. Thanks to the "King of Hollywood," the "rich man" came into fashion - a neat mustache, smoothly combed hair, whiskey, cigars, and pipes. 

The 1940s 


Women: The world of Hollywood luxury crashed into the harsh reality of wartime. Women were still elegant, but that refined beauty of the previous decade was gone. It was replaced by the image of a strong woman and a fighting friend - a strong athletic figure with broad shoulders was valued.

Men: In such a difficult time, there was no time for fashion, so the hair was no longer combed and fixed with gel, and elegant suits were replaced by military uniforms. Many-sided people were valued, and it is not surprising that Jean Mare, who was not only a great actor but also a writer, stuntman, sculptor, painter, and decorator, became one of the symbols of the beauty of that time. 

The 1950s 


Women: The 50s brought back Hollywood divas and feminine forms - high breasts, narrow shoulders, slender legs, curvy hips, and a thin waist. The doll appearance has become one of the most popular - porcelain skin, bright glossy lips, a naive look, high hairstyles, bouffants, and curls. And the most popular drug in pharmacies is hydrogen peroxide because "gentlemen prefer blondes."

Men: The companion of such a "doll" lady should be a strong man, with big hands, a courageous chin, a nose with traces of fractures, and at the same time with sensual and soft lips. Therefore, it was Marlon Brando, who played the role of rude but insanely charming dorks, who became the main handsome man of the decade. 

The 1960s 


Women: Twiggy made a revolution in the fashion world. A couple of years ago, no one would consider her appearance as beautiful: with a height of 5′5 (166cm) and parameters 32-22-32 inches, her weight was only 88 pounds (40kg). With Twiggy began the era of weight loss and diets. The body had to be thin, haircuts - short, lips - light, and eyes - huge. 

Men: In the world of men's fashion, the 1960s were marked by French classic movies. Alain Delon's appearance became the most popular type: gray-blue eyes, thick black eyebrows, and sensual lips. All attention was paid to the actor's signature look and his ironic grin. Delon's signature, which many tried to copy, became the eyebrows pinched at the bridge of the nose, creating the effect of a very intent and hypnotizing gaze. 

The 1970s 


Women: First of all, self-care is appreciated - during this decade, cosmetics manufacturers begin to develop the first products with SPF (sun protection filters). Women strived for naturalness, but at the same time, did not sacrifice attractiveness - voluminous hairstyles, makeup in natural colors, and short skirts.

Men: Hippie fashion demanded maximum naturalness - no haircuts or shaves. The less chemistry is applied to the hair and body, the better. 

The 1980s 


Women: The world is crazy about aerobics - athletic uniforms. Leggings and perms are at their peak. The cult of the body required shapes honed in the gym. 

Men: Men decided to return to elegance. They began to cut and shave again, combed their hair back, and styling products returned to their former popularity. People fell in love with the image of the "white collar" and the image of the main character of the movie The Wolf of Wall Street - the ambitious, self-confident, energetic, witty, and impossibly charming person. 

The 1990s 


Women: “Heroin chic” is in fashion - skinny girls with thin arms and legs, tired and absent eyes, pale skin, and bulging collarbones. 

Men: The grunge style came into fashion from rock music. Inner freedom had to be expressed by appearance - young people didn't cut their hair for a long time, dressed deliberately sloppy, and did not recognize the glamorous lifestyle. 

The 2000s 


Women: After the world saw the movie "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," sporty beauties came into fashion. The eyes, nose, cheekbones, lips, and body of Angelina Jolie - these are the features that women dreamed of.

Men: Men are fed up with sloppy style. Since 2000, face and body care have become not only a woman's daily routine but also a man's. Men began to spend a lot of time and money on personal care and diligently styling their hair. 

The 2010s 


Women: Kim Kardashian has a lot of haters but a lot more fans. Thanks to her, wide hips, olive skin, full lips, high cheekbones, and fluffy eyelashes came into fashion. 

Men: But men have returned to a relaxed image again - negligence, pale skin, and a little sleepy look. You can focus on the "main vampire" - Robert Pattinson: it is not for nothing that he was named the most handsome man of 2010. 

Bonus: 2020 


Women: Babyface is the most popular type in 2020. The era of artificial facial features and hypertrophied body parts has ended. Naturalness, chubby cheeks, a sweet smile, long legs, and slimness are in fashion. 

Men: The main components of a fashionable male look are a beard, mustache, long hair, and a careless bun. 

Which decade do you like the most? Share in the comments!