*Most of the photos above has been captioned and described in detail as the beauty standard depicted pertains to their cultural values.
No matter where we find ourselves in the world, there are powerful ways that our cultures shape our outlook and perception of beauty. While some include intensive body modification and others rely more upon cosmetic, superficial changes, women have always been held to different standards within their groups for what is most desirable for their given role in their culture.
Many of these standards are not purely guided for what is thought to be “sexy,” but also what is believed to represent viability as a wife, mother, and member of their culture. These things are important for a variety of reasons, the least of which being what might look appealing to members of another culture.
In America, we praise women for their thinness, dark tans, and long legs. In Germany, women spend more money on cosmetics than in any other country. In Africa and New Zealand, women will pierce, stretch, and scar their bodies to symbolize their place in the world in which they live. In the Middle East, modesty and physical reverence are praised as the most beautiful qualities.
These standards of beauty are important to understand not only as women, but as members of a greater portion of the world who are acutely aware of what pressures and expectations may reside no matter where we go.
