For decades, beauty ideals for women were tightly controlled by Hollywood, fashion magazines and advertising campaigns. One decade praised Marilyn Monroe’s hourglass curves, while another glorified the ultra-thin runway look of 1990s supermodels. No matter the era, the message was often the same: there was only one “right” way to look, and women were expected to chase it.
Woman Standing on a glass scale, Photo Credit: Pexels
That formula has been disrupted in the age of Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Social media platforms now showcase influencers and creators of every size, background and appearance, challenging long-held notions of what beauty should look like. For the first time, many women are seeing bodies that resemble their own reflected back at them on a daily basis, rather than airbrushed images of size-zero models.
But as body positivity and size inclusivity gain traction, another trend is emerging alongside it: American women, on average, are physically larger than they were in previous generations.
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