National Geographic Interactive - 02.2020

denying that people possess it is akin to deny-
ing them oxygen.

THERE USED TO BE gradations when it came to
describing the feminine ideal: homely, jolie
laide, attractive, pretty, and ultimately, beau-
tiful. The homely woman managed as best she
could. She adjusted to the fact that her looks
were not her most distinguishing feature. She
was the woman with the terrific personality.
Striking women had some characteristic that
made them stand out: bountiful lips, an aristo-
cratic nose, a glorious poitrine. A lot of women
could be described as attractive. They were at
the center of the bell curve. Pretty was another
level. Hollywood is filled with pretty people.
Ah, but beautiful! Beautiful was a description
that was reserved for special cases, for genetic

lottery winners. Beauty could even be a burden
because it startled people. It intimidated them.
Beauty was exceptional.
But improved plastic surgery, more personal-
ized and effective nutrition, the flowering of the
fitness industry, and the rise of selfie filters on
smartphones, along with Botox, fillers, and the
invention of Spanx, have all combined to help us
look better—and get a little bit closer to looking
exceptional. Therapists, bloggers, influencers,
stylists, and well-meaning friends have raised
their voices in a chorus of body-positivity man-
tras: You go, girl! You slay! Yasss, queen! They are
not charged with speaking harsh truths and help-
ing us see ourselves vividly and become better
versions of ourselves. Their role is constant uplift,
to tell us that we are perfect just as we are.
And the globalization of, well, everything
means that somewhere out there is an audi-
ence that will appreciate you in all your mag-
nificent ... whatever.
We are all beautiful.

IN NEW YORK, London, Milan, and Paris—the

traditional fashion capitals of the world—the

beauty codes have changed more dramatically in

the past 10 years than in the preceding hundred.

Historically, shifts had been by degrees. Changes

in aesthetics weren’t linear, and despite fashion’s

reputation for rebelliousness, change was slow.

Revolutions were measured in a few inches.

Through the years, an angular shape has been

celebrated and then a more curvaceous one. The

average clothing size of a runway model, repre-

sentative of the designers’ ideal, shrank from a

six to a zero; the pale blondes of Eastern Europe

ruled the runway until the sun-kissed blondes

from Brazil deposed them. The couture body—

lean, hipless, and practically flat-chested—can

be seen in the classic portraits by Irving Penn,

Richard Avedon, and Gordon Parks, as well

as on the runways of designers such as John

Galliano and the late Alexander McQueen. But

then Miuccia Prada, who had led the way in

promoting a nearly homogeneous catwalk of

pale, white, thin models, suddenly embraced an

hourglass shape. And then plus-size model Ash-

ley Graham appeared on the cover of the Sports

Illustrated swimsuit issue in 2016, and in 2019

Halima Aden became the first model to wear

a hijab in that same magazine, and suddenly

everyone is talking about modesty and beauty

and fuller figures ... and the progress is dizzying.

In the past decade, beauty has moved res-

olutely forward into territory that was once

deemed niche. Nonbinary and transgender

are part of the mainstream beauty narrative.

As the rights of LGBTQ individuals have been

codified in the courts, so have the aesthet-

ics particular to them been absorbed into the

beauty dialogue. Transgender models walk

the runways and appear in advertising cam-

paigns. They are hailed on the red carpet for

See and

Be Seen

Fashion and beauty magazines pre-

sent a paragon of aspiration, often

setting beauty standards for women

across cultures. The magazines also

serve as giant advertisements for

the industries dependent on selling

these ideals to willing customers.

1997 Elle
Alek Wek

2016 Sports Illustrated

Ashley Graham

2018 British Vogue

Vittoria Ceretti, Halima

Aden, Adut Akech, Faretta

Radic, Paloma Elsesser

COVERS, FROM LEFT: PUBLISHED BY ELLE MAGAZINE, 1997, REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF HEARST MAGAZINES, INC., PHOTOGRAPHY BY GILLES BENSIMON;
PHOTO BY JAMES MACARI, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES; PHOTO BY CRAIG MCDEAN, VOGUE © THE CONDÉ NAST PUBLICATIONS LTD.

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