History of women portrayed in media (Western country)

Image taken from : http://www.foliomag.com/2007/heavy-fall-fashion-magazines-claim-page-weight-records#.Udv5RD4pbdI

The way of women are represented on television, film, advertisement, magazine and so on is pretty dismal. Women can no longer escape the words of beauty and sexy when portrayed in any media.

However, I found the history of western country about how women portrayed in fashion media throughout the century.

Since 1890s, the ideal image of women all over the United States was being thin.

Image taken from :http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/eleanor-fashion/

At the beginning of 1900s, thinness was becoming a style as women start to has interested in athletic and physician field to perceive body weight as a science which calorie counting and keeping trace of weight.

Image taken from : http://www.etsy.com/listing/104525205/vintage-photo-2-views-1900-fashion-woman

However in 1920s, around the time of World War I , women as they call "flapper" portrayed in still very thin but with a younger and more boyish style such as short hair, flattened breast and small waist instead of sophisticated and feminine image. I think this flapper style that could protect women during the world war.

Image taken from : http://doloresmonet.hubpages.com/hub/WomensFashionsofthe1920-FlappersandtheJazz-Age

When comes to 1930s, the image of flapper gradually decrease but women tried to achieve a fuller breasts and slender waist. 

Image taken from : http://www.pastreunited.com/id191.html

Shortly after World War II, women started to promote "New Look" which women needed corsets, girdles and diets to achieve a thinner waist. By 1940s and 1950s, women were wearing the girdles and push-up bras to increase their breast line so that they look more attractive and slender.

Image taken from : http://www.pastreunited.com/id164.html

By 1960s,  a model known as Twiggy was skinnest model that she did not wear any garments and diet to achieve her look. Women started to have a standard body like Twiggy, they ate diet pills and dieting.

In 1970s, women still kept their thinness but in more healthy way.

Image taken from : http://11even.net/tag/1970s/

In 1980s and 1990s, women feminine looks and achievement expanded. It started to included new age variables, ethnicities and accomplishments. However, in the advertising world, women still keep the beauty as young, thin, white and flawless. 

Image taken from : http://eveylun.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/empowered-and-energetic-women-of-the-1980s/

Moreover, in 1990s until today, the ideal of body was very slim and large breasted.

Image taken from : http://www.jannesvintage.com/acatalog/fashion-icons.html

Throughout the century from 1890s until today , we can see that women's ideal body are becoming more slim with large breast. Thinnest is the icon of beauty, while large breast is the icon of sexy. As I mentioned in the beginning that women couldn't escape the words of beauty and sexy.

Resource : https://sites.google.com/site/mediasportrayalonwomen/Home/the-perfect-woman--1950-vs--today

Further reading : http://www.pastreunited.com/id229.html

References:

11even. (2010) 1970s. [Image online] Available at: http://11even.net/tag/1970s/ [Accessed: 1 June 2013].

An image show how the women's fashion in 1970s.

American Experience. (n.d.) General Article: Dressing the Part. [Image online] Available at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/eleanor-fashion/ [Accessed: 1 June 2013].

An image show how the women's fashion in 1890s.

Etsy. (2012) vintage photo 2 Views 1900 FAshion Woman Formal Dress Pleats 1900. [Image online] Available at: http://www.etsy.com/listing/104525205/vintage-photo-2-views-1900-fashion-woman [Accessed: 1 June 2013].

An image show how the women's fashion in 1900s.

Jannesvintage.com. (n.d.) Fashion Icons Past and Present - JannesVintage.com. [Image online] Available at: http://www.jannesvintage.com/acatalog/fashion-icons.html [Accessed: 1 June 2013].

An image show how the women's fashion in 1990s.

Kuchmak, E. (2012) Empowered and Energetic Women of the 1980's. [Image online] Available at: http://eveylun.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/empowered-and-energetic-women-of-the-1980s/ [Accessed: 1 June 2013].

An image show how the women's fashion in 1980s.

Monet, D. (n.d.) Women's Fashions of the 1920's - Flappers and the Jazz Age. [Image online] Available at: http://doloresmonet.hubpages.com/hub/WomensFashionsofthe1920-FlappersandtheJazz-Age [Accessed: 1 June 2013].

An image show how the women's fashion in 1920s.

Pastreunited.com. (n.d.) Fashion 20th century. [Online] Available at: http://www.pastreunited.com/id229.html [Accessed: 1 June 2013].

An image show how the women's fashion in 20th Century.

Pastreunited.com. (n.d.) 1930s fashion through books and photos. [Image online] Available at: http://www.pastreunited.com/id191.html [Accessed: 1 June 2013].

An image show how the women's fashion in 1930s.

Pastreunited.com. (n.d.) 1940s Fashion, Apartments and History of Slang. [Image online] Available at: http://www.pastreunited.com/id164.html [Accessed: 1 June 2013].

An image show how the women's fashion in 1940s.

Sites.google.com. (n.d.) The Perfect Woman Throughout History - Media's Portrayal on Women. [Online] Available at: https://sites.google.com/site/mediasportrayalonwomen/Home/the-perfect-woman--1950-vs--today [Accessed: 1 June 2013].

Interesting points of the history on how women portrayed in the media in Western country.

Stableford, D., Fell, J. (2007) Heavy: Fall Fashion Magazines Claim Page, Weight Records. [image online] Available at: http://www.foliomag.com/2007/heavy-fall-fashion-magazines-claim-page-weight-records#.Udy05D4pbdJ [Accessed: 1 June 2013].

An image show western magazine.