With the revolution of social media, the touchpoints to beauty standards have diversified, and what was once deemed 'beautiful' is being challenged and redefined. Inclusivity, diversity, body positivity, and self-love are now treasured ahead of cookie-cut beauty standards. Today's new wave in beauty disregards the 'one-size-fits-all' approach and considers that beauty comes in all different shapes, sizes, colors, and ages. This new era in beauty is not just about looking good, it's about feeling good from the inside out. This article highlights how this shift is redefining beauty standards.
Expanding Beauty Standards
Beauty standards, over time, have continued to change and evolve. It's no longer about fitting into a specific mold or looking a certain way. Beauty nowadays is about showcasing your individuality, embracing your uniqueness, and celebrating your natural body. Brands are making concerted effort to represent a broader range of beauty ideals.
Advertisements are featuring people of all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages, promoting a message of inclusivity that everyone is beautiful. Makeup companies have also expanded their product lines to cater to a wide range of skin tones. These diversifications are a step forward towards dismantling long-standing unrealistic beauty standards.
Body positivity has largely fueled this change. This movement encourages people to have a healthier body image and promotes self-love, urging individuals to appreciate their bodies, as they are, and resist the societal pressure to look a certain way.
The Rise of the Body Positivity Movement
Body positivity is a countercultural movement that advocates for the acceptance of all bodies, regardless of physical ability, size, gender, race, or appearance. This movement came as a response to narrow beauty standards, which have historically favored thin, fair-skinned, and young people.
Social media has been a significant catalyst for this movement, providing a platform for people to share their authentic selves, cellulite, wrinkles, and all. Body-positive influencers and activists are revolutionizing beauty standards, proving that every body is a good body.
The body positivity and self-love message is spreading beyond social media, impacting the beauty and fashion industry. Brands, both big and small, mainstream and indie, are all slowly incorporating body positivity into their core values.
Redefining beauty standards is a task that requires the collective effort of everyone. The industry as a whole has to push for representational diversity and inclusivity, to normalize the celebration of all bodies. Let's champion a diverse representation of beauty, where everyone feels seen and celebrated. The true beauty standard is none other than the embodiment of self-love, authenticity, and body positivity. The time has come to see the trend as the new normal.