Has Appearance Always Mattered So Much?!
Recently I’ve been reflecting on cultural beauty standards and their importance and influence over time. As a clinical psychologist, I see so many individuals across the lifespan significantly impacted by either attempting to conform to or suffering due to their perceived distance from, the beauty ideal. These issues weigh even more heavily on me as a mother to young children, as I contemplate how I can moderate the role these standards have in the lives of my kids as they grow up and build a sense of identity and value in the world.
Emphasis on appearance and beauty certainly seems to be ubiquitous these days, sparking my attempt to unravel whether appearance has always been this important, or whether we need to understand the positioning of the beauty standard differently in our modern context.
To start with, the importance of appearance and beauty has always played a role in human societies. Why is that?
Evolution
Physical appearance has long been linked to perceptions of health, fertility and desirability. This goes back to our evolutionary roots – symmetry, clear skin, and certain body proportions often signal good health. Our attraction to those who are in better health serves an advantage to us and any future offspring, increasing our chances of survival and reproduction.
Status
Beauty standards throughout history have been linked to wealth, class and virtue. As symbols of power in a hierarchical society, humans are drawn towards status, because it historically conferred survival and reproductive advantages. In early human groups, those with higher status (strength, leadership, skill, resource access) were more likely to survive, attract mates, and pass on their genes. Status meant better food, protection, mates, and influence. Our brains evolved to care deeply about social standing as a result.
Social belonging
Humans are highly social animals. Belonging to a group is essential, and status helps determine one’s role and security within that group. Being respected or admired for one’s appearance reduces the risk of exclusion, which in early societies could mean death.
Dopamine
Gaining status triggers the brain’s reward systems (e.g. dopamine), creating feelings of pleasure and reinforcement. Likes on social media, compliments on your appearance, or admiration all feed into this same neural loop.
Identity and Meaning
Beauty can give people a sense of identity and purpose, helping them feel significant or valuable in a complex world. For some, it becomes a way to measure success or compensate for deeper insecurities.
Cultural conditioning
Modern culture often ties status to beauty. We’re constantly shown messages (via advertising, media, and peer behaviour) that appearance equals worth – and we internalise that from a young age.
OK so appearance and beauty have always mattered. They are related to indicators of health and status and play a role in our sense of social belonging, identity and value.
But has the importance of appearance and beauty changed over time?
To start with, we need to recognise that the beauty standard itself has changed over time. Beauty ideals have actually shifted dramatically over time and between cultures.
Ancient Greece & Rome ( ~800BC – 500AD)
Ideal beauty – harmony, proportion, and symmetry. The human body (especially male) was idealised as a reflection of divine perfection.
Female ideal – Pale skin, rounded hips, small waist – modesty and grace.
Status marker – beauty and grooming were seen as civic virtues
Middle Ages (500-1500)
Beauty = morality. Outer beauty was often seen as a reflection of inner virtue or sin.
Ideal – Pale skin (indicating nobility and purity), high foreheads, small mouths, and plucked eyebrows.
Renaissance (1400-1600)
Art & fertility as beauty – beauty was celebrated in art and linked to fertility and wealth.
Female ideal – fuller figures, fair skin, soft features, long flowing hair.
18th Century (1700s)
Aristocratic excess – elaborate wigs, powdered faces, and tightly corseted waists.
Ideal – delicate features, porcelain skin, rosy cheeks.
Beauty & politics – court life (especially in France) dictated extreme grooming and fashion.
Victorian Era (1837-1901)
Modesty and morality – beauty tied to demureness and spiritual virtue.
Ideal – hourglass figure (corsets), pale skin, natural makeup (heavily made up faces were seen as vulgar)
Hair – long, thick hair was prized as a symbol of feminity and moral character.
1920s: The Flapper Era
Radical shift – beauty became more youthful and rebellious
Ideal – slim, boyish figures, bobbed hair, small chests.
Make up boom – lipstick, mascara, and powder became common and glamorous.
1950s: Post-War Femininity
Return to curves – after WWII, the ideal woman was domestic, curvy, and ultra-feminine.
Icons – Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly
Make up – red lips, winged eyeliner, flawless skin
1960s-1970s: Youth & Counterculture
Ideal – Thin and Youthful, natural beauty. Twiggy’s waif-like look in the 60s; boho in the 70s.
Body hair – removal became more expected, especially with rising hemlines and bikinis.
Movement – feminism questioned and resisted rigid beauty norms.
1980s: Fitness and Glamour
Ideal – toned, athletic bodies (think Jane Fonda workouts)
Style – big hair, bold makeup, shoulder pads – power beauty
Commercialisation – beauty industries exploded – cosmetics, diet culture, gym culture.
1990s: Heroin Chic to Minimalism
Early 90s – “Heroin chic” ideal – very thin, pale, waif-like (think Kate Moss)
Late 90s – More natural and minimalist – light makeup, casual hair.
Pop icons – Cindy Crawford, Jennifer Aniston
2000s: Celebrity & Surgery
Ideal – slim with large breasts, flat stomachs, tanned skin.
Influence – reality TV, tabloids, plastic surgery bom.
Trend – extreme dieting and procedures like breast implants, botox, liposuction.
2010s-2020s: Instagram & Injections
Hyper-visibility – social media intensified appearance pressure.
Ideal – curvy (tiny waist & large hips/butt), full lips, glowing skin – largely shaped by influencers like Kim Kardashian
Filters & Fillers – Rise in cosmetic procedures (lip fillers, BBLs) and digital self-editing
Pushback – rise of body positivity, inclusivity, and “natural beauty” movements – but contraditions abound.
Today (2020s-2025)
Tension & contradiction
On one hand: continued pressure to meet idealised, often surgically-enhanced beauty norms.
On the other: rising awareness of mental health, body neutrality, and anti-perfectionism.
Trends – shifts towards embracing diverse bodies, skin tones, gender expression – but with persistent commercial pressures.
Phew. So. The beauty standard itself is a cultural construction that is context-dependent.
To my last point – the importance of appearance has grown significantly in modern times. Why?
1. Mass Media and Advertising
The 20th century brought cinema, television, magazines – and with them, more homogenised, idealised images of beauty.
2. Social Media and Smartphones
In the 21st century, the rise of Instagram, TikTok, and constant self-presentation has made appearance a central part of daily life for many.
3. Commercialisation
Beauty is now a multi-billion industry. Products, procedures, and filters are marketed as essential for success, confidence, or even love.
Summary
Beauty has always mattered to humans, but the meaning, intensity, and visibility of appearance HAS changed over time. Especially recently. Modern technology, capitalism, and media have dramatically amplified its visibility, its standards, and its psychological impact.
