In ancient Greece, Aphrodite, the goddess of sexual love and beauty, was often portrayed with curves.Ī statue commonly thought to represent Aphrodite, called the Venus de Milo, depicts small breasts but is shaped with a twisted figure and elongated body, characteristic of that time period.Īrtists continued to portray the “ideal” woman as curvy and voluptuous all the way through to the 17th and 18th centuries. Experts have long debated whether the figurines symbolize attractiveness or fertility. The figurines – including the “Venus of Willendorf,” found in 1908 at Willendorf, Austria – portray round, pear-shaped women’s bodies, many with large breasts. Some of the earliest known representations of a woman’s body are the “ Venus figurines,” small statues from 23,000 to 25,000 years ago in Europe. Prehistory-1900s: A focus on full-figured silhouettes To mark International Women’s Day, we explore how this “ideal” is ever-changing, forming a complex history throughout art and fashion – with damaging impacts on women who try to conform in each era. Now, shapely backsides are celebrated with “likes” on social media. More recently, in the late 20th century, thin, waif-like models filled the pages of fashion magazines. Thousands of years ago, sculptures and artworks portrayed curvaceous, thickset silhouettes. This obsession fuels societal pressures to appear a certain way and to have a certain body type, particularly among young women, stemming from a cultural construct of the “ideal” body, which has in turn changed over time – as long ago as pre-history. It’s become connected to our identity as people.” “We as a culture, as a society, are obsessed with size. “Whether it’s contemporary or 19th century, they want to know what size it is or what size it would correlate to, or what measurement it is,” she said. “People come and always want to know what size something is,” said McClendon, who organized the exhibition “ The Body: Fashion and Physique,” about the history of the idealized body type in fashion, which is on display until May. Yet no matter how aesthetically unique or historically significant a particular piece of fashion may be, most visitors to the museum typically ask one question, said Emma McClendon, the museum’s associate curator of costume. If my words were not of any help, at least I hope the grammar linking them together, has made you smile.Hidden in the halls of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York are historic textiles and glamorous garments, many of which hold secrets from years past. ![]() When I began to notice I was holding my breath, she had flown away from my sight, as the beautiful swan before her. The athletic muscles decorated her body as a gorgeous pearl necklace would have done. I shivered as her powerful shown legs contracted at the same time my own heart did. Raising countless drops of crystal clear water to be basked in the mourning sunlight, as did tiny drops of sweat from the well toned arms on the girl I loved. When she ran passed my view, she reminded me of the white swan I saw earlier, taking flight from it's pond: With it's well shaped wings striking powerfully at the watery surface. I pray it to be helpful in any way, and please try to ignore the grammar and punctuation, since English is not my native tongue. Wherein I gratefully, as well shamelessly borrow the strong words provided in earlier posts. If it's a description you are attempting, allow me to share one that came up as I read your plea. ![]() I'll get the idea if the author is at all consistent in his / her / their characterization. I'd honestly rather that someone be described as "bulkily overweight, with layers of fat that obscured the muscle underneath" or "athletic, with narrow shoulders and long, lanky arms that moved like pistons" no matter their gender. Now, there are books that describe male muscles in lavish details because the author wants to convey that the guy is "hot." I myself prefer authors to give the details in bits and pieces, so I don't expect purple prose when it comes to body type - for either gender. ![]() Later, if another character sees her for the first time and notices that she has no problem hoisting a sixty pound pack up onto her shoulders, her back and arm muscles flexing smoothly, then I'll add that to my "how this character looks" file as well. So if the writer mentions a woman who is short and wiry, built like a gymnast, I stick that in my "how this character looks" mental file. When I read, I tend to prefer occasional sentences, which then build up to a complete picture.
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