In the past decades, western stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt come to mind when asked about the beauty standards of men. However, the ideals of a “perfect” man are evolving as the film and fashion industries gain greater diversity.
Alexander Edmonds, professor of anthropology at the University of Edinburgh explains
that “Due to the legacy of slavery and colonialism [Western] images of the beautiful man have
always been very white, and in the past, there were fewer barriers for this to change but this may be happening now.” In Western society, masculine features such as golden skin, ruggedness, and a muscular physique are considered desirable. Gradually, the fashion industry is becoming more culturally diverse. In recent years, Korean pop idols have climbed the charts in popularity, gaining masses of fans and becoming the heartthrobs of many teenagers. The feminine features and the vibrant hair and makeup that is deemed beautiful today on K-pop stars would be seen as unorthodox by traditional Western standards.
However, the stereotypical male aesthetics are no longer appealing to Generation Z. While plus-sized women such as Lizzo have been widely celebrated, the same cannot be said for the male equivalent of this. The “dad bod” has not yet been normalized by society’s beauty standards. “The focus needs to shift from these unnaturally-attained physiques that even the actors themselves can’t sustain,” said Ben James, speaking about muscular ideals for men.
Additionally, black supermodels Tyson Beckford and Alton Mason regularly make the covers of magazines after the Black Lives Matter movement made brands realize their needs for racial diversity.
There is a saying that beauty is in the eye of its beholder; the perception of what is
considered beautiful can be greatly influenced by society’s beauty standards. Over the past decade, beauty standards have evolved to become more inclusive to different body types, culture, race, etc. This shows that the perception of beauty is ever-changing, and may develop to be even more inclusive in the future.
Alexander Edmonds, professor of anthropology at the University of Edinburgh explains
that “Due to the legacy of slavery and colonialism [Western] images of the beautiful man have
always been very white, and in the past, there were fewer barriers for this to change but this may be happening now.” In Western society, masculine features such as golden skin, ruggedness, and a muscular physique are considered desirable. Gradually, the fashion industry is becoming more culturally diverse. In recent years, Korean pop idols have climbed the charts in popularity, gaining masses of fans and becoming the heartthrobs of many teenagers. The feminine features and the vibrant hair and makeup that is deemed beautiful today on K-pop stars would be seen as unorthodox by traditional Western standards.
However, the stereotypical male aesthetics are no longer appealing to Generation Z. While plus-sized women such as Lizzo have been widely celebrated, the same cannot be said for the male equivalent of this. The “dad bod” has not yet been normalized by society’s beauty standards. “The focus needs to shift from these unnaturally-attained physiques that even the actors themselves can’t sustain,” said Ben James, speaking about muscular ideals for men.
Additionally, black supermodels Tyson Beckford and Alton Mason regularly make the covers of magazines after the Black Lives Matter movement made brands realize their needs for racial diversity.
There is a saying that beauty is in the eye of its beholder; the perception of what is
considered beautiful can be greatly influenced by society’s beauty standards. Over the past decade, beauty standards have evolved to become more inclusive to different body types, culture, race, etc. This shows that the perception of beauty is ever-changing, and may develop to be even more inclusive in the future.
