What Are Beauty Standards?

The beauty industry is bigger than ever. In a world where people are constantly bombarded with media telling them that they should look a certain way, it can be difficult for them to determine how much they should love about themselves. The beauty industry is expected to grow by almost 6% every year, and much of the marketing preys on people’s insecurities. So, what are beauty standards? Society typically sets them, and beauty trends go back further than you might realize.

Where Do Beauty Standards Come From?

Beauty standards have changed throughout history, and bodies have come in and out of the “trend” for a while now. Around 100 years ago, plumper bodies were “in fashion” because they meant a person had enough money to be well-fed. However, you can contrast that with the super-skinny look that dominated the early 2000s. Since the rise of media, society has leaned toward the “standard” of beauty being thin and fair-skinned, when that only encapsulates a small amount of the population.

What are beauty standards? They’re what society tells you is “in” right now — whether that’s a certain weight, body type or skin color. The popular “trend” might change with time, but people can only change their bodies so much. This reason alone is why beauty standards are so dangerous. They make people believe they aren’t perfect just as they are.

Should You Follow Beauty Standards?

First, you must examine why you want to adhere to the trends. What are beauty standards if not impossible to achieve? You shouldn’t change things about yourself just to fit in with a trend. Ultimately, no, you shouldn’t feel like you have to follow beauty standards just because they’re what people say you should do. You shouldn’t hurt yourself to get to a certain weight or go broke trying to purchase all the trendiest clothes. You should only do what you want to do and what makes you happy. Overall, chasing trends will only lead to disappointment, unless it’s something you really like.

How to Boost Your Self-Esteem

Many people choose to follow what are beauty standards because they don’t have a high enough self-esteem to go against what is popular at the time. They want to be accepted and liked by other people — but they can do that without changing or loathing everything about themselves. Here are some easy ways you can build your self-esteem so you can feel comfortable wearing whatever you want.

1. Wear What You Want

Style can mean different things to different people. If you haven’t yet found your style, you can consider building a capsule wardrobe. The capsule wardrobe allows you to get rid of most of the clutter in your closet and make dozens of outfits out of just a few simple staple pieces. It also forces you to work with a few pieces of clothing rather than caving and buying things that adhere to the latest trend. You may find that you like your capsule wardrobe so much more than whatever clothes are trendy for a few months.

2. Surround Yourself With Supportive People

You need to have the right friend group backing you up whenever you feel like you’re not enough. These people will be your go-to folks when you need to feel hyped up. They should support you and encourage you to work on how you view yourself. The right support system will help you through all of your pitfalls and encourage you when you need it.

3. Practice Affirmations

Affirmations are the fun, positive phrases you say to yourself daily. It might seem odd to stand in front of a mirror and compliment yourself and how capable you are, but after a while, you could start to look forward to it. If you tell yourself something often enough, your brain will begin to believe it, and you might find that you think more positive thoughts after reacting to yourself positively. While the concept of saying affirmations might feel foreign at first, you could start to lean on it as an easy way to boost your self-confidence.

What Are Beauty Standards Good For?

What are beauty standards when you boil them down to their core? They’re based around what’s “trendy” at the time, often set by celebrities who have the money to follow or start whichever trend they choose, including replacing their wardrobe or altering their physical appearance. People who aren’t rich and famous may not be able to keep up with trends, so you should build your self-esteem and embrace who you are. Being yourself will never go out of trend.