Monday’s Mish-Mash
Ideals Through the Ages

(Warning: This post contains images of classic art. If you’re allergic to the unclothed female body, please turn away now!)

It’s interesting how much you can learn about history from paintings of nude or semi-nude women. Today’s ideal woman is tall and slender with sleek muscle and no body fat whatsoever. But throughout much of history, the paragon of beauty was rather plump. You can see this in many paintings from the Renaissance and beyond.

Unknown Bolognese Artist, 16th Century

If she had a bit of a belly, it was considered attractive! During the late medieval period, women tended to puff their dresses out and stand slouched so they would appear pregnant.

Lady From Flanders, 15th Century

Even during the snugly corseted period of the 1850s-1870s women were expected to have a bit of a belly. Dresses were full from the waist down, hiding any sort of excess fat, and corsets from that period did nothing to slenderize the stomach.

"Nana" by Edouard Manet, 1877

But it makes sense, because back then women needed to be fertile, and after they had babies their bodies became fuller and rounder. Thus, that became the desirable shape for a woman. It’s too bad this has changed so drastically! The popular shape now is much harder for a woman to attain, especially if she’s had children.

Modesty
It’s also interesting how the concept of modesty has changed over the centuries. During some eras, women could wear their neckline as low as they wanted—so long as their ankles didn’t show. To reveal even a peek of leg was considered naughty! But in other periods, walking skirts were worn at the lower calf, with ankles on full display.

"The Coquette" by Monet, 1875

It’s an interesting thought to ponder. Why do we, today, consider it acceptable to wear shorts that reveal our bare legs, or jeans that highlight the shape of our derriere, and yet a woman is often thought of as loose when she shows her decolletage? To many men, legs or bums are just as sexy as breasts, so why do we consider it less arousing for them to see us in jeans than in a low-cut blouse? (Please note, I’m not criticizing here, just throwing the question out for debate.)

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What are your thoughts on modesty? Which parts of your body are you comfortable exposing, and which do you cover up?