Definining the Beauty Standard of the U.S.A.

If you ask the average American who they believe the most beautiful woman was or is, you’ll get a large variety in answers. Some believe Marilyn Monroe takes the title. Others, Audrey Hepburn or Elizabeth Taylor. More still skew more modern, from Princess Diana to Gigi Hadid. Beauty is completely subjective, and yet it is something intangible that has extreme value in America and the world at large. So how is beauty defined?

The dictonary definition of beauty is “the quality or groups of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or the mind,” ¹

This, however, is still very broad. It can change from person to person. That is why, with this website, magazines from the respective time periods will be the most influential. Magazines are what many people will read and has beauty that people aspire to. For example, one of the most influential magazines is Vogue Magazine, which always has beautiful models, makeup advice, and fashion. Most magazines, even those not on Vogue’s level, have similar subjects in their articles.

Magazines and Their Influence

Magazines are very influential, even subtly, on how one percieves the world, espeically today in the modern world. From tabloids labeling women as ‘whales’ to call them fat in the early 2000s, to Seventeen showing young girls and women the newest makeup tips, magazines are all over the place. Young women and girls are especially susceptible to these, as most magazines related to makeup or fashion are advertized to them specifically. However, that is not to say that people of any gender or sexuality can read and enjoy them. If you look at any random magazine from before 1960, you’ll likely see a slim and pale woman with dark eyes. It wasn’t until after the Black is Beautiful movement that more women of color began to get spots in magazines, yet even still they are the minority.

But Why is this Important?

Magazines seem frivolous on the surface, yet they shaped beauty long before TV became mainstream, and their effects can still be felt in the digital world today.

Global Impact of the Beauty Standard?

Further exploration: Taste different chile varieties if you can—fresh, roasted, dried. Visit a chile festival if you’re in the Southwest during harvest season. Ask family members about their chile traditions. The story of chiles is also the story of regional identity, of cultural pride, and of how food carries history in its flavor.