Fitness Instagrammer photoshopped herself to have the 'perfect' body through history and it will make you rethink perfection
With the prevalence of social media, standards of beauty are constantly shifting and evolving, and when you compare the so-called "perfect body" of one decade to the next, the differences can be staggering. In the 90's it was all about embodying the waif thin, "heroin chic" aesthetic, and now, if you don't have thic(c) thighs and a booty that is disproportionate to your waist, you're never going to "make it" on Instagram.
However, fitness trainer Cassey Ho - who you may know as Blogilates on Inst8agram - is here to prove that these trends are arbitrary, and that at the end of the day, all that matters is loving the body you're in.
In an Instagram post published yesterday, Cassey shared images of herself which were Photoshopped to meet all of the different beauty standards we have seen throughout history, and it's pretty wild.
For the time period we're currently in, Cassey's hips were widened, and her waist narrowed, while her lips and butt were enlarged.
But in the mid-'90s through to the early-2000s, the focus was on the thigh gap... And then, you guessed it, the "ideal" body looked completely different in the 1920s, and in the 1400s-1700s.
"Why do we treat our bodies like we treat fashion? ‘Boobs are out! Butts are in!’ Well, the reality is, manufacturing our bodies is a lot more dangerous than manufacturing clothes," Cassey wrote on the social media platform. "Stop throwing your body out like it’s fast fashion. Please treat your body with love & respect and do not succumb to the beauty standard. Embrace your body because it is YOUR own perfect body."
"Mid 2010s-2018 - Big butts, wide hips, tiny waists, and full lips are in! There is a huge surge in plastic surgery for butt implants thanks to Instagram models posting 'belfies'. Even cosmetic surgery doctors have become IG-famous for reshaping women. Between 2012-2014, butt implants and injections rise by 58%.
Mid 90s-2000s - Big boobs, flat stomachs, and thighs gaps are in. In 2010, breast augmentation is the highest performed cosmetic surgery in the United States. It’s the age of the Victoria’s Secret Angel. She’s tall, thin, and she’s always got long legs and a full chest.
Early 90s - THIN IS IN. Having angular bone structure, looking emaciated, and super skinny is what’s dominating the runways and the magazine covers. There’s even a name for it: 'heroin chic'.
Cassey then moved onto the 1950s and beyond...
"1950s - The hourglass shape is in. Elizabeth Taylor‘s 36-21-36 measurements are the ideal. Marilyn Monroe’s soft voluptuousness is lusted after. Women are advertised weight gaining pills to fill themselves out. Playboy magazine and Barbie are created in this decade.
1920s - Appearing boyish, androgynous and youthful, with minimal breasts, and a straight figure is in! Unlike the 'Gibson Girl' of the Victorian Era, women are choosing to hide their curves, and are doing so by binding their chests with strips of cloth to create that straight figure suitable for flapper dresses.
1400-1700 The Italian Renaissance - Looking full with a rounded stomach, large hips, and an ample bosom is in. Being well fed is a sign of wealth and status. Only the poor are thin."
What Cassey's trying to highlight here is that all bodies are different, and that what's "in" right now is subject to change. So why bother keeping up with the latest trend when you can focus on loving yourself for you?