Beauty In The 1920s Essay

All throughout history, beauty has been perceived and practiced in various ways. The 1920’s as well as the 21st century are both extremely different time periods, yet in multiple ways, are surprisingly similar with their standard of beauty. Overall, these two eras are the most considerable because of their individual innovations in technology, the progression of their societies and economies, as well as the major events taking place concurrently. These influences surrounding the specific time periods have significant impacts on trends, and the ideal concept of beauty in that era.

People are naturally drawn to “bigger”, “better”, & “newer” no matter what time or place. Economy is the main factor that proves just how far people are willing to go to reach the standard of beauty. Anywhere from products to treatments, both the 1920’s and the 21st centuries contain commodities, and “necessities” that claim to put you on the top of the beauty food chain. These claims are taken

into consideration, and the curiosity alone raises revenue. In both eras as well, heavy consumer borrowing is evident, showing that it is no trouble for people to obtain products to fit into society’s perception of being beautiful.
In the 1920’s, the market developed an immense increase in consumerism culture upon the ending of World War 1. The lowering of manufacturing costs allowed for mass production of not only beauty items, but many other products. As a result, there was great economic growth, showing that majority of the women of that time were easily able to access ways to fit into the stigma of “perfect” beauty in the 20s. On the other hand, in the 21st century, the economy in terms of beauty is similar, but not quite the same. The production rates have increased significantly, and there is a much larger variety to fit the price range and preferred specifics that people demand.
In both eras, the overall outlook of society is derived from the ideas of the people in the beauty profession. Their presentation through media and advertisements, heavily influence the public. In the 1920’s the custom of presenting yourself in a reserved nature from the Victorian era had been loosened greatly. Similarly, in the 21st century, the freedom to display yourself in terms of beauty is very immense. Although we are more than capable of making this choice ourselves, we still feel pressured to fit in to what the “normal” standard of beauty is. It’s as if we are compelled to look a certain way, particularly like the rest of the crowd. Although we may think we are going for what we perceive beauty as, in reality we are following what the crowd’s idea of beauty is, and not our own individual beliefs. This is human nature which is relevant in the 20s and 21st century. It occurs because we don’t want to stand out and just wish to blend in with everyone else. This mindset that people contained and still do contain, plays a significant role in the trends that surface.
Before the 1920s, the Victorian age took place. During this time, the reserved Puritan values were practiced, creating a restriction on the presentation of beauty and fashion. This was also a post-World War era, and the new trends and innovations in makeup helped women gain confidence and in a way heal from the war’s tragic events. When the era of the "Roaring 20s" emerged, people began living more freely and expressed themselves in a bolder way. The trends that surfaced still to this day remain some of the most iconic. These included the bobbled hair with finger waves, fancy headwear, emphasis on outlined lips with dark lipstick, and the shapeless, straight dresses with beadwork. Also during this era, there are many different and complex trends with makeup going around such as contouring, baking, strobing, etc. Makeup is very powerful, and tends to give many women much more confidence when worn. In the 21st century, women have way more opportunities and are more independent. Many bold fashion statements emerge in this modern society, creating a very diverse standard of beauty. Definite trends are still evident, but the emphasis on them isn’t as much as before.
Technology never stops innovating. Although the way people perceived or knew about beauty tricks and tips were different, both eras used technology to show people products and trends. Companies in both time periods utilize advertising immensely to sell products. Plastering famous celebrities and products with appealing colors and exaggerating claims were the selling points, and drew the consumers in. Both eras include some sort of technology to inform and distribute information to their audience to convince them
The most prominent technological influence in the 1920s was the advertising industry. Commercials to display products as well as beauty trends were everywhere. The advertisement companies would poke fun at the insecurities that many people had and used that as their selling strategy. These advertisements specifically targeted women and made extremely exaggerated claims. This is because they knew that women were the most gullible and most concerned with their appearance the most. In the 21st century however, the uprising of social media platforms and the internet such as: YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumbler etc. inflicted much change. Social media allows people to share anything and everything, and once these ideas are spread all across the internet and all over the world. Everyone has access to these devices and apps, creating a wider audience. People are also made aware of different ideas pertaining to beauty, which is one of the main reasons why now, the diversification of the “standard of beauty” is apparent.
Other than technology, a major input on the perception of beauty are those that society characterizes as “role models of ideal beauty”. In both the 1920s and 21st centuries, these are particularly successful actors/actresses or models that give a misleading impression of true beauty. In both time periods, people put these “role models” on pedestals and as a result, have a fixed perception on what beauty is. In reality, if the society would look past the glamorous dresses, makeup and red carpet, they are humans like the rest of us.
False perception of reality and falsehood is evident in the cinematic world.

In the 1920’s, the world of Hollywood was blooming, and becoming extremely popular. The perfect foundation for triggering the people’s desire for beauty were the films. As being the next big thing, the actors and actresses were immensely looked up to. Not only was there beauty in the physical aspects- everyone wanted to replicate the habits of these actors and actresses as well, which they believed led to ideal beauty. People looked closely at the smoking, drinking, products, hairstyles, etc., and mimicked these things in real life. In comparison, just about anyone is able to be a “role model” in the 21st century. Whether it's in the cinematic world, or online, people have access to so many different types and variations of beauty, there are no limitations to just actors and actresses. People such as internet celebrities, and popularly active social media accounts influence the perception and viewpoint of beauty

greatly.

People's perception of beauty has changed for decades, evolving as time progresses. The “Roaring 20s” and the 21st century, are periods of time where the viewpoint of ideal beauty is diverse, but on the contrary, both also possess very similar ideas and aspects. The influences of technology, people, society, and economy all notably shape the way beauty is in the two different eras, while also giving an individual identity to each.