Were You Attractive 100 Years Ago?

Beauty standards have been changing for ages, and some ancient fashions may actually surprise you. Both women and men had their own ideals when it came to being attractive, and some of these traits are the exact opposite of today’s expectations. With that in mind, let’s dive into what was considered historically attractive by men and women respectively.

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1. The Unibrow

Beauty standards have fluctuated significantly in different eras and cultures. In Ancient Greece, having a unibrow was considered intelligent and elegant. Unibrows were a significant factor in female attractiveness to men of the time, and women would artificially create or emphasize them with makeup.

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2. High Foreheads

During the Middle Ages, the high forehead was all the rage. Women did everything they could to make their foreheads as high as possible, plucking their hairlines and shaping their faces to get the right look. Eyebrows were thinned or removed altogether, to make the forehead the main beauty feature.

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3. Tiny Feet

Men in China have historically found very small feet, or "Golden Lotus" feet, highly attractive. From the age of four or five, girls had their feet tightly bound into the foot's desired form. Although it made walking difficult and dangerous, a tiny foot was believed to be an unfortunate necessity for a good marriage and a sign of refinement.

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4. Black Teeth

In the past, black teeth were considered more attractive in Japan by men. The process of blackening one's teeth was known as ohaguro. Women darkened their teeth on purpose with dyes as a sign of maturity, refinement, and social grace, as well as being a marker of a married woman.

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5. A Tummy

Full-figured, curvaceous women were considered particularly attractive in the Renaissance. Men considered voluptuousness to be a sign of wealth and fertility. Artists like Peter Paul Rubens glorified such bodies, admiring round stomachs and large hips.

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6. Limping

Men in Victorian England thought the "Alexandra limp" stylish. Women affected a slight hobble Queen Alexandra of Denmark had from rheumatic fever. Wearing one high heel and one flat shoe made walking a lopsided challenge, as did later tight hobble skirts' minuscule, precarious steps.

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7. Short Hair

Men's perception of beauty in women in ancient Sparta was vastly different from modern standards. Men found it beautiful for women to adorn themselves with strange features. Tattoos, such as red suns on the chin and cheeks, and shaved or specially styled hair.

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8. Mustaches

In Iran in the 19th century, a man wanted his woman to have a thin mustache. A thin mustache on women was seen as the standard of beauty in the Qajar period. In order to appear more attractive to men, women used makeup to darken the area above their upper lip.

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9. Pale Skin

Men in the Renaissance desired women who were extremely pale. It was a sign of wealth and social status and often women went to extreme and even dangerous lengths to lighten their skin. Women would even draw blue lines across their skin to create visible veins.

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10. Weakness

Weakness and fragile delicacy were considered a high form of feminine beauty for men in the 1920s. Men found it so alluring that vulnerability was feminine. Exercise was even discouraged as it could make women too muscular.

Now that we talked about 10 things men historically found attractive in women, here are 10 things women found attractive in men.

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1. Lean Builds

Plumpness in a man was a sign of prosperity, wealth, and fertility. A large, full body meant a strong man with great moral fiber who could provide for those he loved. It wasn't until the 20th century, with the rise of Hollywood, that the slimmer, more athletic male body became the standard.

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2. Colorful Clothing

Bright colors and bold patterns were considered attractive to women by men in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This was because the colors and patterns made men stand out and signified that they were breaking social conventions. Brightly colored clothes in shades of red, orange, and yellow were thought to be very attractive as they projected confidence, high status, and charisma.

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3. High Heels

Women in the 17th century found men who wore high-heeled shoes extremely attractive, because of the connotation with wealth, status, and power. Louis XIV popularized red-heeled shoes, as the red heel became associated with nobility and influence. Heels allowed the wearer to carry themselves with more confidence and power.

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4. Slicked Hair

Women of the 1920s found men with hair slicked neatly back on their heads attractive. Women during this time period were very attracted to those that were clean and proper in their appearance. Hair was usually long enough for it to be slicked back neatly and it was usually parted in the middle or slightly to one side.

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5. Powdered Wigs

Between the 17th and 18th centuries, women were often charmed by men who donned such large and showy powdered wigs. These were considered attractive to the opposite sex due to the power, elegance, and social status that they could display. The longer the hair, the greater the power.

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6. Latin Flare

In the 1920s, the foreign-looking man was an especially strong trope, due to the popularity of the Latin Lover archetype in Hollywood films of the day. Rudolph Valentino was the poster boy for this archetype. It combined a sense of mystery, romantic passion, and the hint of the forbidden to make him and the like irresistible.

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7. Elaborate Hats

Hats symbolized style, status, and fashion consciousness. Feathered plumes and tricorne styles indicated a man's wealth and social position, making him more attractive. Ornate hats allowed men to project confidence and sophistication, traits that women found irresistible.

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8. Stockings

In previous centuries, women were aroused by men who were wearing silk or wool stockings and knee-length breeches, because it meant the man was well-groomed and fashion-conscious. Ribbons or garters added ornamentation to a man's ensemble and increased his allure and sophistication.

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9. Natural Body Hair

In cultures where this aesthetic is appreciated, such as Renaissance Italy and in various Middle Eastern cultures, women are said to be attracted to men with unibrows or more natural body hair. Facial hair, body hair, and a unibrow are associated with masculinity, maturity, and virility, as it has a stronger effect on the development of these masculine traits.

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10. Codpieces

In 15th-16th century Europe, women were extremely attracted to men with codpieces. Codpieces padded and drew attention to masculinity and evoked virility. The exaggerated size was a brash and bold display of confidence and made a man more desirable to their lady admirers.

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