The Evolution of Beauty Standards in Pop Culture: From the 1920s to the 2020s

Beauty standards have existed since the beginning of time. even before the media elevated them. What has long been considered 'desirable' or 'attractive' has always been based on the opinion of a majority, aka, society. In other words, if society thinks you should be or do something, you should comply to fit in.

However, beauty standards have changed over time. The Urban Dictionary defines beauty standards as a traditional form of beauty, typically for a certain country.

Yes, different societies set and decide when the beauty standards need to be changed. Visual images will depict exactly what these standards are but in times before social media and the modern media, these were defined by different things. Cultural influences, literature art and social class were some of the biggest factors that defined beauty standards. 

These were the pillars of pop culture for the time, and they still retain their influence today on modern-day life. 

However, the true influence of beauty standards came with the emergence of Hollywood in the early 20th century. Known as Hollywood's Golden Age, the 1920s- 1950s was the dawn of classic movies, cinema icons, the popularisation of celebrity, and the mainstream beginning of infringing beauty standards on society.

Looking back at beauty standards, we will uncover the different trends, requirements and influences of beauty standards on modern trends.

Hollywood's Golden Age: 1920s-1950s

1920s: The era of silent films and boldface makeup.

Many historians and film enthusiasts look at the Hollywood Golden Age as the best era of film. The 1920s was the era of silent film stars like Clara Bow and Greta Garbo. Huge studios back then controlled the film market due to the fact there were only a few of them. Studios had all the power with their stars' multi-year contracts and the requirements of their actors.

However, it was the stars of silent films who enabled their popularity. These pictures were able to show the power of entertainment and storytelling through a visual lens. Without dialogue or sound, audiences would be solely invested in the movements and facial expressions of the actors and were captivated by them. And for some, they were captivated by their looks rather than their artistry. Actors like Charlie Chaplin in The Tramp helped to propel cinema visits to a peak of around 50 million in the mid-1920s. 

Beauty standards during this era weren't necessarily influenced by the film as much as they were in the coming decades but by the politics of the time. As World War One ended and celebration ensued, people felt more free in the 1920s. It was a time of liberation and for women, this meant they were inspired by stars of the time. Clara Bow this time was known for her pinned and short bob hair, a departure from the longer feminine hair. Bow also had bold makeup as a part of her silent film parts. Greasepaint, a sharp cupid's bow (courtesy of Max Factor himself) and heavy makeup were common.

Bow also had an androgynous look about her which became popular among women breaking free from Victorian ideals of feminine, constraining beauty. As the 1920s went on, the Wall Street Crash in 1929 sent the country into an economic panic as the stock market crashed, prices rose and people became poor, so a return to traditional ideals seemed imminent. 

On the silver, screen, with the arrival of sound, "talkies" movies became popular in the mid-1920s, with films like The Jazz Singer and Bablyon paving a new way for new sound cinema.

1930s: The escapism of cinema and The Great Depression's influence.

Entering the 1930s, Americans were more disbelieving in their government than ever, due to Herbert Hoover's adamance to keep a 'do nothing' approach to tackling the Great Depression. Consequently, many used films as a form of escapism that, unfortunately, created strict beauty standards for the stars of the time. 

The dividing line between the poor and rich created a new fashion that embraced conservatism and films did the same, moving away from the sexually explicit and liberated fashions of the 1920s. Film roles became more realistic of how a woman should dress and behave, and stars such as Katherine Hepburn and Jean Arthur embodied this. 

Skirts were longer, and so were hemlines and women with broader shoulders and narrow hips were considered the most beautiful, mirroring the body shapes of stars like Greta Garbo. However, the platinum blonde began to take off with the likes of Jean Harlow and her short blonde hair. Sex symbols were still regarded as desirable, but ordinary women were encouraged to cover up and move away from the influences of the Roaring Twenties.

The "Blonde Bombshell" also helped to create softer, drawn-on eyebrows with hairstyles remaining feminine with an edge of practicality. Iconic women of the day had short pin curled hair in their photos. Pictures and guides detailed the ideal look for a woman, and on-screen, actresses of the time were used to determine the ideal measurements for a woman, who was required to be "wholesome" during this era until the decade's end.

1940s: World War 2, the embracement of practicality and natural beauties

America entered World War 2 in 1941 and this dramatically altered the beauty standards of the times. As their men went off to war, many women took on traditionally masculine jobs in factories, munitions and engineering. Wartime imposed strict restrictions on clothing, so military, or utilitarian fashion became the norm.

In beauty, women were also expected to be as practical as their clothes were. Designers followed suit with collections embodying classy clothes that fit well. On-screen, this fashion was imitated by women who society considered strong and feminine, but classically beautiful. Rita Hayworth and Veronica Lake were idolised by women across the country. Even abroad, women began to limit what they were eating, due in part to rationing but also due to the encouragement to be slim and muscular at the time, to represent the 'strong' women the war effort so desperately needed.

Other features were accentuated by the fashions of the time like legs, and traditionally feminine features weren't favoured. On-screen, the 1940s promoted a new level of stardom as women began to mimic the pictures and movie trends set by Hollywood actresses. Longer hair was back in thanks to Bette Davis and Veronica Lake's hairstyle which covered one eye (the peekaboo hairstyle) and became a defining one of the decade.

Women of the time were expected to create softer makeup looks that embraced their natural skin tone. As tanning became popular among actresses and the wealthy, foundations were made to suit skin tones and less became more for makeup looks.

Influenced both by war and the silver screen, women had to remain feminine and be strong for the sake of their country. They weren't to go overboard with frivolous things but had to remain feminine with their pin-up girls. Rosie the Riveter, Casablanca and Mrs Miniver all presented the image of a strong and supportive woman, or a woman on her way to being a strong individual and embracing her role in society. Pin-up girls were the fantasy, but working women were the reality. 

The 1950s: Post-war time feminity and the influence of Marilyn.

When World War Two ended in 1945, the Allies celebrated and men across America returned to their jobs, thus creating a return to traditional gender roles and feminity for the once-working women. Consumerism was at an all-time high time and promoted products for women to become better wives to their hardworking husbands.

The image of a glamorous housewife was considered to be the fantasy of what men wanted. Cleaning products, kitchenware and makeup products were shown to be a need for a woman wishing to be the perfect housewife. Housewives were expected to keep an immaculate house by cleaning, cooking delicious meals and taking care of children without a fuss. If they were to go out, they were to look put together with their fashions and their face.

The hourglass body type became heavily desired, particularly by the iconic sex symbol and blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe who was a naturally curvaceous movie star that men lusted after. To achieve this look, women used corsets and girdles to alter and lift their bodies to create a tightened, and refined look that men would like. 

Fashions of the time even emulated Marilyn's figure with pencil skirts, three-quarter sleeved shirts and belted skirts, aimed to entice men without showing too much. In the makeup department, the "doe eye" look was in embracing eyeshadow, pencilled brows, mascara and heavy black eyeliner, with light pale foundation-covered skin and painted red lips.

Hair at the time was bold and mainly short, styled to achieve perfect curls with a teaser and tight-hold hairspray or even rollers. Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Mansfield were signatures for the curly and wavy short styles. 

The biggest change was the embracing of the curvy body. Advertisements praised curvy women and entertainment through men's magazines like Playboy created an unattainable image of the perfect woman. Women were plastered everywhere in photos and ladies like Bridgette Bardot and Audrey Hepburn were idolised for their doll-like beauty.

In the film, sexuality was also rampant in Marilyn Monroe's Gentleman Prefer Blondes and Marlon Brando's A Streetcar Named Desire propelled the vixen and the bad boy images. Actors became archetypes of these films, and the "blonde bombshell" was immortalised in the films that Monroe did in the 1950s at the height of her career. Her characters were overtly sexy, but not portrayed to be too intelligent - the epitome of the male gaze of the time.

The 1960s: Counterculture, changing ideals and new media.

While society and the media were dominated by the Golden Age of Cinema, the 1960s saw a shift in technology and the economy. The 1960s had an economic boom with a peak in the advertising industry and the encouragement to buy goods flooding American society. The Post-War Baby Boom of the 1950s and early 1960s was partly to blame for this, as new kitchenware and baby products were marketed in catalogues, magazines and advertisements everywhere across the country.

Perhaps the biggest influence in the 1960s was the increase of counterculture. Yes, the era of hippies, free spirits and drastically shifting ideals. Young people were rising against conservative ideologies and protesting for the civil rights of women, black people, gays and lesbians. This change in attitudes was reflected in Mod fashion, popularised by fashion icons of the decade like Twiggy and even First Lady Jackie Kennedy.

Jackie Kennedy was known for her fashion, her Chanel-inspired two-piece suits (The pink suit was the most iconic),  and looks were still considered classic and yet more liberal than before with the introduction of the mini skirt, which became a staple of 1960s women. Even while swimming, bikinis were all the rage when in 1963, the musical Beach Party was released.

Women became in charge of their destinies and so their clothing reflected this with shorter clothing becoming all the rage. Even elements of classic beauty, like in Breakfast at Tiffany's headed by Audrey Hepburn embraced more skin, like the classic Givenchy dress Hepburn wears in the film's opening scene.

The 1960s also could arguably have begun the popularity of the skinny body type, thanks to Twiggy's slender figure. There was a movement where women were encouraged and even desired to be thin like the models plastered on their magazine covers. Fashion at this time represented two opposites of women who would be shelved on one side or the other of the spectrum.

While white women were considered to be the most beautiful up until this point, the civil rights movement paved the way for black women and other women of colour. Diahann Carroll broke many barriers becoming one of the first black women to star in a non-stereotypical role on the television show Julia in the late 1960s. Black power groups also helped to make the afro hairstyle fashionable among young black men and women, and these groups helped black people to form their style trends.

Although black women were starting to be seen in media and music more, Twiggy was still the ultimate style icon of this period. Her clothing alone, the go-go boots, A-line skirts, shift dresses and other trends she donned headed 1960s style. Her short pixie hair was also replicated a lot among women, and so were her dramatic eyes. The sixties gave birth to the glamour makeup looks which encompassed boldness through fake lashes, very dark and heavy liner and light lips.

Many hippies of this time also were seen in exaggerated clothing like bell bottoms and platforms, enhanced by the music scene of the time with rock n' roll' and Flower Power. For men, the Beatles 'mop top' hairstyles made longer hair more fashionable and made men able to express themselves more and not have to feel masculine all the time.

For women, the ideal silhouette was boxy, although styles varied from the flower girl, and feminine elegance to the hippie look. There were returns to different figures, however, with Sophia Loren's hourglass shape, although generally, the younger generation was propelling their own fashion trends and tastes according to political ideologies and themes of freedom.

The 1970s: The revolt of women, the birth of disco and natural idealism.

The 1970s continued the upheaval of gender roles that the 1960s had started. As women burned their bars, protested for equal rights and new gender and equality laws came in, fashion shifted. The 1960s were stylised by music and icons of the time, but the 1970s rejected this ideal and urged women to embrace their natural beauty. Again.

The 1970s also saw an absence of Hollywood starlets and their polarising influence on the beauty standards of the time, although style icons and idolised women still existed. Unfortunately, there was still a focus on being thin at this time, which was much more prevalent than before. Generally, though, there was a shift towards more inclusive beauty standards thanks to this movement of feminism and women wanting autonomy over their bodies.

For natural beauty, women looked to the natural beauties with feathered hair like Charlie's Angels star Fara Fawcett. Fawcett's hair was always perfect in waves and her makeup was natural including signature glossy lips, a glowy face and a bronzed look. Tanning was all the rage at this time and the sunkissed glow look became hot. 

Fashion of this time was also influenced by disco trends with disco pants becoming popular in the nightlife scene, and casual clothes like jeans became popular thanks to films like Annie Hall, starring Diane Keaton, normalising casual style for women. High-waisted jeans, bell bottoms and tie-dye shirts became popular among women and for daytime looks, so did wrap dresses. Shiny and PVC materials remained supreme and so did the big boots of the 1960s. Disco influenced the colours of the time with sequins becoming all the rage and bright colours being everywhere! 

Long hair was considered beautiful in line with the beauty standard of natural beauty for both men and women. Feathered hair embodying a polished yet high-end fashion look continued in the actresses and women of the time, and though some famous women donned short haircuts, they remained feathered and feminine.

The 1970s was revolutionary for fashion and beauty standards. As there were many differently styled women of the time, the 1970s allowed women to express their gender identity and freedom through their fashion and hair. Hair became a part of the outfit, a symbol of who a woman wanted to be. Yes, many women were still objectified in the eyes of the media, (a young Brooke Shields), but there was no one size fits all approach during this time. The icons of the 70s knew this and ran with it with their retrospective styles and haircuts.

The 1980s: The Beginning of the supermodel, pop Music, and the all-American Girl.

The 1980s was a decade of iconic music, aerobic fashion and bold aesthetics. Fashion magazines and music once again had a monopoly on women's style and expectations at the time. Combining glamour and polish, this look became popular as female musicians rose in fame. Stevie Knicks, Whitney Houston and Madonna were at the height of their fame in the 80s, and each had their distinct style and image.

As singers like Houston became popular, non-white and alternative beauty standards for women of colour became recognised and adopted into the trend of women's beauty standards. Everything at this time was over the top in fashion and through big hairstyles, and again, shoulder pads!

There was a craze of aerobics and fitness in the 1980s that encouraged women to stay in shape and stay thin but in a fun way. Women donned bright neon colours with their spandex and leg warmers to get that toned body. 

Women were expected and encouraged to be sexy and bold. Floral, neon pastels, big sleeves, and huge earrings were the trend. They were seen to be glamorous, and glamour was seen as subjective, as seen by the portrayal of Alexis Carrington by Joan Collins in the 1980s hit drama, Dynasty.

Collins often donned shiny jackets as part of her power-dressing suits, and long-sleeved shirts with puffy sleeves and pearls. The standard embodied the unkempt glamour look where women were over the top but not in a way that was considered to be tacky.

As the decade went on, pop stars enabled a vibrant era of music and fashion. Madonna was the it girl of the decade often seen wearing experimental fashion in the form of layered accessories, lacy gloves and bold accessories. Her makeup was heavy with thick brows, dark lips and a range of colours.

As well as Madonna, the new wave of punk created edgier and off-brand looks that continued into the 1990s. Goth fashion was everywhere and black became many people's best friends. Gothic and heavy metal bands allowed women and men alike to be wild with their style, and makeup in the form of 80s icon Boy George which made the era over the top.

Experimental trends infiltrated every social circle and style of the time as even the "mullets" and "rat tail" hairstyles of the time were considered trendy in the music and film industry. The icons from this time, like the 70s, all embodied different sub-groups of fashion and culture at the time. Madonna's ideal was experimental pop with a hint of edgy, Jane Fonda's was fitness and aerobic goddess, and Brooke Shield's was the sexy, natural supermodel.

The 1990s: The era of grunge, ultra-thinness and models galore.

The 1990s, considered one of the most recreated and most well-loved fashion eras, was the birth of casual fashion in the form of street styles, jeans, and comfortability. Women were now free of the constraints of societal expectations of the early 20th century that told them how to dress, paint their faces and style their hair. 

As waves of rebellion came and went, another of its own took off in the 1990s, as modern women looked for toned-down looks to suit their working lives. The 1990s relied heavily on a muted aesthetic due to the economic downturn of the time.

Styles that dominated at the time were again, heavily influenced by earlier subcultures. Punk emerged, as did the popularisation of goth and then, grunge fashions with the grunge bands of the 1990s like Nirvana and Pearl Jam, and the iconic model Kate Moss and her grungey street style.

Thanks to this musical influence, women's clothing of the time was categorised by minimal, and boxy silhouettes. Even though women were expected to be thin, slender and boyish figures were in thanks to the supermodels of the time like Moss, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista. 

In this department, there was also a preference for minimalist hair and makeup. Sleek hairstyles were expected of women and long straight hair was a staple of women like Denise Richards.

Subconsciously, women were encouraged to group themselves into these subcultures of the time. Yes, fashion may have been understood as a tool used to self-express and show individualism, but it was also categorised by media influences at the beginning of the tabloid culture and renewed fascination with celebrities.

Thinness was still considered to be the ultimate goal as diet trends skyrocketed in the 1990s, but actresses like Jennifer Lopez and Queen Latifah with their natural curves challenged this ideal of beauty.

The 1990s embodied anti-glamour and anti-fashion and encouraged the rejection of fashion and beauty standards that had reigned for the decade. Winona Ryder who was at the peak of her fame in the 1990s was a symbol of a girl next door and the rebellious era of fashion and culture with her fashion.

In the era of makeup, small noses, thin brows and full lips were in thanks to supermodels of the time. Haircuts were inspired by the media and the 1990s short layered Rachel haircut, as popularised by Jennifer Anniston's Rachel Green character on Friends was the pinnacle of the natural look at the time.

There was no one way or the other for women in the 1990s, as beauty ideals were all intertwined. Natural was the way forward for most women, but thanks to the peak of high fashion and the overexposure of glamorous supermodels of the time, couture pieces and the athletically toned body that were obtained by Elle Macpherson and Naomi Cambell were considered attractive for a woman to have also.

Women were encouraged to be ultra-thin indirectly through these models, as there were only a few accepted body types: the brick and column, the lollipop and goblet, the hourglass and the cornet. Media at the time, including an in-depth HBO documentary, Dying to Be Thin explored the impact of the media on women's beauty standards and its contribution to the rise of eating disorders, particularly in the 1990s. 

The 2000s: The rise of 'it girls,' reality television and the peak of thinness.

While Hollywood icons and celebrities were the ones to watch in the early and mid-20th century, the millennium saw a huge shift from the obsession with traditional celebrity to a new type of celebrity. TV was at its peak with many genres of programmes, award shows and forms of entertainment. The paparazzi were also normalised across America, following the new generation of Hollywood stars as they went about their day. Pictures and articles were splashed across magazines thanks to the huge market for tabloid journalism through magazines like US Weekly and People.

In the early days of social media, blogging was popular, and so celebrity bloggers like Perez Hilton would upload celebrity news on their blogs quicker than the newspapers or magazines could print it!

Paris Hilton rose to fame as a woman famous for being famous and enabled women of the time to become famous through scandal or just for dating a certain somebody. In this era, while young women were heavily scrutinised, they were also sex symbols and capitulated to levels of fame never seen before.

With this new renowned fame, women became much more heavily scrutinised in blogs, on television, and in magazines as new media and sales of tabloid magazines skyrocketed due to the obsession with these girls.

The California girl became a popular trend in the 2000s with blonde bombshells like Paris and shows like Laguna Beach depicting the sunkissed life of a Californian teenager. Tanned skin and beachy waves over sexuality were criticised and loved at the same time. Gone was the wholesome look, silicon and plastic were common thanks to the Californian influence and women with fake boobs, big hair and barely-there outfits were considered hot by men. 

Fashion was a mixture of athleisure through Juicy Couture sweatsuits and glamour. Women were expected to be able to do both, as on the glamour side, big hoops were in style, as were fur coats and frosted lip gloss. Women had to have glowy and perfect skin with a tan and were supposed to be skinny enough to rock crop tops and wear short skirts. Low-rise jeans also prompted this obsession with thinness and showing off the mid-drift as actresses and young singers like Britney Spears donned these jeans all through the 2000s. 

Hair was categorised by colours and highlights as lo-lights, highlights and layered hair became popular on red carpets and in paparazzi pics. Trends also overlapped for different races as singers such as Beyonce became popular and were able to combine classic 2000s trends with new styles. As R&B also gained popularity, many women were expected to turn to fake tan to achieve a darker or more 'exotic' look, moving away from the pale, matte skin of the 20th century. Fake tans became the norm for female celebrities as orange graced every tabloid and red carpet.

Body shaming in this era was promoted in the media by ultra-thin models and actresses like Lindsay Lohan, who was relentlessly picked apart in the media for her appearance and weight in the mid-2000s. Reality stars like Kim Kardashian also helped to propel the desired body to be chesty, but slender with a big butt, as sung about in Destiny's Child 2001 hit, Bootylicious. Women had a few different body types they could look to as the standard for the time, and these ranged from the hourglass to the Barbie type. 

However, with the heavy scrutiny of women's bodies at this time, eating disorders were at their peak and even the unattainable looks presented by reality stars, models and actresses were scrutinised by the media. Ultimately, the 2000s was the peak of EDs for many women as diet culture was rampant in pushing and endorsing fad diets, unhealthy trends and ways to get thin quickly that were both unhealthy and dangerous.

The 2010s: Fast fashion, the creation of the influencer and thinspo.

Just as reality stars and socialities became a fixture in the 2000s, influencers and social media stars became one in the 2010s. Social media sites were now common practice thanks to the new technology of smartphones and their app stores. Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram were some of the most popular sites at the time and produced their own media personalities who became influential in fashion.

Particularly on the resharing blog Tumblr, social media personalities became infamous for their pictures online. With YouTube reaching its peak, How-Tos and tutorials on makeup and hair popularised styles and makeup trends of the time. Bold, full-faced glam makeup was the standard of the time thanks to the beauty gurus of YouTube and reality star turned makeup mogul Kylie Jenner, whose own Tumblr blog and Instagram showcased her dark, vampy full-makeup looks.

In her own right, Kylie Jenner was a fashion and social media icon of this time. Fans would wait to see her grungey, alternative fashion and dark makeup looks which would encourage overlined lips, cat-eyed winged liner and false lashes. Older sister Kim Kardashian also helped to popularise some makeup trends of the time such as the smoky eye and heavy contouring, adding to the bold and full looks that were expected in the 2010s.

Sister Kim Kardashian not only had an influence on makeup and style but also body ideals. The rumours of surgery around the Kardashians helped to showcase Kim as the ideal body type with wide hips, a minuscule waist, full breasts and a big bum.

Women of the time were expected to have these features to keep them womanly, natural or not. As a result, the pressure to have such features resulted in many social media influencers of the time becoming popular because of their surgically enhanced bodies and faces. It became common for women to go under the knife for breast augmentations, Brazilian Butt lifts, and even injections through lip fillers for full lips, check injections to get high cheekbones and fat dissolvents for a thin, feminine face.

Instagram influencers were also responsible for reinforcing these ideals by using Instagram sponsorships to push appetite suppressants, hair gummies and weight loss pills on the platform without regulation.

As a result, there was an emerging pressure to be thin and to have a thigh gap, meaning a body where the thighs on both legs don't touch and have a significant amount of space between them. "Thinspo" pictures promote extremely thin women with pictures of their thin body parts. This created a whole Tumblr community who desired to be that skinny, regardless of the consequences.

Unattainable beauty standards once again were plaguing women, only this time it seemed to become trendy to have surgery to achieve them. In the later part of the 2010s, however, the body-positive movement came into effect in helping to reject these ideals. As the media began to showcase more plus-size models in magazines like Tess Holiday and in the media with women like Lizzo, this Kardashian-esque body started to be rejected. In 2019 as Tiktok influencers began to rise to fame, the clean girl aesthetic which carried over into the 2020s saw a return to minimalist and chic looks.

As for 2010s fashion, hauls and overconsumption became the norm on YouTube with lifestyle bloggers like Bethany Mota popularising the genre. As a result, trend cycles throughout the 2010s were not defined by one specific style, only a few different ones to represent different identities. Patterns became all the rage with Galaxy leggings, Union Jack Leggings and other patterns being seen all over the high street at this time. Women were also expected to be girly, hence the popularisation of Peter Pan collared shirts, flowy skater skirts and dresses and bold statement necklaces. Skinny jeans also became popular as did form-fitting styles to accentuate the body.

As influenced by social media at the time, fast fashion played an impact in the fast trend cycle of the 2010 fashions, putting pressure on women to adapt quickly and buy new clothes to stay on-trend. Brand deals on social media with fashion brands with companies like Fashion Nova and Boohoo encouraged people to buy more than ever to fit in.

With the rise of online shopping and discount codes, people were more likely to buy online due to its convenience and the opportunity to save money thanks to influencers. Consequently, this resulted in a huge increase at certain popular stores and the need for online brands to mass produce clothes that reality stars and celebrities were seen out in due to high demand.

The 2020s: The clean girl aesthetic, deinfluencing and classic style.

As COVID-19 hit at the beginning of 2020, TikTok and social media apps once again became popular. TikTok became the driving force between a lot of dance trends and for some, fashion trends. Forced to stay at home, TikTok became an escape for many and also helped to propel a new Gen-Z generation of influencers each more famous than the last.

Tiktok in 2020 was famous for outfit inspo and home-based hauls which also helped to create another era of overconsumption. Companies like Shein became popular among influencers in the videos for their trendy and extremely cheap clothes. Swirly patterns, cargos and nostalgia for the 90s and Y2K fashion were all the rage in the 2020s as resale sights like Depop and Vinted were overrun with baby tees, low-rise jeans bucket hats, and fur trim jackets.

The 2020s have also seen a new wave of expectations when it comes to outfits and beauty standards through the comments sections of companies and their posts. Fashion brands and influencers use their platforms now to showcase outfits, their products and makeup looks, and the comments sections, to an extent, are managing to dictate beauty standards. 

However, e-commerce sites like Vinted and Etsy have helped to move away from the fast fashion of the 2010s and early 2020s. Now online, there is an expectation to purchase sustainable clothing, as thrifting videos and selling on Vinted have become normal in the 2020s. 

Diversity has also lowered the pressure of beauty standards, but it has also become the expectation for fashion trends to be inclusive with their style and sizing. Brands like Victoria's Secret which were once shunned for their limited sizing and catering towards thinner and 'sexier' bodies are now rebranding to be inclusive with their sizing and styles to sell. 

TikTok has also begun to influence women to return to the minimalist aesthetic with wardrobe essentials videos and the trend of deinlfuencing which discourages consumers from buying into certain trends or purchasing goods that are deemed unnecessary. 

The popularity of aesthetic videos has begun to divide different styles into boxes, and old, preppy, classic clothing stylings are now being hailed by TikTok users as the "Old Money" aesthetic, for example.

These aesthetics and styles seem to phase out quickly in the trend cycle, although "the clean girl" look seems to be a huge part of the 2020s. Many women online are urging women to adopt the slicked back hairstyles, minimal style with staple pieces and neutral colours, known as the clean girl aesthetic: a woman who is put together in simple, stylish outfits. Along with this has come minimal makeup with soap brows, lightly lined lips with pink and neutral colours, and pinky and pinky-blushed cheeks.

Celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Sophia Richie Grainge have returned to this minimalist and classic style, with Sophia's falling into the 'old money' category, and Hailey Bieber's following the trend of clean girl fashion.

So far, the 2020s have been eventful with the way trends have come and gone. Generally, the consensus seems to be a preference for minimalism and a move towards anti-fashion. There is pressure now on consumers to be environmentally conscious with their purchases and the affinity for designer staple pieces and vintage clothing has returned.

However, social media still seems to dictate when something is trending and in fashion, with mini aesthetics like cottagecore and coastal grandmother peaking and fading from TikTok as quickly as they came.

With 6 years left in the 2020s, it's only a matter of time before the beauty and fashion standards shift, we just hope it will be something inclusive and aesthetically pleasing!