The researchers led by Dr. Grazyna Jasienska of Harvard University said the hourglass figure is popular in Western cultures, but not in others across the world.
She said, "However, in Western societies, the cultural icon of Barbie as a symbol of female beauty seems to have some biological grounding." The question women should be asking then is not, "Does my butt look big in this?" but instead, "Does my butt look big enough in this?"
Symbol of Beauty
The hourglass figure became the dominant symbol of female beauty in the 19th century, when it replaced conceptions of feminine allure dating back to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. These were focused on the belly as a symbol of fertility, but such a bold emphasis on female sexuality presented problems for the prudish Victorians. With the area expanded by childbirth -- the waist -- flattened, the hourglass figure was viewed by the Victorians as less overtly sexual than the belly-orientated imagery of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. But sexuality was far from being entirely repressed by the hourglass figure -- it was hinted at by the pronounced bosom and hips.
Source: Western Mail. Powered by Yellowbrix.
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