How male beauty standards have changed over the past 100 years

Standards of male beauty change as much as female standards. Not so long ago, to be considered attractive, a man had to be strong, with well-developed muscles and, if possible, have a beard. These days, however, women tend to prefer androgynous guys like Timothée Chalamet, who himself looks like a Disney prince.

We, from awesome.club, we are sure that taste is not discussed. And we are still very curious to compare the most handsome men today with those who were considered attractive 100 years ago.

Prince Felix Yusupov was the representative of one of the noblest families of the Russian Empire. And he was also distinguished by his attractive appearance by the standards of that time: thin features, large eyes, a narrow nose, full lips and an elegant figure. However, the young man had scandalous behavior by the standards of the time: he sang in a cabaret dressed as a girl, appeared dressed as a beautiful lady next to his older brother and, dressed like that, almost won the heart of the heir to the British throne. He married one of the most beautiful women in the country, Irina Alexandrovna, niece of the Tsar (equivalent to emperor) of Russia. In 1967, the Yusupov family adopted Victor Manuel Contreras, an 18-year-old Mexican boy who would later become a famous sculptor and painter.

One of the most handsome men in modern Russia is Anton Khabarov, recognized as the most attractive actor in the country. During his high school years, he got seriously involved in ballroom dancing and was even a silver and bronze medalist at the Russian championships, but he eventually gave up his career as a dancer and devoted his life to film and theater.

Rodolfo (Rudolph) Valentino was the most attractive man in Hollywood in the 1920s. The young man worked in a restaurant, then became a professional dancer, gigolo, musical theater artist, and then began his film career. Men copied the star’s style and women were crazy about him. Unfortunately, the actor died early, which was a huge tragedy for millions of fans.

One of the most beautiful representatives of American cinema today is Timothée Chalamet. He’s only 26 years old and he’s already a star. Film critics call him the leading actor of his generation and the most influential person in the fashion world.

The German composer Johannes Brahms was very handsome in his youth, but unfortunately his personal life was not the best. Brahms was in love with Robert Schumann’s wife, Clara, and the feeling was mutual, but they weren’t destined to be together.

One of the most handsome actors in Germany today is Max Riemelt — recognized as the most attractive man in Berlin. His last film work was in Matrix Resurrections.

Japanese actor Sessue Hayakawa has achieved phenomenal success in Hollywood. He played the roles of deadly men and became a true darling of American women. Hayakawa was one of the highest paid stars of his time and even founded his own production company.

One of today’s most attractive Japanese people is Jin Akanishi, an actor and former member of the pop band KAT-TUN. Most of his fans are from the Land of the Rising Sun, but even in the West, the young man has become quite popular as a musician. As an actor, he participated in the movie 47 Ronin.

Gabriel-Maximilien Leuvielle, known as Max Linder, has been called the first heartthrob of international cinema. The actor created one of the most recognizable characters of his time, which he played in several films. He was from a wealthy, elegant city dweller who was always getting into trouble. “He is young, handsome, cheerful and impeccable,” critics wrote about the character.

Over time, the number of beautiful actors in France has only grown. However, the list of the most attractive men includes not only actors, but also athletes. For example, swimmer Camille Lacourt, five times world champion.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, British women’s favorite was actor Kyrle Bellew. The blonde mainly played romantic characters in melodramas, which, by the way, were popular all over the world. Today, Kyrle is remembered as the man who first played Dr. Watson.

Speaking of beautiful British people today, we have Robert Pattinson as a reference, who also won the hearts of girls around the world with a romantic role and became known worldwide for the role of vampire Edward Cullen in the Twilight saga. The actor, however, has already proven his versatility on screen by successfully participating in a series of independent films and surprising critics with his performance.

King Christian X of Denmark’s youngest son, Canute, was born in 1900. The handsome heir could have ascended to the Danish throne, but after his father’s death, the crown was given to his older brother, Frederick, who had no sons. Cnut would then be next in line to the throne. However, the law of succession was changed, and after Federico’s death, his daughter Margaret became Queen of Denmark — by the way, she is still very attractive.

Nowadays, the title of most handsome prince in Denmark belongs to Margaret’s grandson, Nicholas, 22 years old. In early 2018, Her Highness signed the contract with the agency “Scoop Models”. It made its runway debut in February 2018 at Burberry’s presentation at London Fashion Week. However, the prince does not intend to devote his life to the fashion industry, considering this work only temporary.

Mexican Ramón Novarro replaced the aforementioned Rodolfo Valentino as the most handsome man in Hollywood. He was considered the greatest romantic actor of his time, receiving exorbitant fees. Even when his career declined with the arrival of sound films (after the Silent Film Era), he was able to live a comfortable and prosperous life.

One of the most handsome Mexicans of our time is actor Gael García Bernal. He became world famous after Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros (2000) and Alfonso Cuarón’s And Your Mother Too (2001). In 2020, The New York Times placed Gael twenty-fifth among the greatest actors of the 21st century.

Swedish actor Nils Asther was called “Greta Garbo in a male body” — Greta, it is worth remembering, was a beauty reference in Sweden and in the world. He made his debut on the theater stage in Stockholm. In 1916, he received his first film role from the prominent Swedish director Mauritz Stiller, in the film The Wings. In 1927 Asther went to Hollywood and her first film was Topsy & Eva. In 1928, due to her attractive appearance, she became the lead in several films.

Swedish men continue to conquer Hollywood. One of them is Alexander Skarsgård. His debut in American cinema took place in 2001 in the comedy Zoolander, in which he played a model and neighbor of Ben Stiller’s character. In 2005 Skarsgård played one of the main roles in Othman Karim’s Swedish film Om Sara. In 2006, at the XXVIII Moscow International Film Festival, this film received the main prize.

Do you think male beauty standards have changed a lot in 100 years? Which beauty do you prefer: that of the gentlemen of the past or that of our contemporaries? Tell us in the comments!