How the ideal of male beauty has changed over the last 120 years

It’s a mistake to think that men don’t care about their physical appearance. Just like women, they are also concerned about gaining weight, losing weight, gaining muscle mass, growing a beard or trimming it, changing their haircut, among other things. However, one aspect remains unchanged through the ages — the search for the ideal of beauty.

O awesome.club examined archival photographs to discover how the ideal of male beauty has changed over the past 120 years. Follow!

The ideal of beauty in the early 20th century was to look strong and powerful. Tall stature, broad shoulders, developed muscles and tight clothes; that’s what drew attention. The world went wild with athletes like Ivan Poddubny and Eugen Sandow.

The main male highlight was the mustache. They were as well cared for as their hair: they were curled with hot tongs, trimmed and waxed. The men wore smart suits with ties and collars so tight they scraped the neck.

The pale and dramatic young men (French décadent — decadent) came to replace the strong and healthy men. In that period, thinness, thin fingers, drooping eyes and carelessness with clothes were a trend.🇧🇷 Men continued to wear mustaches, but now their hair was extremely well combed and “licked” in appearance.

Coats and baggy suits were all the rage. The men’s wardrobe was complemented by gloves, canes and a bowler hat.

The 1920s were the age of jazz and cinema. Movie stars like Rudolph Valentino, Ronald Colman and Ivor Novello were considered to represent the ideal male standard. Men should not only be handsome, but also well-educated.🇧🇷 They should be able to carry on any conversation easily, dance gracefully and have good manners.

The fashion stereotype was to have an oval face, “licked” hair, short beard and dark eyebrows. The accessories that were hot were colorful and bright patterned socks and short golf pants.

The pompous and refined elegance practically disappears. The man of the 1930s is an enthusiast, an adventurer. Beauty references were Gary Cooper and Clark Gable. Almost every man sported a Clark Gable-style mustache.

A more relaxed style and masculinity were in vogue at this time – simplicity, broad shoulders, narrow hips and developed muscles were the essential characteristics of male beauty🇧🇷 If a man did not have such parameters, clothes helped to create the correct silhouette. The look was completed by trilby hats and oxford shoes.

The Second World War changed the parameters of male beauty. Suits were replaced by military uniforms, and clothing became more democratic and practical.🇧🇷 Due to the lack of fabric, coat pockets and buttons, and the cut of pants became simpler. The most significant change in this period is the adoption of military clothing as everyday clothing.

The man of the 1940s is a brave and versatile man. He is clean-shaven, has short hair, is strong and plays sports.

The masculine ideal of the 1950s was represented by the handsome and rebellious man. Clothing is marked by knitted jackets, leather coats and costume jewelry rather than ties and brightly colored shirts. Men used brilliantine to style their hair and give it more shine. The hairstyle trend was the Elvis Presley pompadour or side part.

Strong shoulders, a defined jaw and a pale look like Marlon Brando or James Dean were the physical hallmarks of fashion. Tight T-shirts showing all the muscles emphasized male beauty.

This period was marked by the Beatles. Collarless blazers, tight pants and shirts, and pointed-toe boots were all the rage. The stuffy suits of men working in offices were replaced by brightly colored shirts, black turtlenecks, jeans and velvet pants.

Due to massive student protests, a new masculine ideal was formed — that of a slender student with vibrant eyes and youthful facial features. Women went crazy for Alain Delon, and men copied his signature style and look.

The hippie period, of psychedelic rock and the negation of materialism. Men let their hair grow, stopped combing it and stopped shaving their facial hair. The style icon was Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors.

Only office workers wore tight clothing. Baggy pants, colorful ruffled shirts, colorful polo shirts, and high-heeled boots were all the rage at this time.

The unkempt rockers are replaced by the athletic, strong men. Austrian Arnold Schwarzenegger wins the “Mr. Olympia” and establishes bodybuilding as a trend, making alcoholism and smoking go out of “fashion” and men enrolling en masse in gyms.

Long hair is a thing of the past, now the clean shave and the cut hair dictate the style. The man of the 1980s is nicknamed the yuppie (young urban worker): an intelligent, ambitious and confident young man obsessed with his career. Vain, follower of fashion trends, but who prefers a more formal style of clothing.

The grunge movement emerged in the United States and, if translated literally, means “dirt”. This style fell into popular taste through rock. Slovenly clothes, beards and messy hair were a trend among men. Thrift stores have gained quite a bit of popularity. The men wore baggy shirts and ripped jeans. The sex symbols of the 1990s are the “bad boys” and rock rebels Kurt Cobain and Johnny Depp.

The heroes of this decade are the “bunk” guys, with perfect abs, lots of tattoos and a pretty face. Men began to take care of themselves as much as women. In her daily routine, there was a visit to the beautician, the hairdresser and the gyms. Increasingly, men began to wear tight-fitting clothes, but the main hit in menswear was the tank top that highlighted the arms.

The carelessness with clothes, the trimmed beard, plaid shirts, tattoos and big glasses are the main components of the hipster of that time. The mustache and beard are also back in fashion.🇧🇷 The young intellectual who loves to read, is always up to date with cultural news, participates in exhibitions, watches cult films and keeps his social networks always active — it is also a trademark of the beauty standard of that time.

What do you think will be the trend for the male ideal in the coming decades? Tell us in the comments section.