Beauty Standards Across Empires: What We Inherited and Why It’s Bonkers

Beauty standards have crossed oceans, toppled empires, and caused more women to curse in changing rooms than perhaps anything else in history. Somewhere along the way, from Cleopatra’s kohl eyeliner to today’s five-inch stilettos, we inherited a fair few expectations that are, frankly, bonkers.

Now, I love a good bit of glamour as much as the next woman, but let’s be honest: why do the most expensive shoes feel like medieval torture devices disguised with a shiny red sole?

Beauty Standards Through the Ages: A Global Game of “Top This!”

Across different empires and cultures, women were often walking exhibitions of status and wealth. Unfortunately, comfort did not make the cut.

• Ancient China: Foot binding was seen as a mark of elegance. Tiny, deformed feet meant you were posh enough not to work. Never mind the unbearable agony involved.
  
• Victorian England: Corsets were laced so tightly women fainted left, right, and centre. Daintiness, apparently, was more attractive when you could barely breathe.
  
• Ancient Egypt: Heavy, elaborate makeup was considered both spiritual and beautiful,  nothing says ‘hot’ like hours of smudging black eyeliner under a scorching sun.
  
• 18th Century France: Gigantic wigs and powdered faces were all the rage. Imagine carrying half a bakery’s worth of flour on your head and pretending it’s chic.
  

Fast forward to now, and what have we got? Designer shoes so painful they make childbirth look like a spa day.

Why Are We Still Suffering for Beauty?

It seems no matter the century, the core message stays the same:
Pain = Prestige.
The more you can endure in the name of beauty, the more desirable you are deemed.

Now, from my humble experience, it’s always the prettiest, most breath-taking designer shoes that are the least forgiving. You see them winking at you from the shop window, promising dreams and Instagram moments, only for them to turn into medieval toe-crushers the second you step out the door.

I once wore a pair of beautiful high heels, handcrafted, Italian leather, smelled like expensive decisions, and by hour two, I was hobbling like a wounded pirate.

Honestly, if that’s elegance, I’ll take flip-flops and dignity any day.

How Culture Messes with Our Sense of Beauty

Different empires passed down these unspoken rules about what’s “desirable”:

• Small waist = Desirable
  
• Porcelain skin = Elite
  
• Tiny feet = Wealthy
  
• Visible suffering (but make it fashion) = Ultimate Beauty
  

We didn’t consciously choose this madness, it was inherited, like your gran’s china set you’re too scared to use.

The modern beauty industry is basically an empire too, whispering, “Just one more serum, darling, just one more pair of killer heels… and then you’ll be enough.”

Spoiler alert: you’re already enough barefoot in your pyjamas.

Can We Break the Bonkers Beauty Cycle?

Good news: we’re starting to wake up.

More and more women globally are questioning these old rules. Comfortable fashion is gaining traction. People are embracing natural textures, diverse bodies, and a right to beauty without agony.

But it takes awareness.
It takes laughing at ourselves a bit, yes, even when we’re trying to convince our friends that “these 6-inch heels are surprisingly comfy” (liar, liar, blisters on fire).

My Takeaway: Choose Beauty That Feels Beautiful

Next time you’re tempted by a stunning but suspiciously rigid pair of designer heels, remember:
Cleopatra wore heavy eyeliner in 40-degree heat. Victorian ladies wore corsets that squashed their ribs.
You, my dear, have the choice to dance, run, skip, and actually enjoy being beautiful.

Let’s not inherit the madness unfiltered. Let’s inherit only the confidence, creativity, and unapologetic glamour,  without the pain.

“Luckily, we’re waking up. Initiatives like Dove’s Self-Esteem Project and The Body Positive are gently (and sometimes loudly) reminding us: beauty shouldn’t hurt.”

After all, real beauty should lift you up, not leave you limping to the taxi rank.

Final Thought

Tell me:
Have you ever bought something because it looked stunning, only to regret it faster than you could say “plasters, please”?
I would love to hear your hilarious or horrifying beauty sacrifices!

Pop your story in the comments – let’s laugh and learn together.

Check out this post on going Makeup Free

This article is part of our Foundations & Reflections series, offering insights from earlier explorations that continue to inform our journey.

*This image is AI-generated with prompts made by me and serve no educational purpose, it is only used to highlight certain aspects of this article.