How the perfect male body has changed over the past 150 years is definitely not a question you hear that often, because we are used to seeing these types of studies done for the female body.
Anything from fashion, body, face and color is possible when you search for the perfect female body, but when it comes to men, finding the perfect male body and how this perception changed throughout history is not an easy job.
Nickolay Lamm, a graphic designer, sculpted 3D models of how the male perfect body has changed over the past 150 years, starting from the 1870’s when the ideal man was pretty chubby, all the way up to modern day, when the ideal male body is… well, you know…
1870s: WIDE WAISTS
Back in the 1870’s, all people cared about was wealth (well, things haven’t changed that much) and since you didn’t have an infinite number of things to buy, your wealth and status was shown by your house and body. The bigger, the better, the richer.
Having a full-bodied figure, with a big stomach, was definitely a sign of wealth, meaning that you could afford food, which was like gold in those days. Being fat was such an honor, that in 1866, a Fat Man’s Club was founded in Connecticut, for men weighing more than 200 lbs (91 kg).
The club closed in 1903, when food started being accessible to more and more people and being fat didn’t resemble the perfect male body anymore.
1930s: THE EARLY HOLLYWOOD IDEAL
Being slimmer, only became to resemble the perfect male body in the early 1930’s, when more people started to afford food. Also, since the 1930’s were all about Hollywood, being considered the Golden Age of Hollywood, actors were required to have a relatively lean physique.
Since everybody wanted to look like Hollywood stars, people started getting slimmer and slimmer.
1960s: THE SLIM COUNTER CULTURE FIGURE
The 1960’s were a period of huge changes. Men started rebelling against modern day society, they started growing long hair and drugs were also very popular back then (still, things haven’t changed that much!).
Men started getting even slimmer, having a perfect long-haired slim-fit look.
Lamm, quoting Lynne Luciano, author of ‘Looking Good, Male Body Image In Modern America’, explains how the perfect male body has changed over the decades: ‘Members of the counter culture were often the highly educated children of the prosperous and influential middle class… With their attention focused on protest, social change, and discovering their inner beings, young men appeared to care little about fitness or body image. ‘They didn’t work out, they were fond of drugs, and many seemed unacquanted with the notion of a comb. On the other hand, they were likely to prize the length of their hair, wore interesting clothes, and made a great fuss over eating natural foods.’
1980s: BULKED UP BODIES
We all know ‘Conan the Barbarian’ and ‘The Terminator’, where Arnold Schwarzenegger showed an impressive physique, managing to put all men to shame with his perfect male body.
After the 60’s and 70’s, men decided to bulk up, and bodybuilding grew in popularity, becoming a worldwide sport.
Lamm quotes HDNet Movies to prove his point: ‘The films operated on the notion that one man, a pinnacle of physique, would be the savior, and that strength, guts, and glory were the resolution to any challenge these characters would face.’
1990s – present: THE EVERYMAN
Everybody knows this guy! The lean and muscular body became the stereotype for the perfect male body, in the early 90’s, and since then, things haven’t changed at all. Looking at almost every successful actor today, you will notice that their body type perfectly meets these standards.
So, in which decade were you considered to be sexy? Don’t forget to check out the 100 years of facial hair fashion!