Fifty years doesn’t seem all that long, but if we take a look back we’d be quite shocked at the twists and turns our history, culture, science, and fashion have made in the course of a few decades. Beauty standards change all the time and the last fifty years have been most amazing in the way our perception of beauty has widened, becoming inclusive of all shapes, sizes, and unique features. But what was the case 50 years ago, when most of the style trends we know and love today were only beginning to shape? It was the revolutionary time that introduced mini-skirts, tried to erase female curves out of existence, and focused on gorgeous long legs. What else? Here are the most surprising things men found attractive 50 years ago.
Skinny figures
As wild as it may seem right now, not so long ago curvaceous women were shunned and boyish-looking figures were at the centre of everyone’s attention. We still see the effect of the days long gone on the modern catwalks – most of the models are tall, lean, and curve-less. The shift happened somewhere in the 60s, when the beauty standard set by voluptuous Marilyn Monroe was taken over by Twiggy, who became a fashion star and a role model for millions of young girls all over the world. From that point in time models have started becoming thinner with each passing decade.
Flat chest and bums
The rail-thin body trend made everyone focus on reducing their hips and bums. Late 60s was the time when everyone, both men and women, completely changed their view of a beautiful body. No one really cared about cellulite or extra weight before the 60s, but as the time went by it became the obsession of most women. They did vigorous exercises to shed those extra inches from their hips and even used special rolling pins to get rid of cellulite. Massages also became quite popular. Men, of course, appreciated all the extra attention women paid to their bodies.
Androgyny
Androgyny may seem like a modern trend but it has been around for decades. Its popularity came in waves as women explored their freedom and experimented with different styles. After a relatively short splash in the 20s, androgyny came back in the 60s with an arsenal of new bold designs and cool styles that erased all boundaries between male and female fashion. We’re still enjoying all the unisex clothing that was born in that era. Needless to say, guys loved the new liberating trend just as much as women did!
Long legs and mini-skirts
You can’t really have one without the other and the more popular mini-skirts became in the late 60s, the more attention was paid to the shape and length of women’s legs. Certain shoe-styles emerged to emphasize (or visually enhance) the legs’ length. Things somewhat changed in the early 70s when bellbottom pants came into fashion, but the legs were still very much exposed.
Athletics
Now that’s the kind of thing that will always be attractive. Yet 50 years ago a woman doing sports professionally was still a new concept and no one really took female sports seriously, especially compared to male teams. Still, it was admirable for a woman to be sporty as it meant she would stay slim, healthy, and fit for a longer period of time.
Long hair
There was something really liberating in letting your hair down (quite literally) fifty years ago. Both men and women enjoyed wearing long hairstyles as a rebellion against old traditions and boring formalities. Women wanted to look different from the previous generations and getting back to natural free-flowing hair was the best thing to do. Of course, men found this feminine hairstyle incredibly attractive.
Smoking
In the 60s everyone already knew that smoking was bad for your health, but it wasn’t the type of public knowledge we have today. Smoking was still considered stylish, trendy, and extremely glamorous. Ads always showed elegant, attractive women smoking cigarettes, which made it a kind of a societal norm. Men considered this extremely appealing as well!