Body Proportions of Fashion Illustrations, 1840–1940, Compared with the Greek Ideal of Female Beauty

Abstract

Comparisons of the body proportions of the Greek ideal of female beauty with mean body propor tions of fashion figures of costume silhouette periods, 1840 through 1940, revealed that fashion illustrators in general have not adhered to the Greek ideal over time. In addition, comparisons of mean body proportions as well as the popular types of hair styles, face shapes, and shoulder slopes of sketched figures from three periods of stable costume silhouettes and two periods of transition from one silhouette to another revealed that the mean body proportions and the popularity of specific types of features changed during both.