Social media has transformed nearly every aspect of our lives, including the standards of beauty. Historically, beauty ideals for women have been narrow—from Marilyn Monroe’s curves in the 1950s to the slim supermodels of the ’90s, pop culture and advertising often dictated what was considered beautiful.
But social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have changed the game. Today, we see creators of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds, offering a more inclusive definition of beauty. For the first time, mainstream media is showcasing diverse body types beyond size 0 models.
Interestingly, as American women embrace body positivity and size inclusivity, they are also getting bigger. Research from the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education reveals that the average American woman now wears a size 16-18 (equivalent to a plus-size 20W), not the size 14 previously assumed. In the past two decades, the average waist size has increased from 34.9 inches to 37.5 inches.