In the 90’s we had Pamela Anderson in Baywatch, and in 2014 we had Kate Upton in The Other Woman. Every time you see a lady jogging on the beach, two realities are always predicted: She is invariably slim and is always in slow motion. Ever since the bikini was invented, presenting the perfect bikini body, often with cosmetic enhancements such as breast and butt implants, has been an ambition all over the world.

The Rise of Bikini Bodies

The entire idea of the bikini body is rather simple: to wear a bikini you must have the right type of figure that is considered socially acceptable and desirable. Typically, this includes a thin waist, full breasts, a round butt and lovely long legs. There should be no body hair, no cellulite, no stretch marks or blemishes. Slender is good but not too muscular. You need to have the body of a celebrity, with a breast lift if necessary in order to achieve beauty that fits the definition of Western society. 

It seems that the term bikini body became popular as a result of a weight-loss ad that campaigned in 1961. Slenderalla was the name of the company that launched an ad campaign that read “Summer is fun for those who look young” with a “high and firm bust, hand span waist and firm, trim hips with slender, graceful legs, the bikini body”. The message came across loud and clear. If you would like to wear a bikini, you need to look like this. The images would suggest thin, and able-bodied women in their twenties to thirties with narrow waists, hairless skin, medium-sized breasts, zero cellulite, and toned stomachs. The framework for having your body labeled bikini worthy was set.

Beauty standards across the world

Now, which country has the highest beauty standards for women? South Korea would fall into this category which has a huge emphasis placed on the beauty of women. The women must send in a picture of themselves when applying for jobs, and most times, it is their looks that determine if they get the job or not. There are some countries where the women must remain covered when in public this includes being at a beach. For example, a Muslim woman must wear their religious clothing when in public and wearing bikinis in public is certainly banned in their religion. However, there is one common factor across different places around the world; no country truly promotes larger women being bikini material. Certainly, in this day and age, there is a growing demand for size diversity. We see shopping catalogs and tv commercials including larger women when promoting their lingerie or swimwear. However deep down the ideal bikini body is still considered to be slim, with no imperfections, no body hair and the right sized breasts and butt. It isn’t rounded off there; you could have a perfect body yet have acne or scars, which will certainly prevent you from being rated as the perfect bikini body. It is all-round perfection, from your hair to your attractive facial features like lips and eyes, right down to the shape of your body and how slender your legs are, that determines if you have a bikini body or not.