This Woman Got Photoshopped in 18 Countries to Show Their Very Different Beauty Standards
What's the ideal female body? There isn't just one, obviously, but every culture has its standards. We see hints of it in the mannequins in our stores, the models on our magazine covers and the clothing stocked in stores.
It's even clearer when you bring Photoshop-like tools into the mix. U.K. online pharmacy Superdrug Online Doctors undertook an airbrushing project to see how graphic designers from across the world would design the ideal body. The result, called Perceptions of Perfection, showcases beauty ideals from 18 different nations, from skin tone to hair texture to body size.
The ideals vary, although thigh gaps, unfortunately, seem to be pretty universal (and there are no black bodies to be seen). But the one consistent fact: They're all airbrushed to the hilt, smoother and more blemish-free than any woman ever can be — and more awkward-looking.
Similar photo projects have tracked beauty standards by country, but in a perfect world, no woman can ever fit a single ideal, nor should the ideals really matter, try as we might to pin them down.
Check out the country photos below — then feel free to go get dressed, do your makeup, work out and eat whatever and however you damn well please.
1. U.S.A.
2. China
3. Colombia
4. Egypt
5. Italy
6. Peru
7. Philippines
8. Romania
9. Serbia
10. South Africa
11. Spain
12. Mexico
13. Syria
14. U.K.
15. The Netherlands
16. Venezuela
17. Argentina
18. Ukraine
