By: Emily Ren

Beauty standards for men have always varied. But more than varying from person to person, they vary across generations and with different cultures. In western cultures, it could be a blue-eyed man with the ideals of Leonardo DiCaprio coming to mind. However, as time passes, social media platforms like TikTok are slowly changing the general public’s mind. What would the perfect man look like now?

For many, this is a difficult question to answer. The idealized body shape, most of the time, is far from the average body shape. However, plus-sized models are slowly coming to light, though females have been more in the spotlight than males.

In an interview with Alexander Edmonds, professor of anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, and BBC Culture, he stated, “Due to the legacy of slavery and colonialism [Western] images of the beautiful man has always been very white, and in the past, there were fewer barriers for this to change but this may be happening now.” Indeed, black supermodels like Alton Mason have also stepped up in the spotlight, and the fashion world is becoming more diverse.

Accordingly, with the lifting of racial categories, East Asian beauty standards have also diversified. The perfect face and perfect body for men have become more feminine. With the rise of K-Pop and makeup, this type of beauty also flourishes; it may have once been considered unconventional, but the avant-garde style has been gaining popularity.

Age restrictions have become loosened on the modeling stage. Older models have seen a rise in popularity. They have been used both for advertising campaigns and on runways, with some examples of WWang Deshun (China’s hottest grandpa”), Ron Jack Foley, and Lono Brazil.

Change still comes slowly for some; for example, the Mediterranean “tall, dark, and handsome” trope is still ongoing and can be seen in actors such as Michele Morrone. Ben James, a TikTok star, British model, and body-positive activist explains his views to BBC Culture in an interview, saying, “I’d like to see the industry improved by having different body shapes used in never-before-seen ways. Why can’t we have a ‘dad bod’ in a fragrance campaign or a lead role in a film?”

In the male beauty department, change may still be coming slowly in some places, but the diversity of races and campaigns are an ongoing reminder to love all types of bodies.

Article: What does the ‘perfect man’ look like now_ – BBC Culture.pdf