When and why did curvier body types gain popularity among white women?
September 8, 2025
From what I’ve known most of my life, the trend emphasized a petite, model type look, but now it seems trendier to want to be curvier. When and why did this shift start?
22 comments
Touch grass
Christina Hendricks – Joan from Mad Men (2007)
It’s a return to normal (depending on what you mean by “curvy”). The emaciated boyish look was purely a product of the advertising industry.
When you discovered the existence of the other trend.
Trends shift over time. Look at clothing. I’m 42. When my grandpa was young, baggy clothes were the in thing. Zoot suits were the trend.
Then, when my parents were young, tight fitting clothes were the trend.
When I was young, we were back to baggy.
Then, the generation behind me wore skinny jeans.
Now, jnco are coming back.
All trends are like this. There are only so many options to choose from. At some point, the zeitgeist wants something different.
Everything goes in waves. Back in the 1800s larger women were more desirable.
J Lo
It’s gotten kinda crazy, a few super popular models that are clearly just overweight. It’s like any trend though, the pendulum will (and is already, they jumped the shark with these crazy BBLs) swing back. Hopefully it doesn’t go back to the unhealthy thin model looks of the 90s, there is a middle ground.
Always?
In the 20s it was “child birthing hips”. In the 50s it continued with playboy. Only time I can think it wasn’t a thing was when”Brittney spear era” where it was low rise jeans.
Ideal body types fluctuate every few generations
Hopefully they haven’t
When they put on yoga pants and looked in the mirror.
When the obesity crisis started and everyone got bigger, probably
To quote the Spanish saying… “Meat is for man, bone is for dog.”
Probably around the turn of the 2010s. Social media allowed body positivity as an idea to spread and you started seeing curvier actresses in more visible roles where being curvy (aka fat back then) wasn’t a joke at their expense (Christina Hendricks, Kat Dennings, etc) combined with curvier pop stars (Beyonce, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Adele)
I’m not complaining. Just saying.
Always. Being skinny was a deviation from the norm. l would prefer a world where there are a plethora of body types to fawn over.
It goes in cycles. Petite will be trending again. Then curves will be trending again. [+]
I don’t know but the white women dominate every glute workout at my gym. There are girls putting up more plates on the hip thrust than I could dream of doing.
Popularity? There’s always been curvy white women.
22 comments
Touch grass
Christina Hendricks – Joan from Mad Men (2007)
It’s a return to normal (depending on what you mean by “curvy”). The emaciated boyish look was purely a product of the advertising industry.
When you discovered the existence of the other trend.
Right about 1992
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X53ZSxkQ3Ho](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X53ZSxkQ3Ho)
Trends shift over time. Look at clothing. I’m 42. When my grandpa was young, baggy clothes were the in thing. Zoot suits were the trend.
Then, when my parents were young, tight fitting clothes were the trend.
When I was young, we were back to baggy.
Then, the generation behind me wore skinny jeans.
Now, jnco are coming back.
All trends are like this. There are only so many options to choose from. At some point, the zeitgeist wants something different.
Everything goes in waves. Back in the 1800s larger women were more desirable.
J Lo
It’s gotten kinda crazy, a few super popular models that are clearly just overweight. It’s like any trend though, the pendulum will (and is already, they jumped the shark with these crazy BBLs) swing back. Hopefully it doesn’t go back to the unhealthy thin model looks of the 90s, there is a middle ground.
Always?
In the 20s it was “child birthing hips”. In the 50s it continued with playboy. Only time I can think it wasn’t a thing was when”Brittney spear era” where it was low rise jeans.
Ideal body types fluctuate every few generations
Hopefully they haven’t
When they put on yoga pants and looked in the mirror.
When the obesity crisis started and everyone got bigger, probably
To quote the Spanish saying… “Meat is for man, bone is for dog.”
Probably around the turn of the 2010s. Social media allowed body positivity as an idea to spread and you started seeing curvier actresses in more visible roles where being curvy (aka fat back then) wasn’t a joke at their expense (Christina Hendricks, Kat Dennings, etc) combined with curvier pop stars (Beyonce, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Adele)
I’m not complaining. Just saying.
Always. Being skinny was a deviation from the norm. l would prefer a world where there are a plethora of body types to fawn over.
It goes in cycles. Petite will be trending again. Then curves will be trending again. [+]
I don’t know but the white women dominate every glute workout at my gym. There are girls putting up more plates on the hip thrust than I could dream of doing.
Popularity? There’s always been curvy white women.
dont confuse curvy with fat