Why Is Skinny Back? The Economic and Political Forces Behind Beauty Trends

Why Do Beauty and Fashion Trends Keep Changing?

Fashion and beauty trends are often seen as aesthetic choices dictated by designers, influencers, and celebrities. However, these trends do not emerge in a vacuum. Instead, they are shaped by political climates, economic conditions, technological advancements, and cultural shifts. The fluctuating ideal body type, the dominance of skincare over makeup, and the rise and fall of fashion aesthetics all reflect deeper societal anxieties, aspirations, and power structures.

The resurgence of skinny bodies in the 2020s, for example, is not just a shift in beauty ideals but a reflection of broader economic instability, cultural nostalgia, and political shifts. Similarly, the 2010s' emphasis on curvy bodies, full-glam makeup, and logo-heavy fashion aligned with an era of economic growth, social media expansion, and hyper-consumerism. Examining these changes through a political and economic lens reveals how beauty is deeply intertwined with societal trends.

The Return of Thinness: Economic Anxiety

The early 2020s have seen a notable return to extreme thinness, reminiscent of the heroin-chic era of the 1990s. This shift comes after a decade where curvy, hourglass figures were idealised, particularly through figures like Kim Kardashian and the rise of Instagram beauty culture.

Historically, times of economic downturn have favoured thinness, as body size often correlates with wealth and status. In boom periods, fuller figures signify abundance and prosperity (e.g., the 1950s and 2010s). In contrast, during recessions, the ideal becomes thin, disciplined, and controlled, reflecting financial uncertainty and the cultural need for self-restraint. The rise of gig economies, inflation, and wage stagnation in the 2020s aligns with the return of restrictive beauty standards, suggesting a psychological link between bodily control and economic precarity. The rise of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy reflects both medical advancements and a renewed pressure to be thin. While diet culture was heavily critiqued in the body-positivity era of the late 2010s, it has been repackaged under the guise of "wellness" and "health," making weight loss more socially acceptable again. The normalisation of prescription weight-loss drugs among celebrities and the wealthy reflects not just aesthetic preferences but a growing medicalisation of beauty and bodily discipline.

The return of low-rise jeans, visible collarbones, and an emphasis on understated luxury signals a rejection of the overt, hyper-feminine aesthetics of the 2010s. The "clean girl" aesthetic, which emphasises slimness, skincare, and effortless wealth, mirrors the economic shift towards stealth wealth and an aversion to conspicuous consumption. This aesthetic also reinforces class privilege, as the look of effortless beauty often requires extensive cosmetic dermatology, high-end skincare, and preventative Botox.

The 2010s: Curves, Hyper-Femininity, and the Social Media Boom

The 2010s were defined by a completely different set of beauty and fashion ideals, largely influenced by social media, reality TV, and a booming economy. The hourglass figure became the dominant beauty standard, driven by celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Nicki Minaj, and influencers who built their brands on curvy body types. Social media platforms like Instagram amplified these trends, with filters and FaceTune creating a hyper-realistic, exaggerated beauty ideal. Contouring, matte liquid lipsticks, dramatic brows, and heavy foundation were central to the 2010s look. This aesthetic reflected the influence of YouTube beauty culture and the rise of beauty influencers. The availability of disposable income in a relatively stable economy meant that consumers could afford large makeup collections and frequent beauty treatments.

The rise of fast fashion giants like Fashion Nova, Shein and PrettyLittleThing made trendy, hyper-feminine, body-conscious clothing accessible. Logos, designer knock-offs, and statement pieces flourished, reflecting a culture of hyper-visibility and social media branding. However, as sustainability movements and anti-consumerist sentiments have gained traction, these overtly commercial aesthetics have fallen out of favour.

The Soft Girl to Trad Wife Pipeline: Fashion and the Rise of the Far Right

The soft girl aesthetic, which gained popularity on TikTok, embraced pastel colours, floral dresses, and ultra-feminine styling. While initially a reaction against the bold, structured styles of the 2010s, this aesthetic increasingly aligned with conservative values, glorifying passivity, domesticity, and traditional gender roles. This shift coincided with growing anti-feminist sentiment in online spaces, where young women are encouraged to embrace traditional lifestyles as a supposed antidote to modern anxieties about work, dating, and financial independence.  The transition from the soft girl aesthetic to trad wife culture mirrors the broader global rise of far-right movements. As seen in both the United States with Trump-era conservatism and Europe’s resurgence of nationalist rhetoric, traditional gender roles are being romanticised as a form of resistance to feminism and modernity. Conservative influencers use nostalgia for pre-feminist gender dynamics to promote the idea that returning to traditional domestic roles is not only desirable but politically necessary to restore “natural order.”

The rejection of feminist ideals in favour of “traditional values” has been widely observed in online spaces. Influencers promoting homemaking, anti-feminism, and submission to male authority use aesthetic appeal to market far-right ideology, making it more palatable for young women. This phenomenon is particularly visible on platforms like TikTok, where visually appealing content, often featuring vintage dresses, cooking, and family-centric imagery, romanticises restrictive gender roles under the guise of empowerment.This trend reflects Susan Faludi’s (1991) argument in Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women, which explores how periods of feminist progress are often met with a reactionary push to return women to domestic roles. The same pattern is evident today, where social and political regression is disguised as an aesthetic revival.

What Do Beauty Trends Say About the World We Live In?

Fashion and beauty trends are never just about aesthetics. They reflect economic shifts, political climates, technological advancements, and cultural anxieties. The return to thinness, quiet luxury, and skincare minimalism is not simply about taste... it is about the way society responds to financial instability, digital transformation, and shifting power structures.

Understanding these trends through a political and economic lens allows us to see beauty and fashion not as superficial, but as deeply tied to history, power, and identity. Whether it is the opulent glamour of the 2010s, the recession-era thinness of the 2020s, or the digital influence on skincare trends, our beauty ideals will continue to evolve alongside the world around us