In Korea, having a slim figure is an integral part beauty. Thin legs, a small waist, and a toned stomach are characteristics to admire. Amusingly, large breasts are also praised, though with the proportions that are “beautiful,” highly unlikely. A slim body shape is not a beauty standard from only Korea. Asian countries, such as Taiwan and Japan, as well as Western countries such as Canada and the United States, all affirm a slim figure as the most sought after body.

Since elementary school, my Asian mother has consistently reinforced the notion of skinny as beautiful. “You eat too much, you’re too fat.” Are all phrases that I grew up hearing. “Did you gain weight? Have you weighed yourself lately? Why is your butt so big?” Are all questions I have grown too accustomed hearing on a daily basis. Being compared to my skinny sister (who just recovered from being bed-ridden by appendicitis for two months) was a constant occurrence.

Sizing issues are common when I buy clothes in Asia. Being 5″7, I am already not the typical height of an Asian girl.Not being “skinny enough” in Asian standards, meant buying clothes were a hassle. Shirts were too short for me, and, as I was more endowed than typical Asian girls in the bust area, too tight. I remember buying underwear at the department store, where I was a size LL pantie from Japanese brand Wacoal. At Victoria’s Secret, I am a size small.

Click here for an interesting read that I thought nicely complemented my thoughts in this post.

One of the reasons why I am writing specifically about Korean beauty standards is because they are very similar to Asian notions of beauty. Growing up in a traditional, conservative, Taiwanese immigrant family, I was always bombarded with forceful assertions of what beauty was.

Specifically, being tanned was a cardinal sin, where you are seen as dark and dirty. My mother was particularly sensitive to this, commenting “太黑” (too dark) when she met my boyfriend. Beauty standards are not limited to females only, as I tried to show in my last post. Men are also susceptible to notions of beauty. In China and Taiwan, it is common to see young ladies, as well as the elderly, holding umbrellas to block the sun’s rays. Less commonly seen here in Vancouver, though I have seen some brave souls re-enacting this practice, such a practice would seem foreign. When I go back to Taiwan for vacations, or to visit relatives, I am one of many young women who carry an umbrella. I see it as taking advantage of social norms and to protect my skin from the blazing sun. But perhaps the first reason is only an excuse I use justify wanting to conform to this ridiculous pale skin beauty standard.

Seemingly “blessed” with pale skin, I was complimented and praised for my snow white skin, as if it dictated who I was as a person. Being young, admirations by my relatives and strangers reinforced this notion of paleness as integral to my beauty. Although I am turning 23 next year, I still dislike being in the sun, not only for fear of “being dark,” but also because I burn easily. But perhaps the second reason I use as an excuse to escape the sun.