Eyebrows, those two strips of hair above our eyes, have a history of being styled, shaped, plucked, and groomed according to fashion trends. Just like hairstyles and clothing, eyebrow trends have varied dramatically over the decades, reflecting cultural influences, beauty standards, and celebrity impact. Let’s take a look at how eyebrow trends have evolved over the past 100 years and what each era says about the times.
1920s: The Thin and Dramatic Era
The 1920s was a decade defined by the glamour of Hollywood and the rise of cinema. As silent films grew in popularity, actors and actresses needed to communicate emotions without words, and eyebrows became a key expressive feature. During this period, the ideal eyebrow was extremely thin, long, and dramatically arched.
Stars like Clara Bow, known as the "It Girl" of the 1920s, popularized this look. Women would often pluck their brows to near invisibility and draw a dark, exaggerated line with a pencil, creating a look that was both dramatic and melancholy. This exaggerated shape added an air of mystery and sadness, perfect for the silent film era's emotional range.
1930s: Sophisticated Arches
As we moved into the 1930s, eyebrows remained thin but took on a more elegant, sophisticated shape. Instead of the severe, downward-turned arch of the 1920s, the brows of the 1930s were shaped into a more gradual, higher arch. This slight tweak made the overall appearance softer and more feminine.
Actresses like Greta Garbo and Jean Harlow were known for their impeccably arched brows, which became a staple of glamour during the Great Depression era. Though thinness was still in, the 1930s brow was less about drama and more about refinement.
1940s: The Natural Glamour Look
The 1940s saw a return to a more natural shape, influenced by wartime practicality. With the world in the grips of World War II, women adopted simpler, more utilitarian beauty routines. However, glamour was not abandoned altogether—brows were still shaped but left fuller than in previous decades.
Icons like Lauren Bacall and Joan Crawford set the trend with fuller, more structured eyebrows that framed the face with a soft but defined arch. While women still used pencils to enhance their brows, the emphasis was on maintaining a natural, feminine look that balanced practicality with beauty.
1950s: The Power of Bold Brows
The 1950s marked the age of bold, statement eyebrows, made famous by iconic beauties like Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor. This era brought a strong, defined brow that was thick yet perfectly groomed. Audrey Hepburn’s straight, full brows in Roman Holiday set the tone for what would become one of the most enduring brow trends in history.
Women began using eyebrow pencils more heavily to fill in and enhance their natural shape, while also keeping the edges sharp and precise. The 1950s brow trend symbolized elegance and femininity but with a newfound confidence and power.
1960s: The Mod and Minimalist Look
The 1960s was an era of experimentation and rebellion in fashion, and eyebrows followed suit. While the decade is remembered for its daring eyeliner and eyeshadow, the brows took a back seat. Many women, inspired by the mod fashion movement, began to thin their brows again, but this time with a more minimal, delicate approach.
Twiggy, the iconic model of the 1960s, is a prime example of this trend. Her barely-there brows contrasted with her dramatic, heavily lined eyes, making her overall look stand out. This decade also saw the rise of the “boyish” brow—straight, almost unnoticeable eyebrows that reflected the growing counterculture’s rejection of traditional beauty norms.
1970s: A Return to Nature
In the 1970s, natural beauty reigned supreme, influenced by the hippie movement and a desire to embrace a more organic look. Women began to let their brows grow out, opting for a fuller, unplucked look that matched the earthy, carefree aesthetic of the time.
Celebrities like Ali MacGraw and Lauren Hutton became famous for their thick, natural brows, which were often left untouched except for a little shaping. The emphasis was on individuality and embracing what nature gave you, reflecting the cultural shift toward self-expression and liberation from traditional beauty standards.
1980s: The Bigger, the Better
The 1980s was the decade of excess, and eyebrows were no exception. Bold, bushy brows were the ultimate fashion statement, thanks in large part to pop culture icons like Brooke Shields and Madonna. Shields’ thick, untamed eyebrows in The Blue Lagoon became the poster child for the 1980s brow revolution.
Women began using eyebrow pencils, gels, and powders to achieve a full, bold look. The 1980s brow was all about making a statement, whether you were rocking neon colors or big hair. Eyebrows became a central feature of the face, with thicker, darker, and bushier brows signaling confidence and power.
1990s: The Ultra-Thin Brow
Just as the 1980s were defined by excess, the 1990s brought a sharp pivot in the opposite direction. The grunge era and minimalist fashion trends led to the resurgence of thin, pencil-drawn brows, with many women tweezing their brows to oblivion.
Celebrities like Gwen Stefani and Pamela Anderson epitomized the ultra-thin brow trend. Brows were once again seen as accessories rather than defining features, and many women plucked their brows so thin they almost disappeared. The emphasis was on sleekness and simplicity, but this trend also led to over-plucking disasters that many have spent the following decades trying to recover from.
2000s: The Over-Plucked Aftermath
The early 2000s saw a continuation of the 1990s thin brow trend, but with a slightly more groomed appearance. Women still maintained slender, highly shaped brows, but they began to pay more attention to defining and penciling them in.
Stars like Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Lopez kept the ultra-thin brow alive, often pairing them with frosty eyeshadow and high-gloss lips. However, this decade also marked the beginning of regret for many, as over-plucking led to sparse, difficult-to-grow-back brows that would become a beauty struggle for years to come.
2010s: The Era of the Instagram Brow
The 2010s brought us the rise of social media and, with it, the "Instagram brow." Suddenly, brows were bigger, bolder, and more polished than ever before. Thanks to the likes of Cara Delevingne, whose natural, thick brows sparked envy worldwide, full, bushy brows came back into fashion—but this time with a more defined and precise edge.
Women began using brow pencils, powders, gels, and even microblading techniques to achieve the perfect Instagram-ready brow: thick, dark, and sharply outlined with a concealer-defined arch. The 2010s brow symbolized beauty perfectionism in the age of social media, where every detail had to be camera-ready at all times.
2020s: Embracing Diversity and Individuality
Today, in the 2020s, eyebrow trends are all about embracing individuality and diversity. Rather than adhering to one specific trend, we’re seeing a celebration of personal style. From laminated brows to fluffy, natural brows, the emphasis is on self-expression. Whether you prefer bold, bushy brows or a sleeker, more refined shape, there’s no longer a one-size-fits-all trend.
Celebrities like Zendaya and Rihanna have sported a variety of brow styles, from thick and full to arched and precise. The rise of brow treatments like microblading, brow lamination, and tinting has made it easier than ever to customize your look, allowing for both permanent and temporary transformations.
What Might the Future Hold?
Eyebrows have gone through quite a journey over the past century. From the pencil-thin arches of the 1920s to the full, bushy brows of the 2010s and beyond, each decade’s brow trends reflect the cultural and societal shifts of the time. Today, we’re fortunate to live in an era where we have the freedom to embrace our natural brows or experiment with differ
ent styles, celebrating the unique beauty of every individual.
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