The Retro Blog

Nowadays when you see a beauty pageant they at least pretend it’s not a total meat market. They ask a few questions to weed out the Miss South Carolina’s out there. Not so in the 50s. This guide shows that pageants used to be quite similar to the Westminster dog show. Any ladies with shoulders too square, sloped, or prominent, hips too wide, or legs with irregular spaces could be promptly eliminated. If, however, a lady’s form is considered divine based on the breed standards, she need only a beautiful face to secure the crown. [via boing boing]