Question

"this article presents a brief history of women's bodies, looking at how ideas about the female body have changed over time"

Answer 1

Off the top of my head, without seeing the article, I can tell you that in earlier history the ideas of women's bodies and how they should dress have changed a lot.  In very early times, such as the 1400s when Columbus first discovered America, women wore long white gowns, like dresses, and hoods.  These were called petticoats, and sometimes they wore stockings and garters, etc.  In later dates, such as the 1800s, women were wearing dressing, where their breasts showed, and wore corsets. In the beginning of the 1900s the clothing style changed.  Women begin to coverup more.  By 1950-1960, women were wearing long dresses that pretty much covered their entire body.  This was when women were mostly "housewives" and "baby boomers."  By 1970 and 1980 women were wearing pants and jeans with tops that either covered them all the way and were baggy or they wore tank tops and tube tops.  Now we see women wearing all types of clothing that don't cover up very much.  But back in the 1950s, 1960s, and even some of the 1970s you would never see half naked women advertised on TV, billboards, etc.  I think, if I'm not mistaken it was mid 1970 to 1980 where women were finally seen advertised in bikini's and underwear, but the underwear were more like "granny panties" and the bras were covering a lot more.  Now you can see full bikini's and bras like Victoria Secret.