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From Marilyn Monroe to Olivia Culpo, a brief history of what is 'sexy.'

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Nairita Mukherjee
Nairita MukherjeeJun 14, 2019 | 13:02

From Marilyn Monroe to Olivia Culpo, a brief history of what is 'sexy.'

Olivia Culpo , Marilyn Monroe, Maxim World's Sexiest Woman, Sexiest Man, social media influencer, sexy, sensuality, popularity, what is sexy

Olivia Culpo is the world’s sexiest woman. At least that’s what the cover of a leading International fashion magazine claims. The 27-year-old has topped the ‘Hot 100’ list, leaving other perhaps equally beautiful women behind, to claim her crown.

No, there’s no actual crown, and this former Miss Universe (2012) doesn’t need one either — she wears her 4.1 million Instagram followers quite like a crown.

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Olivia is an actor — with films like I Feel Pretty and Reprisal (both 2018) under her belt, a model — she was seen in Project Runway All Stars (2012), and a social media influencer — refer to the followership above. She’s not Jennifer Lawrence or even Sophie Turner, yet she is — as of two days ago when she ‘grammed’ the magazine cover — world’s sexiest woman.

Which begs the question: What constitutes ‘sexy’?

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Couture or cast-offs, sexy, nonetheless. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Marilyn Monroe, archival articles tell us, once posed in a potato sack because a critic pointed out that it is the clothes that make her sexy — otherwise she’s quite plain. The potato sack picture is as iconic as her other glamorous ones, clearly indicating that while clothes maketh the man, it’s not the case with women.

But that was Marilyn. Since then, sexy and sensuality seem to always walk hand in hand and into a bikini store — skimpier the bikini, sexier it is considered. Clothes, or the lack thereof, seemed to be making women, too.

But today, something has changed. Sexy and sensuality have a new friend and a dominant one — popularity. That reflects through one’s social media followers. Suddenly a two-piece bikini or going topless doesn’t quite have the same effect, because many are already doing it. The need to constantly up your game is real — today’s sexiest woman aspirants certainly have way more competition than Marilyn ever did.

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#RoseFest2019 with @sterlingvineyards. My first time in Napa :) #SterlingStyle #SterlingVineyardsPartner #For21+

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Which is where the paraphernalia comes in — the infinity pool is as important for aesthetics as the bikini you’re stepping out of it in, the on-road price of the Porsche is as important as the angle at which your bottom pops when you’re flirtingly cleaning it, the light reflecting off your perfectly pouted duck lips is nothing if they’re not placed gapingly next to a champagne flute with expensive champagne, of course.

And that maketh the woman. And the man, too ironically.

Beauty, today, doesn’t lie in the eyes of the beholder. It isn’t subjective at all. It is very objective — depending on all the objects placed in the frame.

Most of the time, including the woman.

Last updated: June 14, 2019 | 18:25
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