Pretty Ankles

The ankle competition. It sounds like an amusing and unlikely event, but it did happen, not once, but many times. Ankle competitions started in the early 1900s and continued until the 1950s.

The way they were done varied. Sometimes women were hidden behind a sheet, so that only the ankle was on display. This (according to one source that I found) was to encourage “reluctant” women and women of all ages to participate. Mothers were encouraged to join the competition with their daughters. Other photos that I saw showed women sitting in a line, smiling as the judges esteemed their ankles. Sometimes the purpose of the competition was to promote hosiery, and the lucky winner’s prize was a supply of hosiery. I’m sure that at the time, it was an excellent prize to receive. Hosiery was and still is expensive. Other times, it was for the fun of the fabulous title of “Prettiest Ankle.”

But why did people ever focus on ankles? Rather than paraphrasing, I’m going to use a direct quote from an article.

“Why the Ankle? During the early 20th century, women’s fashion underwent significant changes. Hemlines began to rise, revealing more of the leg than ever before. Ankles, previously hidden by long skirts, became a focus of attention, as they were seen as modest yet subtly alluring.” (Historyinsider.com)

An online search gave me a list of at least sixty-eight recognized beauty competitions, so they are indeed ever popular. Interestingly, though, not one on the list was specifically for ankles! Perhaps they’re not considered “subtly alluring” anymore.

I didn’t write this to delve into opinions on beauty competitions, but just to share an interesting piece of history. Appreciate your (pretty?) ankles!