What happened to pretty?

Growing up, admittedly a long long time ago, I wanted to be pretty. I wanted to look like a pleasant, healthy, savvy young woman. I looked to the stars and models to define what fit that image. Some things I liked and some things I didn't like. But I never saw things that made me go YUCK. And as I got older and styles changed I still had some great models to look to. Twiggy was amazingly thin but her outfits were at least attractive. There was the body conscious hippie thing. There was the Thunder Thigh look with stockings and boots and short shorts. It was ugly but it didn't make the models look like boys. And as much as people hate the 80's looks now, the girls were trying to be ultra sexy and womanly. Obviously they failed sometimes but hey. It happens

I watched my Mom find double knits and lose interest in dresses. I didn't know at the time that it was an age thing and the only reason for it was that more youthful clothing was weird for an older person to fit into. I watched the hair teased to the max, Hammer time, and huge shoes. I saw men dress like ?women? and not in a cross dressing way.

I saw styles go in and out so quickly some didn't qualify as fads. Long hair, short hair(ala Dorothy Hamill), medium hair(the Jennifer), swept back hair(Farrah) and long straight hair parted in the middle being a return of the hippie days. And again in and out. And back in.

I've tried to rationalize the fact that I'm a lot older now. I wanted a jean jacket. And an army jacket. I'd love to have a flat stomach. My chest, oversized, has been a bane of my existence when the fashions dictated flat or non-existent chests. But I have never wanted to be so thin that my feet were wider than my legs. I've never wanted to go out with my hair uncombed. I've never wanted to have my crotch hang to my knees. I've never considered combat boots attractive. I haven't thought really oversized clothing was attractive. I'm still waiting to learn the reason for it.
And while I'd love to be slim, thin isn't what I want. I consider bones to be my support system, not my jewelry.

I'm sure there are a lot of young women who think the dirty diaper look is "cool" or better "of the moment". I'm having a hard time with the skinny jean generation liking the two looks pictured here. There must be a large segment of the female population who likes oversized wear or there wouldn't be a market for it. I know men certainly like it for themselves.

I have been working to lose weight. I've been quite heavy so my viewpoint is skewed from there. But I can't imagine myself, even at 16, wearing clothing that does nothing to make me look better. As I said I must be missing something.