Hair removal in women has long been linked with ideals of femininity and sexual appeal. Rebecca Herzig, author of Plucked: A History of Hair Removal, traces back the modern-day notion of body hair being unattractive in women to Charles Darwin’s 1871 book Descent of a Man.
But why was the 19th-century idea about hairiness bringing “sexual inversion, disease pathology, lunacy, and criminal violence” not equally applied to all genders? According to Herzig, this had to do with the enforcement of “gendered social control” at a time when women were having a more prominent role in society.
Fast forward to the 21st century, when many women are increasingly challenging this cultural norm by choosing to control their own bodies and how they display them.
While some do so in private, others are bold enough to flaunt their natural body hair in front of millions, throwing historical beauty standards out the window to prioritize their comfort.
Below, Bored Panda invites you to take a look at 16 female celebrities who have ditched the razor and shown their unshaved bodies on the red carpet or social media.
“The picture is vivid in my mind actually from that moment,” the Oscar winner said about her much-talked-about look at the London premiere of Notting Hill in 1999.
While people interpreted the armpit hair as a statement about strict (and painful) beauty standards for women, Julia said she considered it more of a fashion faux pas.
“I think I just hadn’t really calculated my sleeve length and the waving and how those two things would go together and reveal personal things about me.
“So it wasn’t so much a statement as it’s just part of the statement I make as a human on the planet, for myself.”
Still, many women celebrated this moment because, on such a memorable night for her career, a high-profile figure like Julia Roberts normalized what a woman’s natural body looks like.
