I recently came across an article wherein the author states she will ‘never shave her legs again’. I have given some thought to this feminine grooming ritual throughout the years and also pondered it when I began shaving at the age of thirteen. I was very self-conscious of the hair on my legs back then, even though they were light brown and baby fine. However, shave them I did…because I knew if I didn’t, I would be made fun of and boys (as well as girls) would consider me ‘gross’ and ‘hairy’.
Everyone knows the double standard here: Women are expected to shave, but men aren’t. Women are considered more ‘feminine’ if their legs are smooth and clean-shaven; while men are considered ‘masculine’ if their legs and the rest of their body is hairy. What group of people have decided this to be so in ages past doesn’t mean a thing to me, because – truth be told – I like shaving my legs, bikini area and my underarms. I actually like the sensation of having smooth silky legs and the way it feels against my clothing, a warm breeze, my bed sheets, or when I’m wrapping them around a guy I’m being intimate with or cuddling with.
Here is an excerpt of the article I’m referring to:
“I put up with the physical discomfort of shaving all the way until college because I couldn’t tolerate the potential social discomfort of having legs that stood out. Yet, as I became more aware of the excessive standards our society imposes upon women’s appearances, I grew angry that something as benign as body hair had caused me so much concern.
The idea of smooth legs was about pleasing men, not pleasing myself (though some women have told me they shave to please themselves, and they should be able to make that choice without judgment as well). After all, men were never considered gross or unclean for having much more body hair than I did.”
Why I will never shave my legs again
In my opinion, the author of that article has every right to not shave her legs if she feels pressure from society or from men to do so. If she actually likes the way her fuzzy legs feel against her clothing or how they feel when they rub up against other things, it’s her prerogative, right? Who am I to say she’s weird for not shaving them or that her legs look unattractive with hair all over them (even though I believe she is and they do).
I hope it has occurred to her that there are women like me out in this world who happen to like shaving and that we do it because we want to and because we want to please ourselves – not only because we want to ‘please men’ – although I’m sure many guys out there find the look of a woman’s shaved legs aesthetically pleasing. At one point I wondered if this woman is just a feminist and refuses to shave her legs ever again as an act of rebellion against ‘what pleases men’ and against this particular double standard that has existed towards women for possibly hundreds of years.
I pose a question to the men: What would you do if you were dating a woman and noticed that her legs were hairy and that she obviously doesn’t ever shave them? Would it turn you off? Would you ‘next’ her? Would it not matter to you one way or the other? Or would you be accepting of her hirsute lifestyle and still find her physically attractive?
To the women I’d like to ask: Would you ever stop shaving your legs and allow men (or the general public) to see them hairy? If you do shave regularly, why do you do it? Do you think it’s fair that men aren’t considered ‘gross’ or unattractive for having leg hair, but if we chose not to shave, we would be looked upon as unattractive and unkempt?
At the end of the day, it’s each woman’s decision to do with her body what she darn well pleases – regardless if anyone approves or not. Yet, by the same token, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a woman grooming herself in such a way so she can look physically attractive to her partner or to members of the opposite sex; men groom themselves in certain ways as well to be physically appealing to us.
If a person chooses to do things to their body to be attractive to others because they want to, then there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that in my opinion. However, if they’re doing it to adhere to societal norms and they truly are against doing it – as the aforementioned author is – then that could become a negative issue for them.
