Inspired by this thread.
I seem to recall that there have been several threads about women shaving their legs, armpits, etc. now it appears we have currently progressed (?) to women shaving everything but their heads.
I’m wondering what was the impetus for this, why is a clean shaven female more desirable than a naturally hirstute one?
If women had their druthers, is shaving various areas personally satifying in any way?
Would most of you let it all hang out if it was socially acceptable?
OR
In some countries it isn’t! I’m thinking of the European countries where women don’t shave their armpits.
And actually, when I think about it…in countries where women typically don’t shave their pits, is a hairy pit seen as being neutral/unsexy/or hot?
Of course, it’s not just women with less hair who are seen as more desirable. Doesn’t the whole metrosexual craze have to do with men plucking various hairs, shaving their chests, etc? Beards haven’t been sexy since the Civil War.
Hi Operation Ripper,
I think your questions belong in either GQ or IMHO - I can’t decide. A mod will make a decision I’m sure.
FTR - While I think it has mostly stemmed from the social concepts surrounding women’s bodily hair, I for one feel cleaner with shaved armpits and legs. I don’t think I am cleaner, but it has that sort of feeling to it.
I often WISH I didn’t shave my legs and armpits. I managed to never want to wear make-up or anything else that makes me feel like I’m ‘faking something’ - but isn’t shaving just the same? I’m a hypocrite, yes.
I think, while I’d rather there wasn’t any perceived ‘need’ or ‘duty’ (not the right word, but you know what I mean) for women to shave - I’d probably still do at least my armpits. With a good chance of still doing legs too.
I actually kind of like the feeling of cleanly shaved legs. Like when you get out of the bath after shaving and go to bed and you brush one leg against the other and it’s like "Oooh! (:eek: 
in quick succession), which is nice… and…um…
Where was I?
I’m a-gonna go take a bath. And go to bed.
Post World War I, women’s hemlines reached above the calves for the first time, and sleeveless bodices appeared.
Fashion silhouettes in 1916-1917.
Since the invention of the “Razor Blade”?
I dunno? Was this a trick question? Anywhere you wanna put your tongue should be free of hair, in my book. That pretty much includes the entirity of the female form, except her head (and we can give a one-time exemption for that).
Well, thanks for your opinion, but I’m looking for a factual response. What do you mean by “a trick question?” exactly?
Some people haven’t figured out that mankind knew how to shave before Mr. Gillette (or whomever) invented the disposable razor.
The question about Adam’s beard that inspired this thread was about art and art history, and therefore proper for Cafe Society. This question seems to be about societal norms, and I’m going to consider it GQ, hoping for historic perspective and factual answers.
The “If women had their druthers, is shaving various areas personally satifying in any way?” portion is definitely opinion, but I’ll answer it anyway.
Yes. IMHO, being clean shaven just feels better. And allows for greater cleanliness.
What about the ‘70s.? Dont’ tell me that Barry Gibb wasn’t sexier than Robin or Maurice! 
THIS I believe is the correct answer. Shaving takes time. Pointless if what women were wearing was long dresses (and what legs that were revealed were covered with opaque tights), and also covered their arms to the wrists. No need to shave if nobody will notice if you don’t. Another reason is lots of body hair is associated with manliness. In a fashion sense this is why women like to appear as unmanly as possible. This explains why women’s hair styles tend to be decidely different than men’s.
Sexier but dirtier?
EXACTLY! (arms? who shaves arms?)
It is now summer, or more importantly summery (clotheswise). Legs will be exposed so they are shaved. In the winter it is jeans weather, no one can see them so why shave them!
I have heard a theory about this and I can’t Google from work to find confirmation or debunking, but here it is anyway (along with a theory of my own).
The biggest shift, one theory goes, was during wartime — probably WWII when silk supplies were unobtainable from the East and nylon was seen as a patriotic domestic replacement. (Silk parachute material was replaced by nylon around this time.) As nylons were being made in transparent styles, this prompted many women to shave their legs. Some wag even went so far as to say women were imitating that famous picture of Betty Grable showing off her beautiful gams, said to be a popular photo among lonely WWII soldiers.
I personally find this theory highly unlikely, because selling a new fashion along with the drudgery of a new morning routine is probably putting market forces the wrong way round. It’s more likely that transparent nylons were offered to women who were already shaving part or all of their legs. While Grable’s daring-for-the-day pose may have inspired imitators, it’s unlikely she was a fashion pioneer in this way.
My own personal theories for why shaving armpits has remained popular is the widespread use of hair dye and perfumes. Armpit hair doesn’t look the same color as a woman’s new hair dye, so off it goes. Additionally, without hair, it retains less odor. (For some reason we have become pathologically averse to smelling the human body in the last century: everything has to be fresh-scented and lemony. Weird.)
Not just silk stockings were in short supply during World War II — nylon stockings were also famously hard to obtain. “Hosiery Woes”, Business Week, February 7, 1942:
When trade between the U.S. and Japan came to a complete stop in August 1941, about three-fourths of the total output of women’s full-fashioned hosiery was of silk.
Any theories on why the pubic region is now almost regularly (in my experience) close to if not completely shorn?
The porno industry?
Also, during WWII, women used to either tan their legs in the summer time, or paint them with tea stains to immitate stockings. Leg hair would kind of destroy the illusion.
It seems like female hair removal goes back a long way.
This site traces hair removal back to prehistoric times and shaving to at least 500 B.C. Unfortunately, the site does not seem especially credible.
This site seems a little more credible and may actually be the source of some of the information found in the previously-linked site. I am not sure that either of these sites has it right, but this one at least refers to some evidence for its claims.
And here is a site (Not Safe For Work) that discusses some of the motivations and cultural implications of pubic hair shaving.
I’ve read that theory before. Remember “Win the War” propaganda and Rosie the Riveter? While before the war bare legs were at best unfashionable, and at worst somewhat slutty, during the war it became patriotic. By going stockingless, women could help GI Joe AND also save money at a decidedly non-prosperous time.
A letter by a disgruntled American woman, published in Business Week, October 3, 1942.