During the winter months of long sleeves and sweaters, Kate had been letting her underarm hair grow between shavings. When it came time for spring, she decided she needed to shave her armpits bare, not because she personally minded her own hair, but because she didn't like the association of hair and types of women who didn't shave.
She said the only woman she knew who didn't shave was a an aging hippie-type, who Kate found not very sexy. Kate associated underarm hair with a complete grouping of other personal fashion, tastes, and hygiene, such as dreadlocks, tattoos, and piercings. She thought of older saggy overweight hippie earth mammas and, contemporarily, gothy punk grrrl power chicks. Kate considered herself an average, American girl. She was from the rural Midwest, and she didn't have tattoos, piercings, or pink punk hair. She, in fact, liked wearing cute sundresses, heels, and makeup. She loved being feminine and fashionable. She freely admitted to reading Vogue and shopping for purses and shoes.
She felt that none of the pretty, and popular girls of high school and college ever let their hair grow. She had no examples, no role models. She assumed it never happened. She was wrong.
There is a new movement of young women who are gaining confidence to let their hair grow naturally. A new generation of self-empowered girls of high self-eteem who don't let boys, or fellow females, tell them how to define their own sense of beauty and self-worth. When Kate saw that girls who looked like her and dressed like her had the confidence to let their hair grow, she was inspired. She realized that some girls have tattoos and piercings and don't shave, and that's fine, but that she could also not shave, and didn't have to go goth or punk or grrrl power. Putting down her razor was all she wanted to do and not feel embarrassed or ashamed.
She thinks the little tuffs of curls under her arms are cute. She has her sundresses and her makeup, still. She just feels more like being herself is ok. She hopes other girls like her, in the gym, in the office, can see professional young women like herself and also feel empowered not to conform to a daily obligation of shaving.
She hasn't totally stopped shaving. She just doesn't feel the pressure to do it all the time. Now, she'll let the stubble grow out a few weeks, and then, if she feels like it, shave it off and start over. The best part is, the more comfortable she is with her own body, the less she worries and even has to think about it.
Very beautiful and inspiring young women are joining a growing movement to let go of the razor.
All images from Hairy Pits Club.
