Reddit reviews The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls

It was part of the cultural changes that occurred in the early 20th Century.

Advertisements for depilatories for women can be found in magazines going back to the mid 19th Century. Women's fashions at that time covered most of a woman's body, so removing underarm or leg hair wasn't perceived as something necessary. However, advertisements of the time often marketed to women creams which would give them 'perfect complexions'. Part of the idea of the perfect complexion was not having hair anywhere but the top of the head. So women who were a little more hirsute than average would want a way to get rid of excess hair on their upper lip or forearms.

In the nineteen teens, women's fashions changed. A type of blouse colloquially referred to as a 'pneumonia blouse' became popular; they were extremely sheer and delicate, which meant that thick, dark underarm hair could be seen beneath them. Also, sleeveless evening dresses became fashionable, especially on the dance floor (ballroom dancing was a craze at this time.) These fads mostly occurred among the upper class. There were a number of popular women's magazines at the time, but Harper's Bazaar specifically targeted upper class women, and they were the first ones to run advertisements encouraging women to get rid of underarm hair.

[Here] (http://imgur.com/WrgTZmN) is the first known ad for underarm hair removal; it ran in Harper's Bazaar in May 1915. This was such a novel idea at the time that they don't even use the word shave; they refer to 'smoothing' women's skin. Shaving was something men did. This Gillette ad is from 1916; it was the first razor marketed especially to women. Again, no 'shave'. It referred to 'smoothing'.

I know you asked specifically about legs, but I wanted to explain where this started. By 1925, ads for underarm hair removal were common in women's magazines and middle class women had picked up the habit as well. As 1920's women shortened their skirts, these same magazine ads began to recommend removing leg hair. They would show images of women in short skirts or bathing suits with perfectly smooth, hairless legs. This Veet ad from 1924 is a great example. This one, also from 1924, specifically uses the word 'limbs' in the text, which was considered more feminine than 'legs'.

Women in the teens and twenties were going through a period of rapid social change which affected every aspect of their lives. They began to actively take part in the new consumer culture that was developing, and industries responded by making products especially for them. Women's magazines then advertised the products widely. Hair removal was marketed as a necessary female trait, and the offending hair was referred to in ads with words like objectionable, unsightly, or embarrassing, while hair-free women would be referred to as clean, dainty, and sanitary.

The ritual of removing female body hair became widespread by the 1940's, as these products became cheaper and hair-free female bodies began to be seen as normal. The practice went along with other behaviors which became common in the 1920's, like wearing makeup and trying to 'reduce' (lose weight). These things changed the concept of the feminine ideal in America.


Some sources:


The Body Project : An Intimate History of American Girls

Hope in a Jar: The Making of America's Beauty Culture

Caucasian Female Body Hair and American Culture, by Christina Hope. This was an article published in 2004 in the Journal of American Culture. I cannot find a copy of it online, but it is quite informative.

I've thought of this also, but in the context of the term "body project". Lately, it's been assigned to be entirely about dieting+exercise, but when the book was published that sort of launched the concept ( https://www.amazon.com/Body-Project-Intimate-History-American/dp/0679735291 ), body project meant everything we do to decorate our bodies. Piercings, tattoos and makeup are just as much about the body project as weight.

Your point is also valid, sivvus, and another point in the pile of evidence that fat activism has no theoretical background to draw intellectual support from. It's a hollow marketing scheme at best, and a campaign of dangerous lies at worst.

The Body Project is a really interesting history of beauty standards and body image. A good chunk of it covers the '50s. I don't care for the author's editorials and preachy tone, but the anecdotes are nonetheless compelling.

Some quick reads: here and here. Or you can look into books like this one. I also like The Beauty Myth. A lot of feminist literature has great discussions about how and why women struggle with body image problems.

Sometimes, initially, it was just because surface doubts (including self-doubt) got the best of me, and in those cases we often got back together again. Eventually, if deeper issues persisted, we broke up for good.

To be more in tune with myself in the way I described in my previous response, I think I first did a lot of research about women’s issues. I grew up with all brothers and by the time I reached menarche my stoic mom had already had a hysterectomy due to health issues. I love reading and learning, and when I was a teenager I read a book called The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls, which gave me a new historical perspective.

I did a lot of writing and reflecting, by journaling my thoughts and feelings. I paid attention to myself, just like you’re doing, and sought to understand myself more when I felt my emotions creep out of control. I didn’t necessarily try to stop them when they came up, but honor them for a moment, allow myself space to express whatever I was feeling, and let it pass through me. Then move forward with confidence and trust in myself.

In adulthood, I adopted practices like yoga and meditation. I continue to read and learn new things, being open to greater truth and understanding. I check in with myself often and regularly participate in professional therapy sessions.

Good luck on your incredible, feminine journey. After hating myself and my body in girlhood, I have learned to continually embrace my own femininity. It’s a process that never quite ends, I’m afraid.