When did women started to shave their legs and why the hell?

Answer 1

We all know the power of advertizing. At the turn of the century, for example, the South African Diamond company, DeBeers, created the image that the diamond was forever and therefore would make an excellent wedding ring.

Another marketing campaign around this time convinced the women of North America to shave their body hair. Notably, women in the other parts of the world do not engage on masse in this ritual. Even in French Canada the habit is not largely undertaken.

It all began with the May, 1915 edition of Harper's Bazaar magazine that featured a model sporting the latest fashion. She wore a sleeveless evening gown that exposed, for the first time in fashion, her bare shoulders, and her armpits.

A young marketing executive with the Wilkinson Sword Company, who also made razor blades for men, designed a campaign to convince the women of North America that: a. Underarm hair was a. unhygienic and b. unfeminine.

In two years the sales of razor blades doubled as our grandmothers and great grandmothers made themselves conform to this socially constructed gender stereotype.

This norm for North American women has been reinforced by several generations of daughters who role modeled their mothers. Daughters are now making choices about body image that include an awareness of the multi-billion dollar fashion industry construction of the beauty myth.

Answer 2

The Mack Sennett answer is possibly--video clips had (and have) a stable impression on standard lifestyle, as while undershirt revenues plummeted after Clark Gable did not positioned on one in It befell One nighttime. i've got examine that earlier 1915, prostitutes have been the group generally happening for shaving. the supervisor motives women human beings shave are aesthetics, scent, and custom. bushy armpits on an in any different case groomed lady, especially while she's donning something like a sleeveless ballgown, look unkempt, unsophisticated, and earthy--a extra hippy look than many times needed. in the event that they're moist with sweat, even worse. Hair additionally traps scent, so which you 're going to have extra BO once you're unshaven. And third, culturally there's a EWWW ingredient--we are purely not used to seeing it. Shaving the legs is executed strictly for stylish motives--hair under nylons gets all bunched up and ruins the swish look of the leg, and long, darkish leg hair seems masculine. The aesthetics have lots to do with attaining an phantasm of maximal youthfulness, as noted by some right here. women human beings many times decide to look sparkling and girlish, and truly do not decide to ask comparisons with an previous, bushy guy.

Answer 3

I don't know when women started shaving their legs. I was 12. I shave because I think it looks nice, but I also realize that I have been socialized to believe I should shave my legs. I know that I don't have to, but I do anyway.

Answer 4

So Shick and Gillette can sell Razors and Blades.
So leg hair won't be sticking through panty hose.
Makes panty hose easier to put on.
Lets face it, It just looks better.
The women can blame the men for getting it started. If that is the case the women just fell right in and did it.
Imagine the thongs being worn these days with the long leg hair and the pubic hair being displayed around the edges.
O! and, they just feel so much better.

Answer 5

Hair removal has been practised by both sexes for thousands of years across many cultures. Most notably the Egyptians (shaving and waxing) and the Romans (shaving). It was a demonstration on caste or class difference, and was also done as part of some religious ceremonies, as well as for hygiene reasons.

Answer 6

i can never decide whether i find hairy legs on a woman a major turn-off because it's somehow programmed into me, or whether i'm simply responding to the way i've been conditoned.

i've also no idea why socks and smart work shoes look stupid with shorts; i just know that they do! ;-)

once upon a time, maybe a particlarly hairy cavewoman thought that she looked too much like the averagely hairy caveman (who i'm assuming would've been even hairier), and decided to even up the balance a liitle bit.

the idea might've caught on for a number of reasons (e.g. more sexual interest, not having to pick bits of crap out of your fur, etc), and the whole thing just spiralled from there.

this is probably complete and utter balls, but it's my theory and i'm sticking to it (except for saying it's probably balls ;-) )

Answer 7

my legs look much better shaved, more even and I love to touch them because they are so soft. even in the winter I shave my legs cause i like the bare feelings. I shave my armpits cause the deodorant glides better. shaving is not always related to attractiveness, it is for hygiene puposes also.

Answer 8

About the same time when men did start shaving, as soon as men made the toold for it. I guess it started because of hygene reasons, in an time where there was no runnin water, Body hair was just another sweatcatcher. iiiih stinky >.<

Answer 9

I don't know.. But it really sucks. My boyfriend complains about having to shave his face. Pah! Try legs, armpits, eyebrows... and any hair that appears anywhere on your body except your head.

Answer 10

People have been shaving for thousands of years.

It began as a means of hygiene.

And your legs feel so good after shaving. Why would you NOT want to shave?