The rise of hairy young women: “I know people who dye their armpit hair to make it stand out more”

IIn 2026, it seems like a woman’s body hair should be the least of anyone’s worries. But while we may think we’ve come a long way since Julia Roberts’ unshaven armpit caused a stir at the London premiere of Notting Hill in 1999, waxing remains a staple of many women’s grooming routines – and when singer-turned-actress Phoebe Bridgers made her Venice Film Festival debut last weekend, her unshaven legs were still making headlines.

However, her natural look may signal that attitudes towards her are changing, especially among the younger generation. Vogue ruled that “rather than undermine the femininity of the look, the unapologetic hair only accentuated it,” and photos of the 32-year-old’s hair-covered calves were generally praised by fans. But what do other Gen Z and millennial women think of the decision to ditch the razor?

“Hell yes!” – answers 27-year-old graduate student Anna Busuttil. “I think it’s amazing and cool and rebellious,” she says—a sentiment that echoes most of the women I speak to outside University College London’s Bloomsbury campus. Busuttil says that today she sees many more women choosing not to remove their body hair. “I know people who dye their armpit hair a certain color so it stands out even more. I feel like leg hair is more of a taboo for women; it seems like such a ‘masculine’ thing and legs are supposed to be the really sexy part of a woman.”

Francesca Hall, 25, agrees: She removes hair on her legs but doesn’t worry about her armpits. However, she feels that, if anything, it is becoming less common to be unshaven. “Culturally there has been a general shift towards more conservative ideas,” says a student union member. “It’s the same with veganism; it’s gone a bit backwards. My friendship group is quite weird, left-wing, and not everyone will remove their leg hair.” But, she says, not removing leg hair is more common “in these circles… I definitely think there’s a correlation.”

“I have very hairy legs!” says 21-year-old student Phoebe Green, pulling up her long shorts to give me a better look. “I don’t pay much attention to current trends; leg hair doesn’t affect my life,” she says. “I’ve definitely had a few comments, a few condescending guys like, ‘Why aren’t they shaved?’ But I get a lot of compliments from the girls, a lot of solidarity.”

Pediatric nurse Venus White, 23, believes attitudes among the younger generation are changing, albeit slowly. “I think society pressures women to shave when they don’t really want to,” she says. “If I’m wearing something that shows my legs, I’d rather shave, but that’s what I’m comfortable doing.”

Not everyone thinks leg hair remains the most taboo type of hair on a woman’s body: for 24-year-old Wendy Fay, it’s armpit hair. This week she will shave for the first time at her prom. “It’s a formal event, so I’ll be wearing a dress,” she explains. “I don’t think women really need to shave – men don’t – but some women think it’s unsightly.”

Bridgers was also on hand for the formal event, wearing unshaven calves with a Gucci skirt suit for a photo call for her first acting role in A24’s psychological crime thriller Primetime. Online, Bridgers – or Farbs – fans seemed to approve: “Sorry, I might actually cry, this is the first time I’ve seen my favorite artist with her leg hair down, wearing feminine clothes like it’s the most normal thing in the world (it should be!!),” wrote user X @starforthemagic; “Wait, this is literally so rare for public figures, oh my god… the queen,” agreed @yyelyahkwonn.

But for 22-year-old student Matilda Moore, social media can sometimes be part of why women feel pressured to meet certain beauty standards. “Women shouldn’t have to worry about removing body hair – it’s down to individual preference,” she says, “but I unfortunately still see on social media that women can get a lot of backlash for how they present themselves, which I think is unfair.”

Graduate student Sarah Sender, 26, agrees that while many of her friends would be happy not to remove their body hair, they worry about how they might be seen by their peers. “I don’t think it matters, but other people may judge you or see you differently,” she says. Among her friends, laser hair removal has become more common than shaving or waxing, “so you can just get rid of your hair forever.”

“I have a lot of friends who religiously use lasers everywhere,” agrees Hannah, legal and corporate services manager at a trend forecasting company, “but I can’t even be bothered to pluck my eyebrows, you know?” The 30-year-old believes people today have more freedom to do what they want when it comes to grooming, especially compared to when she was younger. “I’m just really lazy, to be honest,” she laughs.

What does she think of Bridgers’ look? “Go to her! I appreciate it.”