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I'm having a dilemma about armpit hair.I haven't shaved my hairies in YEARS, and I really don't want to, but I'm feeling totally out on my own here!
Have you got any advice or photos for brides considering rocking the pit hair on their wedding day?
-Kit
This is a deeply personal (and dare I say political!) decision, so while I can't give you a cut ‘n' dry answer I can provide a few questions from a few different angles can help you make the decision for yourself…
The political angle: Why do you choose not to shave?
If it's an issue of body hair politics and feminism, then you should absolutely stick to what you've been doing. There's enough pressure and identity crisis involved with wedding planning without feeling like you're compromising the values that are important to you.
The existential angle: What makes you feel like you should shave?
Would it be for your guests, or for you? For how you'd feel the day of, or how you'd feel looking at photos years from now?
The fashion angle: What aesthetic are you going for with your wedding?
If you're organizing, for example, a pagan handfasting where you'll be wearing a soft muslin dress and holding wildflowers, you may not need to even think about your pits! If you're organizing a posh bed & breakfast event with a formal gown and heels, then you might encounter a bit more of a stylistic disconnect — although again: if you choose not to shave for political reasons, then the visual contradiction could be a powerful one!
The compromising angle: What about trimming or bleaching?
If you don't want to shave but do want to tidy things up, you could trim or even bleach. Again, depends on your reasons for not wanting to shave in the first place.
Ultimately, my goal with advice is always to help brides make decisions that allow them to be authentic to themselves. If your stance on armpit depilation is part of your politics and/or identity, then I say rock it on your wedding day!
Thoughts on being a hairy bride
We already broached the question of "should I shave my armpits of my wedding day," but let's hear about it first hand from a bride... Read more
If, for whatever reason, you do decide to go bare, I would suggest you skip shaving and wax instead. I come from a family of furry women (seriously: my mom's legs are hairier than my dad's!) and after years of resentful razor burn and stubble, I've been much happier since I became a lazy waxer. (Lazy because see, you HAVE to let you hair grow out between waxings. It's this awesome thing where you can feel completely fine about toggling between totally smooth high maintenance fancy pants and a complete wookie.) Yes, it stings, but the joy of waxing is that after the wedding you'll have no razor burn and hair that grows in waaaay softer.
Now, as for pictures? I'm afraid I don't have any. Offbeat Brides, any of y'all got any to share? Post a link in the comments…
