Fashion

9 Badass Celebs Who Don't Shave Their Pits

by Sebastian Zulch

The choice of whether or not to shave and conversations about the "right" way to maintain our body hair always seem to be areas of tension, specifically concerning feminine folks. While people who don't shave their armpits are often perceived as trend-chasing humans, angry feminists, or masculine individuals, hair maintenance habits go deeper than that. Although societal expectations say otherwise, it is every person's right to choose how they care for their body. And some, regardless of gender or politics, simply prefer a hairy leg or pit.

Personally, I hate shaving. I love the way a fuzzy underarm looks and feels. And that is basically the extent of my reasoning for keeping them unshaven. I'm aware that my hair may have political implications to it as well, which I don't entirely reject since they do align with my beliefs and identity. But the bottom line is that I don't shave simply because I don't want to.

There are plenty of celebrities out there who feel the same way, and bear their long-haired armpits for the world to see, whether it be through a selfie or on the red carpet. Since they are public figures, their choices are often picked apart more than others, and automatically politicized and gendered. But at the end of the day, they are average people like you and me who likely do things based on what feels right and natural. Here are some celebrities who don't shave their armpits.

1. Gaby Hoffmann

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The beloved actress and Transparent star is a lot like the free-spirited characters she plays on the big and silver screens, unafraid to rock unshaven pits even on the red carpet.

2. Scout Willis

Bruce Willis' daughter and Free The Nipple enthusiast Scout Willis loves showing off her long armpit hair for Instagram and paparazzi alike.

3. Jemima Kirke

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The GIRLS star turned heads with her fuzzy underarms rather than her stunning red gown at the 2015 CFDA Fashion Awards. She didn't shy away from the criticism, however, and posed for photos with her arms stretched out or above her head to further show off her hairy bits.

4. Alok Vaid-Menon

Gender activist, writer, and one half of the hugely successful slam poetry duo Dark Matter, Menon normally gravitates toward more feminine silhouettes and styles. However, that doesn't stop them from pairing lipstick and a dress with armpit hair and a beard. Hair is not gendered, and our choices surrounding maintaining it do not determine femininity.

5. Madonna

Pop queen Madonna has always been known to go against the grain. That's why hardly anyone was surprised when she shared this selfie in honor of her collaboration with VICE's Art For Freedom Initiative. Let's face it: Fuzzy armpits go great with a lacy black bra.

6. Tyler Ford

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Further proving that armpit hair has no gender, agender activist and model Tyler Ford rocks a fuzzy pit, too. You simply can't deny how badass armpit hair looks with that leather top.

7. Sophia Loren

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Loren was inarguably the OG of repping feminine body hair, reminding us that you can still present classically feminine while also choosing not to maintain your body hair.

8. Miley Cyrus

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Cyrus is arguably the mother of armpit hair for Millennials. She's proudly rocked them on the red carpet, dyed them fun colors (and documented this via selfies on her Instagram), and posed provocatively with her pits on full display for multiple photographers and magazines. She drives the point home that we should be proud of our body hair because it's not only subversive, but also sexy.

9. Drew Barrymore

She's been keeping her underarms fuzzy since the '90s, and the fact that Barrymore hardly ever addresses her body hair preferences is inspiring for anyone else longing to adopt a "long hair, don't care" attitude.

After all, body hair maintenance is a personal choice, and it's certainly no one's business but your own.

Images: madonna/Instagram (1); StyleLikeU/YouTube (1)