Following the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman, please see below the changes to how I will offer my services:
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Yep. There aren’t any.
I still don’t care what your wee comes out of; just don’t leave any on the toilet seat please.
When people ask how you’re having your hair on your wedding day, they’re not usually talking about your armpits.
When the photos dropped from our fairytale styled shoot earlier this year, I was thrilled to see our model bride Meg rocking the natural underarm look. What made me even happier was that it was a complete non-issue; it wasn’t mentioned at any point in planning the shoot, on the day, afterwards or anywhere the photos were published, including on social media or in Pretty & Punk.
So I’ve debated internally whether to even blog about it because I didn’t want to make it a thing. But I do want to make normalising brides with body hair a thing, so here we are.
Sorry…
Barely a week goes by without hearing a bride apologise for her underarm/bikini/leg hair during a dress fitting. Honey, I’ll show you mine if it’ll make you feel better, and I’m not apologising for it.
I’m not advocating that everyone ditches the razor as it’s a personal choice how you style your hair wherever it is on your body. But I do want everyone to feel comfortable about their choices (or just what’s there that day, chosen or not).
Personally, I’ve gone through phases of shaving, waxing, epilalating, IPL-ing, plucking and letting it all do its thing. It still varies.
“Mummy, why do you shave your armpits?”
It’s been ten years since my toddler asked me, “Mummy, why do you shave your armpits?” and I really had to think about it.
“Fashion,” I told her, because that’s ultimately all it is. Oh, and to make money by playing on women’s insecurities about their appearance of course.
The Smithsonian Institution reports that the 1920s fashion for sleeveless tops and short dresses revealed western women’s legs and underarms for the first time, “and advertisers seized the opportunity to tell women to shave.” Boom! The razor manufacturers doubled their target market.
When my toddler subsequently started school, a classmate was bullied about the dark hair on her arms and legs, because apparently some children believed girls shouldn’t have hair anywhere other than their scalps (but lots it there of course). She was FOUR years old.
Mercifully, my own child seemed immune. “I can’t wait to have hair in my armpits,” my then 5-year-old told me, “So I can dye it like a rainbow.”
She hasn’t yet, but I’m here for it if she ever does.
Planner: @garnet_weddings_ltd
Venue: @kingstoncountrycourtyard
Photographer: @lotusphotographyuk
Videographer: @becky_takes_photos
Dresses: @bridesofdorset
Veils: me! @hollywintercouture
Porcelain bouquets: @beaut.blooms
Tiaras/jewellery/lace footwear: @tessastiaras
Model: @meg.birley & toddler Elias
Hair & Makeup: @sapphirestylinghairandmakeup
Chocolate decor: @levoco.chocolates
Flowers: @dorsetdriedflowers
Styling: @noviaeventsvenuestyling
Trees: @maryjanesweddingstyling
Lighting: @bhsoundandlighting
Violin: @lauraheathcoteviolin
Calligraphy: @simply.laura.calligraphy
Cake: @atcakeartistry
Wedding creche: @theweddingcrecherz
Confetti: @flutterdarlings
