No Shave November has nothing on the new, budding women's movement, Janu-Hairy.
This month, women all over world are putting down their razors, waxing strips, tweezers, thread, lasers and everything else we use to pluck, pick and remove hair and going au naturale. For some, it's empowering to go against the grain and our society's fixation with female hairless bodies. It's natural, so if you've got it, flaunt it. For others, seeing visible armpit and leg hair still creates discomfort. When you've spent years desperately attempting to rid your body of hair, being photographed with armpit hair on the red carpet requires getting over your own conditioned disapproval and a negative response from the public.
Julia Roberts' 1999 armpit reveal at the Cannes premiere of Notting Hill is a classic case. Although the Homecoming actress told Busy Phillipps that her visible body hair "wasn't a statement," twenty years later, she can still vividly remember the moment it happened and the resulting photo that made world news. It spurred that much conversation.
"When I was a younger woman, I thought it was a statement," Busy said. "I thought it was really punk rock and cool."
Two decades later, however, millennial and Gen-Z women are agreeing with Busy. Fueled by the ability to be as authentic as possible, these stars consistently bring their cultural beauty traditions, statement-making fashion and body hair to the red carpet. Unlike Julia's accidental reveal in the '90s, Miley Cyrus, Paris Jackson, Amandla Stenberg and more are making a very clear statement in the era of #MeToo and other pushes for female equality: Body hair is a natural, and thus should be accepted. In fact, it's cool.
In honor of the sentiment and Januhairy, check out what the stars that are getting behind the push for body hair acceptance below!
If you're joining the movement, at least you know that Hollywood is on your side!