....with the thong, so im guessing sometime round the 1970s when bikinis were getting smaller. Don't want a bush hanging out of your swim suit.
Early 20th century it became the norm as women began to actually show leg in their fashion and legs being visible became the norm in fashion. Hair removal as a whole has been going on since ancient times, though only facial shaving was something most common people had time/access to/cared enough about for most if history.
I heard that it had to do with some war and women having to donate their pantyhose for something war related... they shaved and drew a line up the back of their leg to give the impression of wearing hose. Of course, I have no idea if it's true or not... I wasn't around then, and I can't imagine what hose would be used for in a war, but I've heard of stranger things.
Indeed... pantyhose was on the black list in WW2... Or rather: it was among rationed goods. Interesting read: http://www.mookychick.co.uk/alterna...-vintage-clothing/vintage-nylon-stockings.php A brief history of nylons. Apart from that, fashion is the big trigger for whipping out the razors... it already has been written about the bikini zone, becoming more visible. And as for legs: hotpants and mini skirts... the proud, furry hippie woman was replaced by the sexy hairless Barbie... this is sad... very sad only. Wiggling bare toes at all the proud and furry hippie womyn. ~*Ganesha*~
Early 20th century= shortening hem lines and the introduction of the safety razor. Some greedy marketer thought it would be a wonderful way to double his profit by marketing his razor to women along with men, threatening they'd be unattractive and emasculated if they did not shave.... Well, the idea caught on, and nearly 100 years later, it's spread to other nations as well. I think it's a silly idea. It's a waste of money and resources (water and petroleum that go into manufacturing, packaging, and shipping), and I like my body hair.
There's more to this than women shaving legs and armpits and men not. Most of the time, it's women who have the right to show those same body parts, and men not. If a woman wants to wear long pants/skirts and tops with sleeves, nobody's going to know which parts she's shaved, or left natural. It's only if she asserts the privilege of wearing less clothing that the other side of the situation becomes an issue. But then there are circumstances when men get a something like a better deal. In warm weather and when it's something informal, men can wear shorts (sometimes even tank tops) and there's no expectation that men will shave. But even then, men have to stay more covered up, especially young guys who now have to wear "shorts" longer than knee length--which their dads think is funny as hell. So I don't know who has things better overall.
