Phoebe Bridgers has drawn praise for appearing with unshaven legs at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, where she walked the red carpet in a black Gucci skirt. The 32-year-old American songwriter has been celebrated by fans for defying the strict beauty standards often applied to female celebrities.
The festival is currently underway, with filmmakers debuting new movies, stars walking the red carpet, and films competing for awards such as the Golden Lion. A-listers including Orlando Bloom and Robert Pattinson have appeared this year, but it is Bridgers who has captured much of the attention.
Fans react on X
Many spectators commented on how “rare” it is to see a public figure showing body hair. On X, fans gushed about the choice, with one saying: “Obsessed with the unshaven legs. She looks so good”. Another described it as “representation” for those who choose not to shave, despite assumptions that having body hair is “not hygienic”.
A third wrote: “Sometimes I feel like a chud [weirdo] for not shaving my legs, so I love to see women looking beautiful and classy with unshaven legs so I can remind myself why I’m doing it”. A fourth added: “Sorry, I actually might cry. This is the first time I’ve seen a favourite artist of mine with her leg hair out while wearing feminine clothing like it’s the most normal thing in the world (which it should be!!) Phoebe Bridgers you are so important to me”.
Mixed opinions on the spotlight
Others dubbed her “brave” and “so real” for challenging the status quo. However, some disagreed, arguing that such a big deal should not be made of women appearing in public with unshaven body parts. One woman wrote: “We can just let women be and not say anything about their bodies and choices, no? She isn’t unshaved for you guys to 'yass queen, what a feminist diva' her. We aren’t normalising anything by constantly pointing it out, negative or positive. There’s so much more about this woman to admire”.
Bridgers is not the only woman to have shown body hair on the red carpet. In 1999, Julia Roberts made history when she flashed her hairy underarms while waving to fans at the London premiere of Notting Hill. Roberts later told Vogue: “I waved, and people saw I had armpit hair. It was a scandal.”
