7 Celebrities Who Have Rocked Some Underarm Hair

At some point or other, it became a faux pas for a woman to be seen with armpit hair — or any body hair (excluding on the head, of course) for that matter. To most of us, though, it seems obvious that hair is a natural part of both a woman's and man's body, and shouldn't remotely be cause for shame — which is where celebrities with armpit hair come in. As more women choose to keep rocking this natural look, we begin to de-stigmatize it. And that's definitely a beautiful thing.

The recent trend to not only grow out your underarm hair, but also to dye your armpit hair, has swept the globe, and we're seeing more and more Instagrams of women who are defying traditional beauty standards and giving the bushy pit look a go.

I'll never forget when I experimented with growing my own armpit hair out during my junior year of college. I was also getting married later that year, and I had totally forgotten about my recent pit sitch when my mother and I went wedding dress shopping.

As I tried on the first dress, my mom let out a whispered gasp and thought it crazy of me to go that natural. It certainly wasn't trendy at the time, but I had seen it on some of the women I met going contra-dancing (which was sort of a hippie, folksy, modern version of old English and traditional folk dancing), and I thought if they could do it, so could I. My armpit hair didn't last long after that, but you never know: I might try it out again someday.

Arguably, problematic beauty standards would be even harder to break without the help of some awesome celebrities. So here are seven peeps whose decisions to throw out their razors have totally impacted us today:

1. Miley Cyrus

Her recent armpit hair has made headlines everywhere, so it's probably not a surprise to you to see Miley on this list. But nevertheless, her newly dyed pink pit hair has, like so many of her fashion choices, inspired us to give it a try.

2. Madonna

Her Instagram post last November caused quite a stir, even though we shouldn't be surprised by Madonna rebelling against traditional notions of beauty — considering she's basically pushed boundaries her entire career. Gotta hand it to the woman, though: She never stops being contemporary. We'll continue to be influenced by her for years to come, I'm sure.

3. Giulietta Masina

As noted in the Tweet above, Madonna wasn't by any means the first woman to show us it's OK to display our natural body hair glory. The Italian actress posed for a photo in 1957, exposing her armpit hair with sheer confidence. That smile and the position of Giulietta's hands over her ears suggest to me that she doesn't care what anyone says. Her pit hair is her prerogative.

4. Sophia Loren

Another Italian actress prominent in the late 1950s and through the '60s is making this list. Sophia Loren posed in several photos with her hirsute armpits, and despite living in times that proclaimed a perfectly "flawless" type of Hollywood glamour as the "ideal" beauty, she was able to be a fashion icon during her lifetime, and remains one today.

5. Lisa Bonet

The Cosby Show star showed off her natural bodily hair in the '90s, proving that despite the usual "code" for women, anyone can brilliantly pull off such rule-breaking in fabulous, eccentric style.

6. Julia Roberts

If you're like me, you had no idea this look was once rocked by one the ultimate style icons of our time. Julia Roberts proudly displayed her armpit hair growth at the premiere of 1999's Notting Hill. The actress is forever known for her effortless and exquisite taste in fashion, so if she can pull it off without getting marred, anyone can.

7. Patti Smith

Ladies of music, especially punk rock, are no strangers to rebelling against any "rule" that tries to box women in, whether it be in the beauty realm or otherwise. This "punk poet laureate," as she has been dubbed, showed off her arm tresses on the cover of her third studio album in 1978.

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