It started as a simple fashion video: the innocent presentation of a collection of sky-high heels. However, what was meant to be a simple, impromptu fashion show quickly turned into an aesthetic trial. Instead of praising the design of these princess-like shoes, the most malicious internet users focused on another, more physical, detail.
When body hair attracts more attention than shoes
Content creator @carolenavmusic didn't expect such a backlash when she showed off her fairytale heels. In a video that has easily surpassed a million views, this professional singer, whose Instagram feed is a mix of audio demos and ankle-high shoe hauls, presents the highlights of her shoe collection. She then performs a display of footwork worthy of a professional runway model in the privacy of her living room. Throughout this grand fashion showcase, she always focuses on her feet. It's somewhat of an artistic direction for her, and rightly so.
This woman, who clearly owns more shoes than clothes to wear them with, sports platform sandals reminiscent of Bratz dolls, Renaissance-inspired designs, and even candy-pink pairs that look like they were borrowed from Barbie. This video, filmed with unabashed pride, garnered praise from style aficionados and Pinterest enthusiasts. However, it also became the target of numerous, entirely irrelevant criticisms.
Some internet users, clearly there to remind everyone of beauty standards, played devil's advocate. They expressed their disgust at the main character's hairy legs with nauseating emojis and disgusted adjectives. "I thought she was a man." "What's the point of those shoes if you have men's legs?" "What if we started a razor collection?" Despite years of desensitization to smooth, hairless skin, many are still surprised to see body hair on women. This natural phenomenon, common to all human beings, seems to be the ultimate crime for women, or even a faux pas.
@carolenavmusic I used to own 30+ heels look at me now ms minimalist 🫶🏻💕 #heelcollection ♬ Naughty Girl - Beyoncé
These comments illustrate the aesthetic pressure placed on women.
These comments, perpetuating outdated marketing rhetoric, suggest that body hair is superfluous on women and cannot coexist with frilly heels or other embellishments. While true fashionistas and advocates of body positivity claim they are too busy admiring the featured shoes to focus on the background, these purveyors of hate are busy promoting the ideal of smooth skin. As if body hair only grew on male figures or solely through the magic of testosterone.
It's this kind of unsolicited criticism that forces women to cover their unkempt legs under thick layers of clothing, to forgo swimming because their legs aren't presentable, and to waste 72 days of their lives shaving . While body hair is synonymous with virility in men and is even a positive symbol, it evokes sloppiness when it peeks out from under a skirt.
Fortunately, the content creator seems completely impervious to the opinions of others. Far from being overcome by insecurities or shame, she refuses to shave her legs to please society. On the contrary, she wants people to get used to her appearance, so that she is no longer seen as "crude" but as ordinary.
Reminder: body hair and femininity are not contradictory terms.
If, in the comments section, some venomous internet users assume that body hair detracts from this woman's style and ruins the potential of her shoes, which are clearly meant for Disney fairytales, that's just an old wives' tale. We've been so conditioned to see women with velvety skin, without a single hair, that we've come to believe it's the norm, the rule to follow. However, body hair is healthy on all bodies and remains a universal reality, not a matter of gender.
But thanks to hashtags like “I keep my body hair” or “princesses have body hair,” female body hair is being discussed differently. Not as something forbidden, but as a right. The content creator fully embraces this liberation movement. She even wrote a song in its honor, titled “REVOLUTIONHAIRY.” She also enjoys styling and shaping it artistically, just as she would her own hair.
In the 21st century, female body hair should no longer be a problem, nor should it cause visual shock. It shouldn't even attract attention. And women like Carolena provide another, more realistic and accessible example of femininity.
