Dyeing Armpit Hair One Trend I’ll Be Avoiding

I still remember when crocheted sweater vests were a thing back in the early 70's. Every girl in my Catholic school 7th grade class had one, except me. But going to a department store and buying one off the rack like the other girls wasn't possible for me. I was then, (as I am now) a short, "plus-size" (to be kind) person. There was no such thing as plus-size kids wear then. Husky sizes? Yes. But mostly for boys.

So my wonderful mom had a friend hand-crochet one for me out of teal-colored wool and I loved it. I would have worn it everyday if I could have. In fact, I had one of the worst school pictures of my life taken wearing that sweater vest with a brown shirt and a black-studded leather choker! Ah youth!

I think that was most likely the last time I really felt included in a fashion trend. Perhaps I've simply reached a point in my life where I just cannot process certain things, nor do I want or need to. Growing out and dyeing my armpit hair would be one of the things on that list!

The origins of this trend? Information is spotty, but it is either rooted in a feministic movement of some sort on either coast or according to one source, started in a Seattle salon when a client had her pits dyed and the video went viral. Why is growing out your pit hair and dyeing it a fluorescent shade of green, pink or blue considered a feminist act?

Apparently "the man" has been holding us down and making us shave all these years! (Or something like that). A lot of women who considered themselves feminists back in the 60's and 70's were just as mystified by bra burning. ("Yup, I'm torching all my comfy 18-hr bras and setting the 'girls' free, that'll show you, you male chauvinist pigs!") I mean, what sort of statement did that make about equal work for equal pay or against sexual harassment?

And please, don't show me that Miley Cyrus instagram pic again and tell me that she's taking a stance for oppressed women, homeless youth or abused animals by dropping trou and jumping on the colorful armpit hair bandwagon, because I'm not buying it!