Skims recently sparked a widespread conversation with the launch of its $32 thong featuring synthetic pubic hair. The reaction was swift and varied, encompassing everything from confusion and outrage to amusement and even praise. Yet, for some, this move wasn’t entirely unexpected.
“I wasn’t shocked,” remarked Mandy Lee, a content creator known for her insights into fashion and beauty trends. She believes brands recognize the immense ‘buzz’ such provocative pieces can generate. Ms. Lee, 34, had previously highlighted this recurring fascination with body hair in a popular video, suggesting its cyclical return to prominence in the fashion world.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Various designers have recently explored incorporating real or simulated hair into their creations. Dilara Findikoglu, for instance, showcased sheer dresses intricately woven with hair on her runways. Simone Rocha crafted distinctive bow earrings from hair for Jean Paul Gaultier, while Daniel Roseberry at Schiaparelli unveiled braided hair neckties. Hillary Taymour’s Spring 2026 collection for Collina Strada even included hats and beanies fashioned from both synthetic and human hair.
Ms. Lee’s analysis specifically pointed to a noticeable return of pubic hair motifs in high fashion. She referenced the striking merkin wigs featured in John Galliano’s acclaimed Maison Margiela Artisanal couture show. Furthermore, just prior to Skims’ controversial thong release, designer Duran Lantink presented a bold bodysuit, adorned with printed chest and pubic hair, in his Spring 2026 runway collection for Jean Paul Gaultier.
These bold statements are visually evident in recent collections:
According to Ms. Lee, this renewed fascination with incorporating intimate body hair into designs stems from a deeper desire: to shock an audience that has grown increasingly desensitized to provocative imagery.
She elaborated, stating, “The internet has exposed us to extreme realities, from police brutality to school shootings. When people witness such horrors daily on their screens, what impact can fashion, a relatively trivial art form, possibly have in terms of shock and discomfort?”
Historically, using visible pubic hair has been a reliable method for fashion brands to capture public attention. Memorable instances include Tom Ford’s 2003 Gucci advertisement, which controversially styled pubic hair into the brand’s ‘G’ logo (a concept later echoed by Supreme on a 2022 T-shirt). Another notable moment was Carla Bruni, before becoming France’s first lady, gracing a 1994 Vivienne Westwood show in just a faux fur coat and a merkin.
This recent surge in overt body hair presentation by certain fashion labels is particularly striking given years of prevailing beauty standards that promoted hairless bodies. Trends like Brazilian waxes and expensive laser hair removal treatments have long dictated a smooth-skinned aesthetic for many.
For some observers, designers’ current exploration of hair in their collections represents a deliberate departure from the hyper-groomed ideal. It’s seen as an embrace of natural imperfection in an era often characterized by algorithmic uniformity. This broader cultural shift is also evident in mainstream campaigns, such as razor advertisements showcasing women with underarm hair, and social media movements like ‘Januhairy,’ which promotes growing out body hair as a collective New Year’s initiative.
However, critics like Liz Plank, host of the “Boy Problems” podcast and author of the ‘Airplane Mode’ newsletter, point out a significant irony in how fashion is championing the acceptance of body hair.
“Fashion is essentially repackaging and selling ‘natural beauty’ back to women, rather than simply allowing them to exist as they are,” Ms. Plank, 38, argued. She suggests that this trend often involves ‘cosplaying’ naturalness, where the look must still adhere to specific aesthetic standards. “It ceases to be truly natural if it requires a certain appearance or necessitates purchasing a product to attain it,” she concluded.