3amCelebrity NewsVenice Film FestivalPhoebe Bridgers refused to bow to traditional beauty standards by baring her unshaven legs at the Venice Film Festival – and fans have praised her for rewriting the rule book on femininity09:02, 08 Sep 2026The 83rd Venice Film Festival is underway and filmmakers are debuting new movies, stars are walking the red carpet and top films are competing for awards like the Golden Lion.‌A-listers including Orlando Bloom and Robert Pattinson have been walking the red carpet this year – and keen film fans are waiting to see who wins and what stars are wearing. But it's American songwriter Phoebe Bridgers who has captured the attention of many this year.‌Not only did she wear an extremely fashionable outfit, which included a gorgeous black Gucci skirt, she also decided to wave goodbye to the strict beauty standards female celebrities are pressured about.‌Phoebe, 32, didn't feel the need to shave her legs beforehand and fans love her for it. Many spectators commented about how "rare" it is to see a public figure showing that they have body hair.‌On X, fans gushed about the choice, saying: "Obsessed with the unshaven legs. She looks so good".Another said that this was "representation" for those people who choose not to shave their body hair, despite common (and incorrect) assumptions that it's 'not hygienic' to have body hair.A third penned: "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 said: "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".Content cannot be displayed without consentOthers dubbed her "brave" and "so real" for challenging the status quo. However, some disagreed, saying that such a big deal shouldn't be made out of it if women are seen in public with unshaven body parts.‌A 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".Of course, she's not the only woman to have shown off body hair on the red carpet, as, in a shock to nobody, women also grow hair on their legs and armpits, in the same way men do - but women are expected to shave it.In 1999, Julia Roberts made history as she flashed her hairy underarms while waving to fans at the London premiere of Notting Hill.Article continues below"I waved, and people saw I had armpit hair. It was a scandal," Roberts said to Vogue recently.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Venice Film FestivalFilm festivalFestivals